PTE Academic Speaking & Writing Section

PTE Academic Speaking & Writing Section

Based on the official test format, the PTE Academic Speaking & Writing section is a combined module with a total time of 54 to 67 minutes. It contains between 28 and 36 questions across eight distinct task types.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the question types, their timing, and their contribution to your score.

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Speaking & Writing Task Breakdown

Question Type	Number of Questions	Prep Time	Answer/Response Time	Scoring Contribution (approx.)
Personal Introduction	1 (unscored)	25 seconds	30 seconds to record	Not scored
Read Aloud	6–7	30–40 seconds	Varies with text length	~9% of Speaking score
Repeat Sentence	10–12	3–9 seconds (audio prompt)	15 seconds to record	~16% of Speaking score
Describe Image	3–4	25 seconds	40 seconds to speak	~31% of Speaking score (Highest)
Re-tell Lecture	1–2	10 seconds	40 seconds to speak	~13% of Speaking score
Answer Short Question	5–6	3–9 seconds (audio prompt)	10 seconds to answer	Information missing
Summarize Written Text	1–2	N/A	10 minutes per text	Information missing
Write Essay	1–2	N/A	20 minutes per essay	~7% of total score

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Speaking Section Scoring

The Speaking communicative skill is scored on a scale of 10–90. The weighting of each question type within the Speaking score is as follows:

• Describe Image: ~31% (highest weighting)
• Repeat Sentence: ~16%
• Re-tell Lecture: ~13%
• Read Aloud: ~9%

 

PTE Speaking & Writing Module

I will cover exactly what you need to do, how the scoring works, and the best strategies for each task.

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1. Personal Introduction

What it is: This is the very first task of your entire PTE exam. You will see a prompt on the screen (e.g., "Introduce yourself. Tell us about your interests, studies, or career plans."). The microphone opens, and you record your response.

Time: 25 seconds to prepare, 30 seconds to speak.

Number of questions: 1 (always unscored).

Scoring: Not scored. This recording is sent to the institutions you apply to, alongside your photo and score report, so they can verify it is really you.

Strategy:

• Speak clearly and naturally, but do not stress over this.
• Keep it simple (name, hometown, current study/work, future goal).
• Since it doesn't affect your score, use it purely to calm your nerves and get used to the microphone.

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2. Read Aloud

What it is: A short text (1–3 sentences) appears on your screen. You have a short time to read it silently, and then you must read it out loud clearly into the microphone.

Time: 30–40 seconds to prepare (depending on text length), and the recording automatically stops when you finish reading.

Number of questions: 6–7.

Scoring Contribution: Approximately 9% of your Speaking score. It assesses your oral fluency (smooth, natural rhythm), pronunciation (clarity and word stress), and content (reading every word correctly without adding or skipping words).

Strategy:

• Use the preparation time to quickly identify any difficult words and practice saying them under your breath.
• Do not rush. Speak at a steady, natural pace, pausing briefly at commas and periods.
• Stress the key content words (nouns, main verbs) and reduce the function words (articles, prepositions).
• If you make a mistake, do not stop and correct yourself—just keep going, as self-correction hurts your fluency score.

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3. Repeat Sentence

What it is: You will hear a short sentence (3 to 9 seconds long) through your headphones. After the audio finishes, you must repeat that sentence exactly as you heard it, word-for-word.

Time: 3–9 seconds for the audio prompt. After the audio ends, the microphone opens, and you have 15 seconds to record your repetition (but it usually only takes a few seconds).

Number of questions: 10–12 (this is one of the most frequent tasks).

Scoring Contribution: Approximately 16% of your Speaking score. It heavily assesses your listening comprehension, short-term memory, and oral fluency. You get partial credit for each correct word, but the order must be right.

Strategy:

• Close your eyes while listening to fully concentrate on the sounds and rhythm.
• Focus on the meaning of the sentence, not just individual words—this helps your brain remember it better.
• Mimic the speaker's intonation, stress, and speed. If the speaker's voice goes up at the end, yours should too.
• If you forget a word, just say the ones you remember in the correct order. Do not pause or hesitate, because fluency is king here.

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4. Describe Image

What it is: An image (graph, chart, map, process diagram, or picture) appears on your screen. You have 25 seconds to study it, and then you must speak for 40 seconds, describing the key information in the image.

Time: 25 seconds to prepare, 40 seconds to speak.

Number of questions: 3–4.

Scoring Contribution: Approximately 31% of your Speaking score (the highest-weighted speaking task). It assesses content (identifying key trends/elements), oral fluency, and pronunciation.

Strategy:

• Do not try to describe everything. The 25-second prep is for finding 2–3 major trends (e.g., "The highest point is X," "There is a sharp increase in Y," "The process starts with Z").
• Memorize a simple structure:
• Introduction: "This graph shows..."
• Key Feature 1: "We can see that..."
• Key Feature 2: "In addition..."
• Conclusion/Implication: "Overall..."
• Speak continuously for the full 40 seconds. If you run out of things to say, repeat your conclusion in a different way. Never stop speaking.

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5. Re-tell Lecture

What it is: You will hear a short academic lecture (60–90 seconds long) or watch a video. You are given a whiteboard/erasable notepad to take notes. After the lecture ends, you have 10 seconds to prepare, and then you must re-tell the main points of the lecture in your own words.

Time: 10 seconds to prepare after the audio finishes, then 40 seconds to speak.

Number of questions: 1–2.

Scoring Contribution: Approximately 13% of your Speaking score. It assesses content (covering main ideas), oral fluency, pronunciation, and listening comprehension.

Strategy:

• During the lecture, only write down keywords—nouns, verbs, numbers, and names. Do not write full sentences.
• Structure your response like a mini-essay:
• "The lecture was about..."
• "Firstly..."
• "Secondly..."
• "The speaker concluded that..."
• Do not worry if you miss some details. The examiners care more about the overall gist and your fluency. As long as you speak clearly and cover 3–4 key points, you will score well.

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6. Answer Short Question

What it is: You will hear a short question (e.g., "What is the opposite of north?" or "What do we call a person who fixes cars?"). You must give a one-word or very short phrase answer into the microphone.

Time: 3–9 seconds for the audio prompt, then 10 seconds to answer.

Number of questions: 5–6.

Scoring: This task contributes very little to your Speaking score, but it is actually more important for your Listening score. It is scored as correct/incorrect (no partial credit).

Strategy:

• Answer as quickly and clearly as possible. Just say the single word (e.g., "South," "Mechanic").
• If you are unsure, take a guess. You might be right, and there is no penalty for wrong answers.
• Remember: this tests general English knowledge, not in-depth analysis, so keep your response extremely short.

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7. Summarize Written Text

What it is: You will be given a passage of text (up to 300 words) on the screen. You must read it and write a one-sentence summary of the main idea. Your answer must be a single, complete sentence (one period only).

Time: No separate prep time. You have 10 minutes per text to read, plan, type, and submit.

Number of questions: 1–2.

Scoring: This contributes significantly to your Writing score (exact percentage not specified). It assesses content (covering key points), form (one sentence), grammar, and vocabulary.

Strategy:

• Quickly skim the text to identify the topic sentence and the author's conclusion.
• Structure your one sentence like this:
• [Main idea], because [reason 1] and [reason 2].
• Use complex connecting words like although, because, despite, whereas, or which to join multiple ideas into one grammatically correct sentence.
• Keep your answer between 5 and 75 words. Word count is shown on the screen.

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8. Write Essay

What it is: You will be given a prompt (usually an opinion or argument-based question). You must type a formal, structured essay of 200–300 words in response.

Time: No separate prep time. You have 20 minutes per essay to plan, type, and review.

Number of questions: 1–2.

Scoring Contribution: Approximately 7% of your total overall PTE score, and roughly 31% of your Writing score. It assesses content (development of ideas), form (200–300 words), grammar, vocabulary, and coherence (logical structure).

Strategy:

• Spend the first 2–3 minutes planning a 4-paragraph structure:
• Introduction: State your opinion.
• Body Paragraph 1: Main argument + example.
• Body Paragraph 2: Second argument.
• Conclusion: Restate your opinion.
• Use a formal, academic tone. Avoid contractions (don't → do not) and slang.
• Leave the last 3–4 minutes to proofread for spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. Typos cost you points.
• Strictly adhere to the word limit—your essay must be between 200 and 300 words (the screen counter helps you track this).