PTE speaking: how it is marked, tips for each task and how to practise
PTE Academic speaking tasks are marked on content, pronunciation and oral fluency, except Answer Short Question, which is scored correct or incorrect. Pearson's task rules point to a few habits that matter: use the preparation time, keep talking, say every word on Read Aloud, and organise what you say. This page turns those rules into tips for each task, a daily practice routine, and one-week and four-week plans.
Every tip below is tied to something Pearson publishes about the test, and every Pearson fact is quoted with its source. The routines, plans and examples are ours and are labelled that way. Nothing here predicts a score. Only Pearson's scoring decides that.
How PTE speaking is marked
Content comes first on Describe Image, and without it pronunciation and fluency count for nothing.
Pearson names three things it marks in most speaking tasks: content, pronunciation and oral fluency. For Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation it says all three are AI-scored, and that a human expert also reviews content before the final score for the task is confirmed. Answer Short Question is scored correct or incorrect.
"Content, Pronunciation and Oral Fluency are all AI-scored traits. A human expert will also review Content before your final score for the task is confirmed."
Pearson's score guide shows the order in which a Describe Image response is marked. Content is checked first, and only a response with some content goes on to be marked for the other two traits:
"The question is first scored on Content. If no response, or an irrelevant response is given, the Content is scored as 0."
"If the Content score is greater than 0, the response will be rated on the two remaining traits: Pronunciation and Oral Fluency."
The same guide says what counts as irrelevant:
"Responses that contain pre-prepared or memorized material are classified as irrelevant responses."
That is the most important fact on this page. A fluent memorised answer can earn nothing, because the guide treats it as irrelevant and gives it no content mark. Pearson gives no template and no list of allowed phrases, and its integrity paper describes the Describe Image and Retell Lecture templates it sees as often fragmented and repetitive, combined with fully memorized introductory and concluding sentences. Use habits and a plan for what to say, and build every answer from the prompt in front of you.
On accents, Pearson says:
"PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to the degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language."
So the goal is not to sound like someone else. The goal is to be easy to understand. If you speak a regional or national variety of English, work on clear vowels, finished word endings and steady stress, not on changing your accent.
The timing and microphone rules
These rules shape most of the tips below.
| Rule | What Pearson says |
|---|---|
| The microphone opens (a short tone first on most tasks, none on Answer Short Question) | Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded. |
| One recording only | You are only able to record your response once. |
| Silence stops the recording (Answer Short Question, Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Re-tell Lecture) | If you stop for three seconds whilst speaking, the recording status will change to ‘completed’ even if you haven’t finished, and you won’t be able to continue answering. |
| Speak clearly, do not rush | You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush. |
| You can take notes on audio tasks | Note: While the audio is playing, you can take notes on the erasable noteboard provided. |
Our reading: these rules make four habits worth building. Begin the moment the tone sounds. Never plan to redo an answer. Say something, even a simple connecting phrase, instead of going quiet. And write short key words on the notepad instead of full sentences, because you cannot write and listen at the same time.
Tips for each speaking task
Pearson's own advice first, then ours.
Read Aloud
Pearson gives you 30–40 seconds to read the text before the microphone opens. Its advice for that time is to break the text into meaningful chunks using the punctuation.
"Using appropriate pausing helps you to read more fluently and give the full meaning of the text. This will improve your score."
"Replacements insertions and omissions of words will negatively affect your score."
- Mark the chunks with a slash on your notepad, then read slightly louder on the key word in each chunk.
- Read for accuracy first. Pearson says replaced, inserted and omitted words all count against your content mark, so say every word in the text, even if one comes out imperfectly.
- If you misread a word, do not go back. Keep the rhythm and read on.
Repeat Sentence
"If you listen for meaningful phrases in the sentence, you will have a better chance of repeating what you hear accurately."
- Listen for phrases, not single words. Hold the sentence as two or three chunks and say them in order.
- Partial credit means a half-right sentence still earns something. If you lose a word, say what you remember in the right order rather than stopping.
- Copy the speaker's stress and rhythm. It helps both fluency and memory.
Describe Image
"If you organize what you say, you will get a better score."
Pearson gives you 25 seconds to study the image and prepare, then 40 seconds to speak.
- Use the 25 seconds to find three things: what the image is about, the biggest or highest point, and one comparison or trend.
- Speak in four steps: what it shows, the main point, two or three details, a short conclusion.
- Do not read out every number. Group them (for example, weekdays and weekends) and say what the pattern means.
- If you finish early, add one more implication instead of stopping. If you run long, the recording simply ends, so put the conclusion earlier than you think.
Retell Lecture
"So keep talking and ignore any mistakes that you make."
Pearson says you have 3 seconds to look at the image before the lecture plays, 10 seconds to prepare after it, and 40 seconds to speak.
- In the 3 seconds, guess the topic from the image and think of two or three words you might hear.
- While you listen, write only key words: the topic, the order (first, second, third) and any contrast.
- Retell in your own words. Open with the topic, give the main points in order, and end with what the speaker concluded.
Answer Short Question
"There is no point in saying more than you need to say. Marks are awarded for a short, accurate answer. There are no extra marks for additional words."
"If you wait for more than three seconds, the recording will stop and the item status will change to ‘completed’"
- Answer in one word or a short phrase and then stop.
- Start within a second or two, because the recording ends after three seconds of silence.
- If you do not know the exact word, say a close word you are sure of. A fast attempt is better than a long silence.
Summarize Group Discussion
"The best responses start with a summary of the main topic and then introduce subtopics with supporting details including which speaker said which piece of information."
Pearson gives you ten seconds to prepare and two minutes to speak. The full guide is on our Summarize Group Discussion page.
Respond to a Situation
"Be careful to respond to the situation using the information in the prompt."
- Underline the who, the what and the deadline in the prompt, then use those exact details.
- Choose friendly or formal language to match the person you are speaking to.
- Say what the problem is, then your suggestion, then a polite closing line. That fills the time without repeating yourself.
PTE speaking practice at home: a daily routine
Thirty minutes, one recording, one thing to fix.
Pearson's guide to its free practice tests gives a loop for speaking: record your answer, listen to it, note what you did well and what to improve, then compare with a sample.
- Listen to your recorded answer.
- Note what you did well and areas for improvement.
Here is a daily routine built on that loop. It works with a phone recorder, with Pearson's free practice tests, or with a practice partner.
| Minutes | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Read a short news paragraph aloud, marking chunks and stress before you start | Warm up your voice and practise chunking |
| 5 to 12 | Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence: 2 texts and 4 sentences, recorded | These two tasks reward accuracy, so give them steady daily time |
| 12 to 22 | Describe Image or Retell Lecture: 2 attempts, recorded | Long answers need the most practice at organising |
| 22 to 27 | Answer Short Question and one Respond to a Situation | Quick starts and using prompt details |
| 27 to 30 | Play back one recording and write down one thing to fix tomorrow | One fix at a time is easier to keep |
What to listen for when you play a recording back. Pick one row per day.
| What you hear | What to try next |
|---|---|
| Word endings disappear | Slow down by a small amount and finish the last sound of each word |
| Everything sounds flat | Start each chunk slightly higher and let your voice fall at the end of the chunk |
| Gaps of silence inside answers | Plan connecting phrases such as 'in addition' and 'as a result' and use them to keep moving |
| Rushing on long answers | Aim for steady speed from the first word, not a fast start that you cannot keep |
| Answers end well before the timer | Add a conclusion or an implication to every Describe Image and Retell Lecture |
Whether you call it PTE speaking practice, PTE practice speaking or PTE speaking test practice, the ingredients are the same: a real prompt, a timer, one recording and a review. Pearson's free practice options are listed further down this page, and our own mini set is on the PTE speaking practice test page.
One-week and four-week speaking plans
Our plans. Pearson says many candidates prepare for 2 to 4 weeks, but some need more or less time.
"Many candidates prepare for 2 to 4 weeks, although some may need more or less time."
One-week plan (for when your test is close)
| Day | Focus | Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Rules and timing | Re-read the task rules above. Do 1 recorded attempt of each task and note which one feels weakest. |
| Day 2 | Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence | 6 Read Aloud texts and 10 Repeat Sentence lines, recorded. |
| Day 3 | Describe Image | 6 images from any chart or graph source, recorded. Use the four-step structure. |
| Day 4 | Retell Lecture and Summarize Group Discussion | 3 of each, recorded, with key word notes only. |
| Day 5 | Answer Short Question and Respond to a Situation | 15 quick questions and 4 situations. |
| Day 6 | Mixed run | A full timed set of every speaking task in one sitting, no pauses between tasks. |
| Day 7 | Rest and light review | Play back two earlier recordings. Fix one habit. Check your ID and booking details. |
Four-week plan (for steady improvement)
| Week | Goal | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Learn the tasks | Read every task page. Do a few untimed attempts at each task. Record yourself and listen back. |
| Week 2 | Accuracy | Daily Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence. Track missing or added words in a notebook. |
| Week 3 | Organisation | Daily Describe Image and Retell Lecture. Practise the four-step structure until it is automatic. |
| Week 4 | Test conditions | Mixed timed sets every second day. Take one full mock a few days before the test and rest the day before. |
Common speaking mistakes
What we would fix first.
- Memorising a template and filling in the gaps. The score guide quoted near the top of this page treats pre-prepared or memorised material as irrelevant, and an irrelevant response gets no content mark.
- Waiting for the perfect word. Silence runs out the timer. Say a simpler word and move on.
- Starting before the tone on tasks with a tone. Your first words are not recorded.
- Reading or describing every number on a chart instead of the pattern.
- Stopping to correct yourself. Pearson says that repeating ideas, correcting yourself or hesitating uses up valuable time and loses score points.
- Practising only the tasks you like. Speaking has several task types and each one needs its own habit.
- Never listening back. A recording you do not play is only a rehearsal.
Pearson's own speaking practice
Free first, paid when you want scored feedback.
"Smart Prep is our preparation portal which hosts all of our preparation resources – both free and paid."
"There are 9 Guided Practice Tests within Smart Prep for PTE Academic including 4 full versions, 4 skill versions and one short version."
"You can complete the following items in the free version of Official PTE Academic AI Practice:"
- 1 Speaking and Writing diagnostic.
"Take a 2-hour practice test that uses the same format and scoring engine"
Our suggestion is to use the free tools for daily practice and keep the paid Scored Practice Test for the week before your booking. See PTE books, courses and tips for how the paid options compare. This page is not immigration advice, and Pearson's own pages decide the rules.
Common questions
Work on content first. Pearson's score guide shows, for Describe Image, that a response is marked for content before pronunciation and oral fluency. Then practise with a timer, record every answer and play it back. Our daily routine and plans are on this page.
It depends on the task. Pearson says Read Aloud gives you 30–40 seconds to prepare, Describe Image gives 25 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to speak, Respond to a Situation gives 10 seconds to think and 40 seconds to speak, and Summarize Group Discussion gives ten seconds to prepare and two minutes to speak.
Pearson says PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to the degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language. The aim is to be easy to understand, not to change your accent.
Pearson publishes no list of allowed phrases. Linking words such as 'in addition' and 'as a result' are ordinary speech, but Pearson's score guide says: “Responses that contain pre-prepared or memorized material are classified as irrelevant responses.” An irrelevant response gets no content mark. A frame is only a thinking aid that you fill with your own content, so build your answer from the prompt each time.
Use a real prompt, a timer and one recording per question, then listen back and fix one habit. Pearson's own guide to its free practice tests suggests the same loop of recording, listening back and noting what to improve.
Yes. Pearson says Smart Prep holds both free and paid resources, and its free AI practice tier includes one Speaking and Writing diagnostic. We also wrote a short set of our own with an answer key, on the PTE speaking practice test page.
Pearson says that on Answer Short Question the recording stops if you stop for three seconds, and that the same applies to Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image and Re-tell Lecture. Keep talking and ignore small mistakes.