PTE speaking practice test: a free mini set you can do today

This page gives you a short PTE speaking practice test we wrote ourselves: two Read Aloud texts, six Repeat Sentence lines, a Describe Image chart, eight Answer Short Questions, a Respond to a Situation prompt and a lecture to retell. You mark yourself with a checklist. It is not scored. For scored practice use Pearson's own tools: some are free, and the full Scored Practice Test is paid.

In PTE Academic the speaking tasks sit in the first part of the test, with the writing tasks. Pearson describes that part as taking:

Here is what Pearson says about each speaking task in this practice set. Keep the timings next to you while you work.

Describe Image gives you 40 seconds to speak after the 25 seconds of preparation, and Retell Lecture gives you 40 seconds to speak after the 10 seconds of preparation. Pearson also says Summarize Group Discussion has ten seconds of preparation and two minutes of speaking. That task needs a longer audio recording, so it has its own page: PTE Summarize Group Discussion.

Pearson's own task pages repeat the same three rules. Practise with them from day one, because they are easy to forget under pressure.

• You get one recording. Pearson says: “You are only able to record your response once.”
• Speak only after the microphone opens. Pearson says: “Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.”
• Do not go quiet. Pearson says that on Answer Short Question, “If you wait for more than three seconds, the recording will stop and the item status will change to ‘completed’”.

The practical lesson is simple. Record one attempt per question and never re-record. Start talking the moment your timer says go. If you stumble, keep going, because Pearson says hesitations, repetitions and false starts will negatively affect your score.

Pearson lists the Guided Practice Tests among its free resources:

Pearson also runs a practice product with AI feedback. It lists what you get without paying:

• 1 Speaking and Writing diagnostic.

For a full two-hour mock that is scored the way the real test is scored, Pearson sells Scored Practice Tests. It describes them like this:

Pearson's AI Practice page says its Scored Practice Test is “Best taken close to test day”, but its mock-test plan article (23 May 2024) suggests one early, one halfway and one just before the test, so Pearson's pages differ. Pearson says these practice tests are one-time use only, so decide how many you need before you buy. Pearson's article on practising with its guided tests also gives a method for speaking answers, and we use it in the next section.

Pearson's guide to its free guided tests suggests this order for speaking answers. We have added the phone-recording steps because most people practise away from a test centre.

1. Clear your desk and find a quiet room. Pearson says: “Remove any distractions from your workspace.”
2. Use a headset with a microphone if you have one. The test centre gives you its own audio headset. At the test centre Pearson says “you may hear your neighbors speak as they take their test”, and adds: “Don’t worry – our microphones won’t pick up what they are saying”.
3. Start the voice recorder on your phone. Our suggestion: record the whole session as one file so you cannot restart a question.
4. Use the preparation time to plan. Pearson says: “Record yourself during the preparation time if applicable.” In the real test your voice is not recorded until the microphone opens, so plan silently and be ready to start at the tone.
5. Answer each question once, in the time shown in the table above.
6. After the set, play the file back. Pearson says: “Listen to your recorded answer.” Then mark yourself with the checklist below.

You do not need to do the whole set in one go. Parts A and B take about five minutes. Parts C to E take about five. Part F takes about two and needs a second person or a recorded script. Allow the same time again to play your recording back and tick the checklist.

Our practice set. Each part imitates the task type only. The wording, the numbers in the chart and the topics are our own and are made up.

Part A. Read Aloud (two texts)

Look at each text for 30 to 40 seconds, then read it aloud once, clearly and without rushing.

• Text A1: Libraries have changed a great deal in the last twenty years. Many now offer quiet study rooms, free internet access and workshops on research skills, as well as shelves of books. Students who learn to use these services early often find that their assignments become easier to plan and to finish on time.
• Text A2: The city council has announced that the main bridge will close for repairs on Saturday morning. Drivers are advised to use the northern route, which is slightly longer but much less busy. Buses will continue to run, although some stops will move to the east side of the river.

Part B. Repeat Sentence (six sentences)

Have a friend read each sentence once at a normal pace, or record yourself reading them and play each file only once. Repeat exactly what you heard, straight away.

1. B1: The history seminar has moved to room twelve.
2. B2: Please submit your final report before the end of the month.
3. B3: Most of the students in this course study part time and work on weekends.
4. B4: The laboratory will be closed tomorrow because of essential maintenance work.
5. B5: If you would like to borrow a laptop, you should ask at the front desk.
6. B6: The new timetable will be posted on the department website on Monday afternoon.

Part C. Describe Image (one chart)

You have 25 seconds to study the image and prepare your response, and then 40 seconds to speak. Below is a chart in table form. The numbers are invented for practice.

Part D. Answer Short Question (eight questions)

Read each question aloud yourself or have a friend read it. Answer in one word or a few words, straight away.

1. D1: What do you call a person who teaches at a university?
2. D2: Which month comes directly after March?
3. D3: What do you use to measure temperature?
4. D4: How many days are there in a week?
5. D5: What do you call a book that lists words and their meanings?
6. D6: Which is colder, ice or steam?
7. D7: What do you call a person who cooks food in a restaurant?
8. D8: Is a mammal a type of animal or a type of plant?

Part E. Respond to a Situation (one prompt)

Read the prompt, take 10 seconds to plan, then speak for 40 seconds.

Prompt: You are working on a group project at university. Your teammate has not finished their part of the report, and the deadline is on Friday. You meet them in the corridor. Tell them what you are worried about and suggest what you can do together to finish on time.

Part F. Retell Lecture (optional, needs a second person)

Ask someone to read this short lecture to you once at a steady pace, or record yourself reading it and play it back once. Take notes while you listen. Then take 10 seconds to prepare and speak for 40 seconds in your own words.

Lecture script: Green roofs, which are roofs covered with soil and plants, are becoming more common in large cities. They have three main benefits. First, they keep buildings cooler, because plants shade the surface and absorb heat. Second, they collect rainwater, which takes pressure off city drains during storms. Third, they give insects and birds a place to live. However, green roofs cost more to build than ordinary roofs, and they need regular care. For this reason, some councils now offer grants. Overall, the long-term benefits usually outweigh the early costs.

Part A. Read Aloud: where to pause and what to stress

Here is how we would chunk the two texts. A slash is a tiny pause, and capitals mark the words to lean on.

• A1: Libraries have CHANGED a great deal / in the last twenty YEARS. / Many now offer quiet STUDY rooms, / free INTERNET access / and workshops on research SKILLS, / as well as shelves of BOOKS. / Students who learn to use these SERVICES early / often find that their ASSIGNMENTS / become easier to PLAN / and to FINISH on time.
• A2: The city council has ANNOUNCED / that the main BRIDGE will close for repairs / on Saturday MORNING. / Drivers are advised to use the NORTHERN route, / which is slightly LONGER / but much less BUSY. / BUSES will continue to run, / although some STOPS will move / to the EAST side of the river.
• Why this works: a text with a clear chunk pattern sounds fluent, and reading every word in order protects your content mark. Skipping or adding a word counts against you.

Part B. Repeat Sentence: the phrases to listen for

• B1: The history seminar / has moved / to room twelve. Reason: a short sentence, so the risk is in the number at the end.
• B2: Please submit your final report / before the end of the month. Reason: two phrases, the second one is the deadline.
• B3: Most of the students / in this course / study part time / and work on weekends. Reason: four short phrases, so hold the order.
• B4: The laboratory will be closed / tomorrow / because of essential maintenance work. Reason: the middle word is easy to lose.
• B5: If you would like to borrow a laptop, / you should ask / at the front desk. Reason: the if-clause comes first, so keep the same order.
• B6: The new timetable / will be posted / on the department website / on Monday afternoon. Reason: two similar endings with on, so do not swap them.

Part C. Describe Image: a model description and why it is organised this way

Model description: This chart shows the average number of daily visitors to a university library from Monday to Sunday. Visitors rise from 420 on Monday to a peak of 560 on Wednesday, then fall to 480 on Thursday and 300 on Friday. The weekend is much quieter, with 150 visitors on Saturday and only 90 on Sunday. Overall, the library is busiest in the middle of the week and quietest on Sundays. This suggests that students use it mostly for weekday study, so extra opening hours might be most useful midweek.

• It starts with one sentence that says what the image is about.
• It gives the main trend with the highest and lowest values, not every number.
• It groups the days (weekdays and weekend) instead of reading the table line by line.
• It ends with a conclusion that follows from the data, which matches what the quote above asks for.

Part D. Answer Short Question: answers

• D1: lecturer or professor. Reason: the question asks for a job title.
• D2: April. Reason: it is the next month in the calendar.
• D3: a thermometer. Reason: it is the tool that measures temperature.
• D4: seven. Reason: a plain fact, and a one-word answer is enough.
• D5: a dictionary. Reason: it is the book that lists words and meanings.
• D6: ice. Reason: you are choosing between two things, so say one.
• D7: a chef or a cook. Reason: either word names the job.
• D8: an animal. Reason: a mammal is an animal, so the plant option is wrong.

Part E. Respond to a Situation: a model response

Model response: Hi, do you have a minute? I'm a bit worried about the report, because the deadline is on Friday and your section isn't finished yet. I know group work can be stressful, so I wanted to ask how I can help. If you send me your notes tonight, I can start on the formatting tomorrow. Then we could meet on Thursday afternoon, check everything together and fix any gaps before we hand it in. I'd also be happy to read your section once you have a draft, so that we both feel confident before Friday. Would that work for you?

• It uses the information in the prompt correctly: the deadline is Friday, and the answer says Friday. It does not invent details the prompt did not give.
• It speaks to a classmate, so the register is friendly and polite, not formal.
• It does both jobs the prompt asks for: it says what worries the speaker, then suggests a plan.
• It ends with a question, which sounds natural and gives a clear finish.

Part F. Retell Lecture: the points to cover

• Main idea: green roofs are becoming more common in large cities.
• Benefit 1: they keep buildings cooler.
• Benefit 2: they collect rainwater and ease pressure on drains in storms.
• Benefit 3: they give insects and birds a home.
• Drawback: they cost more to build and need regular care.
• Support: some councils offer grants.
• Conclusion: the long-term benefits usually outweigh the early costs.
• Reason this list matters: the quote above asks for all the main points, so count how many of these seven you covered.

For Describe Image, Retell Lecture and Respond to a Situation, Pearson says Content, Pronunciation and Oral Fluency are all AI-scored traits and a human expert also reviews Content before the final score is confirmed. Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence are marked on the same three factors, and Pearson's Score Guide lists no human review for them. Answer Short Question is scored correct or incorrect.

Here is how Pearson defines the three factors for Read Aloud:

• Content: “Does your response include all the words in the reading text and only these words?” Pearson adds: “Replacements insertions and omissions of words will negatively affect your score.”
• Pronunciation: “Pronunciation is scored by determining if your speech is easily understandable to most regular speakers of the language.”
• Oral fluency: “Does your response demonstrate a smooth, effortless and natural rate of speech?” Pearson adds: “Hesitations, repetitions and false starts will negatively affect your score.”

Our checklist. Play the recording and answer yes or no to each line. Do not give yourself a number or a level. Just count the noes and work on the biggest cluster first.

• Read Aloud: did I say every word in the text, in order, with nothing added?
• Read Aloud: did I pause at commas and full stops and not in the middle of a phrase?
• Repeat Sentence: did I keep the order of the phrases, even where I forgot one word?
• Describe Image: did I say what the image shows, the main trend, two or three details and a conclusion?
• Answer Short Question: did I start within a second or two, and did I stop after the answer?
• Respond to a Situation: did I use every detail from the prompt, and did I fill the 40 seconds?
• Retell Lecture: did I cover the main idea, the supporting points and a conclusion in my own words?
• Everything: did I keep going after a mistake instead of stopping to fix it?
• Everything: could a stranger understand every word without replaying it?

This set is not scored, and a recording you mark yourself is not a prediction. We do not say how any answer here would score, and we cannot tell you what mark you would get on the real test. To see where you stand against Pearson's marking, use its Scored Practice Test and read the Score Report, or the free AI practice diagnostic and read the feedback. Pearson's rules and the final decision on your result are in its own pages, and this page is not immigration or visa advice.

For the full list of tasks in the speaking and writing part, see PTE Academic test format. For habits that raise a speaking mark over weeks, see PTE speaking tips and a practice routine.

Common questions