PTE Write from Dictation (WFD): how it works and how to practise
Write from Dictation (WFD) is a PTE Academic listening question. You hear a short sentence once, 3–5 seconds long, and type it exactly. Pearson gives points for every correct word, so spelling and word order both count.
Write from Dictation is one of the shortest questions in the test and one of the easiest to practise on your own. This page gives Pearson's own description of the task and how it is marked, then a spelling-first routine and eight sentences we wrote ourselves. We are not Pearson and this is not immigration advice; Pearson's pages decide how the test works.
What Write from Dictation is
Where it sits in the test and what you do.
Pearson puts Write from Dictation in Part 3 of PTE Academic, the Listening part. It is the last of the eight question types in that part. Because the sentence is short and the audio plays once, the real skill is holding the sentence in your head long enough to type it exactly.
"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."
| What you want to know | What Pearson says |
|---|---|
| What you do | For this item type, you hear a short sentence. Type the sentence into the response box at the bottom of the screen. |
| How long the audio is | Prompt length: 3–5 seconds |
| When the audio starts | The audio begins to play automatically. |
| How many times you hear it | You are only able to listen to the audio recording once. |
| Skills assessed | Listening and writing |
| Notes | While the audio is playing, you can take notes on the erasable noteboard provided. |
| Spelling | Remember to check your spelling. |
Because writing and listening are both assessed, a Write from Dictation sentence feeds your Listening score and your Writing score. Pearson's note on the task reads like this.
"This question type affects the scoring of listening and writing. Your speaking skills are not tested by this question type"
How Pearson marks it
Word by word, with partial credit.
"Content: Does your response include all the words in the sentence and only these words? Content is scored by counting the number of correct words in your response."
"If all the words are right and spelled correctly, you receive the maximum score points for this question type. If one or more words are incorrect, partial credit scoring applies."
Our plain reading of those two lines:
- A sentence with one wrong word is still partly credited. Do not give up on a sentence because you missed a word.
- Only the words in the sentence count. Words you add are not in the sentence, so do not pad the answer.
- Spelling is part of the mark. Pearson's top mark needs every word to be right and spelled correctly.
- The line we quote counts correct words and spelling. It says nothing about capital letters or full stops, so we do not claim either is marked. Type the sentence the way you would write it.
Pearson's PTE Academic Score Guide states the per-word rule in a table.
| Document | Per-word rule it lists for Write from Dictation |
|---|---|
| PTE Academic Score Guide, correct word | 1 Each correct word spelled correctly |
| PTE Academic Score Guide, wrong word | 0 Each incorrect or misspelled word |
Pearson's tip, and what we add
One official tip, then a routine built on it.
"Type as many correct words as you can remember into the response box in the correct order"
Pearson goes on to say that if you remember a word but are not sure where it goes, you should use your knowledge of English grammar to place it. That is the tip to build a routine around, and it is why the tips below are about grammar words as much as content words.
- Write on the noteboard while the audio plays. Pearson says you can take notes. Jot the first letters of the content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives), not the whole sentence.
- Listen for chunks, not single words. A phrase such as 'will be closed on Monday' is one unit, which is easier to hold than five separate words.
- Decide before test day whether you type as the audio plays or note first and type straight after. Practise only your choice, so it is automatic on the day.
- Fill in the small words last. Articles, 'of', 'to' and 'is' are the easiest to lose. Once your content words are down, read the sentence and ask where an article, a plural -s or a verb ending belongs.
- Read it back once before you move on. Check the long words and the endings (-ed, -s, -ing).
- Never stop at a gap. A missing word costs one word. A lost thread can cost the rest of the sentence.
Typing speed matters here too. Pearson tells test takers what to expect on the keyboard.
"Your computer will use a QWERTY keyboard; if you are not used to this type of keyboard, we recommend that you practice with one before your test day."
Eight sentences to practise with
Written by us. They are not from any test and they do not predict one.
You need audio you cannot replay. Ask a friend to read a sentence once at a normal pace. Or record yourself saying it, wait a minute so you do not hold the words in your head, then play it once. A text-to-speech voice also works. Type what you hear, then compare it with the list. Count a word as correct only if it is in the right place and spelled correctly.
| Sentence to dictate | What tends to go wrong |
|---|---|
| The committee postponed the meeting until further notice. | Double letters in 'committee', the -ed ending on 'postponed', and 'farther' typed for 'further'. |
| Students are required to submit their assignments through the online portal. | 'There' typed for 'their', the plural on 'assignments', and dropping 'to' after 'required'. |
| Several researchers have questioned the accuracy of the original survey. | 'Have' heard as 'has', the -ed on 'questioned', and the spelling of 'accuracy'. |
| Rainfall in the northern region has increased steadily over the past decade. | 'Has' dropped, the vowels in 'steadily', and 'decade' heard as 'decayed'. |
| The library will be closed on Monday because of maintenance work. | 'Will be closed' shortened to 'will close', and 'maintenance' spelled as 'maintainance'. |
| A growing number of employers now offer flexible working hours. | The article 'a', the plural on 'employers', and 'offer' heard as 'offers'. |
| Please remember to reference every source in your final report. | 'reference' typed as 'refference', and 'every' heard as 'very'. |
| The lecture will focus on the causes and effects of urban growth. | 'Affects' typed for 'effects', the plural on 'causes', and 'urban' heard as 'urbane'. |
Keep a tally of what you miss. After eight sentences, the same two or three error types often show up, and those are the ones to drill.
| Error type | Example | What to do about it |
|---|---|---|
| Small word dropped | 'the', 'of', 'to' | After the content words, read the sentence back and check each gap for a small word. |
| Ending dropped | 'questioned' typed as 'question' | Say the sentence in your head with the ending sounded, then check the verb tense fits. |
| Sound-alike word | 'effects' typed as 'affects' | Use the meaning of the whole sentence, not the sound, to choose between the two. |
| Spelling of a long word | 'maintenance', 'accuracy' | Keep a personal list of the words you misspell and type each one three times a day. |
| Word order | 'working flexible hours' | Re-read the sentence aloud and check it sounds like English. |
A one-week routine
Ten to fifteen minutes a day, all of it ours.
| Day | What to do |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Read this page once. Do the first four sentences above and mark each word. |
| Day 2 | Do the other four sentences. Compare your error types with day 1. |
| Day 3 | Write ten sentences of your own from something you are reading. Record yourself reading them. |
| Day 4 | Dictate the day 3 recordings to yourself the next morning, one play only. Focus on endings. |
| Day 5 | Redo every sentence you got wrong on days 1 to 4, from a fresh recording. |
| Day 6 | A mixed set of ten sentences, keyboard only, one play each. Keep the tally. |
| Day 7 | Rest the listening. Read your tally and write down your three most common errors. |
When the week is done, the next step is the rest of the Listening part. The PTE Academic test format page lists every question type, and our PTE writing tips show where Write from Dictation fits among the writing tasks. Pearson also offers free practice.
"A study plan 4 full Guided Practice Tests Sectional Guided Practice Tests Video courses split by skill Test tip documents"
Pearson says you open Smart Prep by creating a myPTE account. Its own description is below.
"Smart Prep is our preparation portal which hosts all of our preparation resources – both free and paid."
Common questions
It is a Listening question in PTE Academic. Pearson says: “For this item type, you hear a short sentence. Type the sentence into the response box at the bottom of the screen.”
Pearson lists it in Part 3, the Listening part, and says the skills assessed are listening and writing. It feeds both scores.
Pearson counts the correct words in your response. If all the words are right and spelled correctly you get the maximum, and if one or more are wrong, partial credit applies.
No. Pearson says: “You are only able to listen to the audio recording once.”
Pearson lists the prompt length as 3–5 seconds.
Yes. Pearson's top mark needs every word to be right and spelled correctly, and its own page says: “Remember to check your spelling.”
Yes. Pearson says: “While the audio is playing, you can take notes on the erasable noteboard provided.”
Use sentences you cannot replay: a friend reading once, or a recording you play once. Our eight sentences above are written for this. Pearson's Smart Prep also lists free guided practice tests and a study plan.