PTE Academic test format, timing and duration
PTE Academic is one computer-based sitting of about two hours, in three parts: Speaking and Writing (76–84 minutes, 9 question types), Reading (23–30 minutes, 5) and Listening (31–39 minutes, 8). You hear each recording once, and speaking is recorded through a microphone.
The three parts at a glance
| Part | Time Pearson gives | Question types | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Speaking and Writing | 76–84 minutes | 9 | Speaking and writing, with listening and reading folded in |
| 2. Reading | 23–30 minutes | 5 | Reading, plus writing in one fill-in-the-blanks type |
| 3. Listening | 31–39 minutes | 8 | Listening, with writing and reading in some types |
Pearson tells test takers to expect two hours: “You will have two hours to complete a PTE Academic, PTE Academic UKVI or a PTE Core test.” The three section ranges above add up to 130 to 153 minutes, which looks like more. Pearson explains the same gap in its PTE Core Score Guide: “Please note: The minimum and maximum times shown for each section of the test do not match the total test duration. No test will exceed a total of 2 hours.” That is Pearson's PTE Core guide, and the PTE Academic pages we read do not repeat it, so treat two hours as the figure to plan around.
Part 1: Speaking and Writing
This part of the test contains nine different question types. You will be tested on your speaking and writing skills, using English you might hear in an academic environment. 76–84 minutes.
| Question type | What you do | Prompt | Time to answer | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read Aloud | Text appears on the screen. Read the text aloud. | Text up to 60 words | Varies by item, depending on the length of text. | Speaking |
| Repeat Sentence | After listening to a recording of a sentence, repeat the sentence. | 3-9 seconds | 15 seconds | Listening and speaking |
| Describe Image | An image appears on the screen. Describe the image in detail. | Not applicable | 40 seconds | Speaking |
| Retell Lecture | After listening to or watching a lecture, retell the lecture in your own words. | Up to 90 seconds | 40 seconds | Listening and speaking |
| Answer Short Question | After listening to a question, answer with a single word or a few words. | 3–9 seconds | 10 seconds | Listening |
| Summarize Group Discussion | Listen to a discussion between 3 people, then summarize the discussion in your own words. | Up to 3 minutes | 2 minutes | Listening and speaking |
| Respond to a Situation | Listen to and read a description of a situation. Then answer a question about it with an extended response. | Text up to 60 words | 40 seconds | Speaking |
| Summarize Written Text | After reading the text, write a one-sentence summary of the passage. | Text up to 300 words | 10 minutes | Reading and writing |
| Write Essay | Write a 200–300 word essay on a given topic. | 2-3 sentences | 20 minutes | Writing |
The Personal Introduction is an opportunity for you to get familiar with PTE test technology and to help you prepare for your speaking and listening questions. This question does not contribute to your score and is for familiarization purposes only.
Note: While the audio is playing, you can take notes on the erasable noteboard provided.
Part 2: Reading
This part of the test contains five different question types. Because PTE Academic is an integrated skills test, one item type ('Reading and Writing: Fill in the blanks') also assesses writing skills. 23–30 minutes.
| Question type | What you do | Prompt | Time to answer | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) | You will see some text with several gaps. Choose the correct words from the drop-down menu to fill in the gaps. | Text up to 200 words | Not applicable | Reading |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | After reading the text, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the text by selecting more than one response. | Text up to 350 words | Not applicable | Reading |
| Reorder Paragraph | Several text boxes appear on the screen in a random order. Put the text boxes in the correct order. | Text up to 110 words | Not applicable | Reading |
| Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) | The text appears on a screen with several gaps in it. Drag words from the box below to fill the gaps. | Text up to 80 words | Not applicable | Reading |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | After reading the text, answer a multiple-choice question by selecting one response. | Text up to 110 words | Not applicable | Reading |
Part 3: Listening
This part of the test contains eight different question types. The questions are based on audio or video clips, which begin to play automatically. You hear each audio or video clip once. You are allowed to take notes. 31–39 minutes.
| Question type | What you do | Prompt | Time to answer | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summarize Spoken Text | After listening to a recording, write a 50–70 word summary. | 60–90 seconds | Not applicable | Listening and writing |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | After listening to a recording, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the recording by selecting more than one response. | 80-120 seconds | Not applicable | Listening |
| Fill in the Blanks (Type In) | A transcript of a recording appears on the screen, with several gaps. After listening to the recording, type the missing word in each gap. | 30–60 seconds | Not applicable | Listening |
| Highlight Correct Summary | After listening to a recording, select the paragraph that best summarizes the recording. | 30-90 seconds | Not applicable | Listening and reading |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | After listening to a recording, answer a multiple-choice question by selecting one response. | 30–60 seconds | Not applicable | Listening |
| Select Missing Word | After listening to a recording, select the missing word that completes the recording from a list of options. | 20–70 seconds | Not applicable | Listening |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | The transcript of a recording appears on the screen. While listening to the recording, identify the words in the transcript that differ from what is said. | 15–50 seconds | Not applicable | Listening and reading |
| Write from Dictation | For this item type, you hear a short sentence. Type the sentence into the response box at the bottom of the screen. | 3–5 seconds | Not applicable | Listening and writing |
Highlight Incorrect Words is one of three question types where Pearson says you can lose points. For any wrong options chosen, one point is deducted, while correct options are given one point.
The two long writing tasks
Pearson gives each of these its own time limit.
Pearson scores the essay on seven factors. This question type uses partial credit scoring. No credit is given for no response, an irrelevant response or an unoriginal response. You must use your own words.
| Factor | What Pearson asks |
|---|---|
| Content | Does your response address the topic? |
| Development, structure and coherence | Does your response demonstrate good development of ideas and a logical structure? |
| Form | Does your response meet the length requirement of between 200 and 300 words? |
| General linguistic range | Does your response use language that precisely conveys your ideas? |
| Grammar usage and mechanics | Does your response demonstrate correct grammatical usage and consistent control of standard written English? |
| Vocabulary range | Does your response demonstrate command of a broad vocabulary range? |
| Spelling | Does your response demonstrate correct and consistent use of a single spelling convention? |
On the day
What happens from the door to the booth.
PTE Core is built differently
For Canada, PTE Core has three parts too, but its own question types (19 in all, Pearson says). Its format page gives around 50 minutes for speaking and writing, around 30 for reading and around 30 for listening, and its PTE Core page lists 50-65 minutes, 27-37 minutes and 22-37 minutes. Pearson: PTE Core takes around two hours to complete. See the PTE Core booking and price page.
Common questions
Pearson says: “You will have two hours to complete a PTE Academic, PTE Academic UKVI or a PTE Core test.” Its section ranges add up to 130 to 153 minutes (76–84, 23–30 and 31–39); for PTE Core Pearson explains that such ranges do not add up to the real length and that no test exceeds two hours. Plan for two hours, plus check-in.
Pearson gives two hours and asks you to arrive at least 30 minutes early, so an 8:00 start means arriving by 7:30 and finishing by about 10:00. That is arithmetic from Pearson's two-hour figure, not a promise from Pearson. Keep the morning free until about 10:30.
Three: Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening. Pearson counts 9, 5 and 8 question types in them.
Recorded. IELTS Australia puts the difference this way: IELTS Speaking is a face-to-face interview with a trained examiner, while PTE Academic responses are recorded through a computer microphone.
Yes, on the erasable board you are given. Pearson: “Note: While the audio is playing, you can take notes on the erasable noteboard provided.”
On some question types, yes. Pearson says three question types work this way, and for Highlight Incorrect Words: “For any wrong options chosen, one point is deducted, while correct options are given one point.”
Pearson: “Book quickly. Take a 2-hour test. Get your results typically in less than 48 hours.” See the results and validity page for the full picture.
Pearson says: “You will have two hours to complete a PTE Academic, PTE Academic UKVI or a PTE Core test” It splits the test into parts for speaking and writing, reading, and listening. Of the first part, Pearson says: “This part of the test contains nine different question types. You will be tested on your speaking and writing skills, using English you might hear in an academic environment.” Of the second: “This part of the test contains five different question types. Because PTE Academic is an integrated skills test, one item type ('Reading and Writing: Fill in the blanks') also assesses writing skills.” And of the third: “This part of the test contains eight different question types. The questions are based on audio or video clips, which begin to play automatically. You hear each audio or video clip once. You are allowed to take notes.” The tables above give the time and question types for each part.
Speaking sits in the first part of the test, which Pearson describes this way: “This part of the test contains nine different question types. You will be tested on your speaking and writing skills, using English you might hear in an academic environment.” The question types where you answer aloud are Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Answer Short Question, Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation. Pearson says of the opening question: “The Personal Introduction is an opportunity for you to get familiar with PTE test technology and to help you prepare for your speaking and listening questions. This question does not contribute to your score and is for familiarization purposes only.” You speak to the computer: “the PTE Academic speaking section is completed on a computer (and is machine scored).” IELTS Australia describes the difference this way: “Another key difference is the Speaking test. With IELTS, you do a speaking exam face-to-face with a real human examiner in a private testing room. The PTE-A test requires you to speak into a microphone with others doing the same around you in the same testing room.”