PTE writing: the tasks, the marking rules and how to practise
Pearson lists these PTE Academic tasks as testing writing: Summarize Written Text, Write Essay, Summarize Spoken Text, Fill in the Blanks (Type In) and Write from Dictation. The summaries and the essay have word limits, and a response outside the outer limit is scored zero. Plan, count your words and write in your own words.
Pearson has no single writing section. Writing is marked inside five different question types, with their own limits and their own factors. This page puts those rules in one place, in Pearson's words, then gives you our tips, two study plans and a checklist. We are not Pearson and this is not immigration advice; Pearson's pages decide how the test works.
Which PTE tasks test your writing
Two in Part 1, three in Part 3.
PTE Academic is an integrated test, so writing is not one section. Pearson lists these question types as assessing writing. Two sit in Part 1, Speaking and Writing, and three sit in Part 3, Listening.
| Question type | Where it sits | What Pearson says |
|---|---|---|
| Summarize Written Text | Part 1, Speaking and Writing | After reading the text, write a one-sentence summary of the passage. |
| Write Essay | Part 1, Speaking and Writing | Write a 200–300 word essay on a given topic. |
| Summarize Spoken Text | Part 3, Listening | After listening to a recording, write a 50–70 word summary. |
| Fill in the Blanks (Type In) | Part 3, Listening | This question type affects the scoring of listening and writing. |
| Write from Dictation | Part 3, Listening | This question type affects the scoring of listening and writing. |
A fill-in-the-blanks type-in task and a one-sentence dictation do not look like writing, but they feed your Writing score. Pearson explains how the four skill scores are built.
"Scores for Communicative Skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) are based on all test items that assess these skills, either as a single skill, or together with other skills."
Our Write from Dictation page covers that one task in detail. The rest of this page is about the longer tasks.
One thing Pearson's own pages do not agree on
Pearson's Reading page says one reading task also assesses writing. The task notes for both Reading fill-in-the-blanks types say the opposite.
| Where | What it says |
|---|---|
| Reading page introduction | Because PTE Academic is an integrated skills test, one item type ('Reading and Writing: Fill in the blanks') also assesses writing skills. |
| Reading, Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) notes | This question type affects your reading score. Your speaking and writing skills are not tested by this question type. |
We do not count the Reading fill-in-the-blanks tasks as writing practice here. The Score Guide on Pearson's scoring page is the place to settle it.
The limits that can give you zero
Check them before you start practising.
Every longer writing task has an outer word limit. Outside it, Pearson gives no score points on any factor. Inside the outer limit but outside the main range, the Form mark falls.
| Task | Pearson's length range | What happens outside it |
|---|---|---|
| Summarize Written Text | One sentence, between 5 and 75 words | Fewer than five or more than 75 words: scored zero on all four factors. |
| Write Essay | 200 to 300 words for full credit | Under 200 or over 300 lowers the mark. Under 120 or over 380 words: scored zero on all seven factors. |
| Summarize Spoken Text | 50 to 70 words for full credit | Under 50 or over 70 lowers the mark. Under 40 or over 100 words: scored zero on all five factors. |
Two kinds of meaning problem also give zero: an essay that does not address the topic, and a summary that misinterprets the topic or purpose. Neither is about length.
| Task | What Pearson says |
|---|---|
| Write Essay | If your essay does not address the topic, you will not receive any score points for your essay on any of the seven factors. Your essay will be scored zero. |
| Summarize Written Text | If your summary misinterprets the topic or the purpose of the passage, you will not receive any score points for your summary on any of the four factors. Your summary will be scored zero. |
| Summarize Spoken Text | If your summary misinterprets the topic or the purpose of the lecture, you will not receive any score points for your summary on any of the five factors. Your summary will be scored zero. |
"No credit is given for no response, an irrelevant response or an unoriginal response. You must use your own words."
The same wording appears in Pearson's notes for Summarize Spoken Text and for its speaking tasks that ask you to describe or retell. This is the line to remember when you read advice that tells you to memorise a paragraph. The word counter is on screen, so there is no reason to guess your length.
"The Word Count at the bottom of the screen counts the number of words you write."
What each writing task is marked on
Pearson's factors, in its own words.
| Task | Pearson's factors |
|---|---|
| Summarize Written Text | Content. Form. Grammar. Vocabulary. |
| Write Essay | Seven factors: Content. Development, structure and coherence. Form. General linguistic range. Grammar usage and mechanics. Vocabulary range. Spelling. |
| Summarize Spoken Text | Five factors: Content. Form. Grammar. Vocabulary. Spelling. |
For Write Essay, Pearson also says how the marking is done:
"All of the following traits are AI-scored: Content, Form, DSC (Development, Structure & Coherence), Grammar, GLR (General Linguistic Range), Vocabulary, and Spelling. A human expert will also review Content, DSC and GLR before your final score for the task is confirmed."
For Summarize Written Text, Pearson's Score Guide lists a human review of Content. For Summarize Spoken Text, Pearson says a human expert also reviews Content.
Two scoring lines give useful direction. On structure, Pearson says what its best responses look like. On language range, it says complexity helps only when it is correct.
"The best responses contain multiple paragraphs and have a clear introduction, body and conclusion that relate to the topic of the essay."
"You are more likely to receive full credit if you use complex sentence structures and vocabulary correctly, rather than consistently using simple sentence structures and vocabulary."
"PTE Academic recognizes English spelling conventions from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. However, one spelling convention should be used consistently in a given response."
Pearson's own advice for the writing tasks
Quoted from its test-format pages.
"When you have written your response, check to make sure that it is only one sentence, with a capital letter at the beginning and only one full stop at the end."
"Your response must be expressed within one sentence, so you will need to use a complex or compound sentence to be able to summarize the main point of the passage and also briefly mention the supporting detail."
"Before you write anything, note key words in the prompt. Find out the topic, what key points you should focus on to answer the question and any points of view to present and discuss"
"While you listen to the recording, make sure you note down the supporting points as well as the main idea in your erasable noteboard booklet."
"So leave yourself one or two minutes after you have written your summary to check your sentences for things like subject/verb agreement, tenses and word order."
"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."
Pearson also gives you tools on screen for the longer tasks.
"There are also cut, copy and paste buttons, which you may choose to use while constructing your response."
Our tips, tied to those rules
Our reading, not Pearson's.
- Treat the length limits as hard rules. A response outside the outer limit is zero on every factor, so count your words before you submit. The counter is on the screen.
- Write Summarize Written Text as one sentence from the first word. Use a comma and a linking word such as although, while, because or so where you would otherwise put a full stop. Include the main point and one supporting detail.
- Summarise the purpose, not just the topic. If the passage argues for something, your sentence should say what it argues. Naming the topic alone risks the misread-the-purpose rule.
- Spend the first minutes of the essay on the prompt. Mark the topic, every question it asks and any viewpoint it names, then choose a position you can back with two examples. Our PTE essay template has a skeleton and a 20-minute plan.
- Use a structure, not a script. Pearson publishes no approved frame, and its integrity paper treats templates that rely on long passages of memorized pre-scripted material as gaming. Plan how the paragraphs will run, then write every sentence from the prompt in front of you.
- Mix short and longer sentences, but only write the long ones you can control. Complexity helps only when it is correct.
- Choose one spelling convention and keep it. Australian or British spelling and American spelling are both accepted, but mixing them inside one response is not.
- In Summarize Spoken Text, note the main idea and two supporting points, then write two or three sentences. Keep two minutes at the end to check grammar and spelling.
- Treat Write from Dictation as writing practice too. Type exact words and check spelling. See our Write from Dictation page.
- Practise on a QWERTY keyboard. If you usually type on a phone or on another layout, give the keyboard a week of daily use before test day.
A one-week plan and a four-week plan
Ours. Adjust the days to your test date.
One week before your test
| Day | What to do |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Baseline. Write one essay in 20 minutes with no help and count the words. Summarise one 250-word news article in one sentence. Keep both. |
| Day 2 | Four one-sentence summaries of short articles, 10 minutes each. Check each is one sentence, has a capital letter, one full stop and a word count under the limit. |
| Day 3 | Plan three essay prompts in 5 minutes each: position, two reasons, one example per reason. Write one of them in full. |
| Day 4 | Three short talks from any source. Take notes, then write a 50 to 70 word summary of each. Add ten dictation sentences. |
| Day 5 | Two essays, 20 minutes each in total, including 2 minutes of planning. Count the words every time. |
| Day 6 | Reread everything from days 1 to 5 against the checklist below. Rewrite the weakest piece. |
| Day 7 | Light day. One essay and two summaries. Stop early and rest. |
Four weeks before your test
| Week | Focus | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Sentence control | Five one-sentence summaries of articles, using a different linking word each time. Ten dictation sentences a day. Ten minutes of typing practice a day. |
| Week 2 | Essay structure | Three planned essays. After each, mark it against the checklist. Reread the essay skeleton and write your own version for each prompt. |
| Week 3 | Listening and writing together | Six short talks summarised in 50 to 70 words. Dictation daily. One mixed set of two essays and two summaries. |
| Week 4 | Timed blocks and review | Two full writing blocks, timed. Rewrite your two weakest pieces. Taper in the last two days. |
A checklist for marking your own writing
Use it on every piece you write.
- Is it inside the length limits? Count the words, then count again.
- Does it answer what the prompt or passage actually asks, and does it say the purpose, not just the topic?
- Summarize Written Text: one sentence, one capital letter at the start, one full stop at the end.
- Essay: a clear opening position, body paragraphs with one idea and one example each, and a close that does not add a new idea.
- Are the sentences yours, or are they copied from the passage or from a template?
- Is the spelling in one convention throughout?
- Did you reread for subject and verb agreement, tenses and word order?
If you want the test owner's view of a good answer, Pearson's free Smart Prep guided practice tests include sample answers to compare with.
"Click on the sample answer button to listen to and read the sample response."
"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 from a myPTE account. For a model answer written by us to compare structure with, see PTE writing samples.
Common questions
Know the hard limits first: Summarize Written Text is one sentence of no more than 75 words, the essay is 200–300 words, and a response outside the outer limits is scored zero. Then plan, write in your own words, count your words and check your spelling. The checklist and plans above show how.
Pearson lists Summarize Written Text and Write Essay in Part 1, and Summarize Spoken Text, Fill in the Blanks (Type In) and Write from Dictation in Part 3. Pearson says the last two affect the scoring of listening and writing.
Pearson says: “Write a 200–300 word essay on a given topic.” You have 20 minutes in total. Full credit for Form needs a length between 200 and 300 words.
For Summarize Written Text, Pearson says that if you write fewer than five words or more than 75 words, you get no score points on any of the four factors and the summary is scored zero.
Pearson's Smart Prep holds both free and paid resources. Its free ones include a study plan and guided practice tests, and the guided tests have sample answers to compare with. You need a myPTE account to open it. Our writing samples add model answers we wrote ourselves.
Pearson gives no template. It says no credit is given for an unoriginal response and that you must use your own words, and its integrity paper says any template that relies on long passages of memorized pre-scripted material is considered gaming. A frame is only a thinking aid, so plan a structure of your own and write fresh sentences about the actual prompt.
Yes. Pearson says Write from Dictation affects the scoring of listening and writing, and it explains that skill scores are based on all items that assess a skill. See our Write from Dictation page.