Part 1 (PTE)

Part 1: Speaking & Writing
This part of the test is 54–67 minutes long and it contains seven different
question types. It is the longest section of the test. You will be tested on
your speaking and writing skills, using English you might hear in an
academic environment.
Understand each question type

Use the menu to learn about the question types and how to answer each one.
1. Personal Introduction
2. Read Aloud
3. Repeat Sentence
4. Describe Image
5. Re-tell Lecture
6. Answer Short Question
7. Summarize Written Text
8. Essay
Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

Bhishanpoudel957@gmail.com
1.Personal Introduction:
The Personal Introduction is an opportunity for you to get familiar with PTE test
technology and to help you prepare for your speaking and listening questions. This
question does not contribute to your score and is for familiarization purposes only.
You will have 25 seconds to read the prompt and prepare your response, and then 30
seconds to record your response. You are only able to record your answer once.
2.Read Aloud:
Task
Text appears on the screen. Read the text aloud.
Prompt Length
Text up to 60 words
Skills Assessed
Reading and speaking
Time to Answer
Varies by item, depending on the length of text.
How to answer this question

For this item type you need to read a written text aloud.
The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You have 30–40
seconds to read the text and prepare. You will then hear a short tone. After the tone, start
speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice
will not be recorded.
 You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.

 Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes
to “Completed”.
 You are only able to record your response once.
TIP: If you remain silent for longer than three seconds, the recording will stop.

Test tips
Use punctuation to help you decide where to pause when you read
You have 30–40 seconds to look at the text before the microphone
opens, so use this time to break the text up into meaningful chunks,
using the punctuation as a guide. This will show you the places where
you can make a tiny pause and alter your intonation – going up when
you begin reading a chunk and falling a little when you end a chunk.
Using appropriate pausing helps you to read more fluently and give the
full meaning of the text. This will improve your score. Look at where the
pauses / are indicated in the example:
Photography’s gaze widened during the early years of the twentieth

century / and, / as the snapshot camera became increasingly popular, /
the making of photographs became increasingly available / to a wide
cross-section of the public. / The British people grew accustomed to, /
and were hungry for, / the photographic image.
Stress the words that carry important information

When you read the text, stress the words that help to convey meaning, by
reading them in a slightly louder voice and adding emphasis to key
syllables, e.g., development. Also, use rising and falling intonation patterns
to show how the ideas are linked or are coming to an end. Look at the
patterns in this text; the stressed words are underlined, and the rising and
falling intonation is marked by up ⬆️ and down ⬇️ arrows:
The development of easy-to-use statistical software ⬇️ has changed the way

statistics is being taught and learned ⬇️ . Students can
make transformations of variables ⬆️,
create graphs of distributions of variables⬆️, and select among statistical
analyses ⬇️ all at the click of a button ⬇️. However⬆️, even
with these advancements ⬇️, students sometimes find statistics to be
an arduous task ⬇️️.

How this question is scored
Your score on Read Aloud is based on three factors:
Content: Does your response include all the words in the reading text and only
these words?
Content is scored by counting the number of correct words in your response.

Replacements insertions and omissions of words will negatively affect your score.
Oral fluency: Does your response demonstrate a smooth, effortless and natural
rate of speech?
Oral fluency is scored by determining if your rhythm, phrasing and stress are
smooth. The best responses are spoken at a constant and natural rate of speech with
appropriate phrasing. Hesitations, repetitions and false starts will negatively affect
your score.
Pronunciation: Does your response demonstrate your ability to produce speech

sounds in a similar way to most regular speakers of the language?
Pronunciation is scored by determining if your speech is easily understandable to

most regular speakers of the language. The best responses contain vowels and
consonants pronounced in a native-like way, and stress words and phrases
correctly. Responses should also be immediately understandable to a regular
speaker of the language.
PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation

to the degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language.
Note
 This item type affects the scoring of the following: reading,

speaking, oral fluency and pronunciation.
 Your listening and writing skills are not tested by this item type.
 For more information download the Score Guide.

3.Repeat Sentences:
Task
After listening to a recording of a sentence, repeat the sentence.
Prompt Length
3–9 seconds
Skills Assessed
Listening and speaking
Time to Answer
15 seconds

For this item type, you need to repeat the sentence you hear.
The audio begins to plays automatically. When the audio finishes, the microphone opens and the
recording status box shows “Recording”. Speak into the microphone immediately (there is no
short tone) and repeat exactly what you heard.

 Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes
to “Completed”.
 You are not able to replay the audio. You are only able to record your response once.
Test tips
Listen to the phrasing of the sentence as it is read aloud
You will be scored on the correct word sequences that you produce for this item
type, so the more phrases you understand, the better your reproduction of the
sentence will be. For example, there are three phrases in this sentence, separated by
/, and each one carries a separate message that has its own meaning:
Next week’s tutorial / on Tuesday / has been cancelled.
If you listen for meaningful phrases in the sentence, you will have a better chance
of repeating what you hear accurately.

Copy the stress and intonation patterns of the sentence you
hear
Make a mental note of the way the speaker uses stress and intonation on
the recording. These patterns help to convey the meaning. Speak calmly
and clearly, copying this stress and intonation. For example, look at the
pattern in the example: the stressed words or syllables are underlined, and
the falling intonation is marked by down ⬇️ arrows:
I’m going to attend the briefing ⬇️ for students ⬇️.

Your score on Repeat Sentence is based on three factors:
Content: Does your response include all the words in the sentence, and only these
words?
Content is scored by counting the number of correct word sequences in your

response. Having almost nothing from the prompt in your response will negatively
affect your score.
Oral fluency: Does your response demonstrate a smooth, effortless and natural
rate of speech?
Oral fluency is scored by determining if your rhythm, phrasing and stress are
appropriate phrasing. Hesitations, repetitions and false starts will negatively affect
your score.

Pronunciation is scored by determining if your speech is easily understandable to

most regular speakers of the language. The best responses contain vowels and
consonants pronounced in a native-like way, as well as words and phrases stressed
correctly. Responses should also be immediately understandable to a regular
speaker of the language.

PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation
to the degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language.
Notes
 Partial credit scoring applies to Repeat Sentence. No credit is given for no

response or an irrelevant response. This question type affects the scoring of
the following: listening, speaking, oral fluency and pronunciation.
 Your writing skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading
skills are only used to read the instructions.

4. Describe Image
Task
An image appears on the screen. Describe the image in detail.
Prompt Length
Not applicable
Skills Assessed
Speaking
Time to Answer
40 seconds

For this item type, you need to describe an image.
The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You
have 25 seconds to study the image and prepare your response. You hear a
short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before
the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.

 Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word
“Recording” changes to “Completed’’.

Test tips
Focus on the main information in the image
When you look at the image ask yourself ‘‘What is the main idea being shown by the
image?’’ and ‘‘What are the details relating to the main ideas?’’.
Use your erasable noteboard booklet to note down key ideas and phrases that relate to
the main information and the explanatory details. These can be put into sentences when
you start to speak:

Organize your description of the image
If you organize what you say, you will get a better score. This is because a well-
organized answer is more likely to cover the main information as well as the additional
details, and also talk about implications or conclusions based on the information. Look
at how this sample description is organized.
How this question is scored:

Your score on Describe Image is based on three factors:
Content: Does your response accurately and thoroughly describe the image?
Content is scored by determining if all aspects and elements of the image have been
addressed in your response. Your description of relationships, possible developments
and conclusions or implications based on details from the image is also scored. The

best responses deal with all parts of the image, contain logical and specific information
and include possible developments, conclusions or implications. Mentioning just a few
disjointed ideas will negatively affect your score.
Oral fluency: Does your response demonstrate a smooth, effortless and natural rate of
speech? Oral fluency is scored by determining if your rhythm, phrasing and stress are
appropriate phrasing. Hesitations, repetitions and false starts will negatively affect your
score.

Pronunciation is scored by determining if your speech is easily understandable to most

regular speakers of the language. The best responses contain vowels and consonants
pronounced in a native-like way, and stress words and phrases correctly. Responses
should also be immediately understandable to a regular speaker of the language.
PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to

the degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language.
Notes
 Partial credit scoring applies to Describe Image. No credit is given for no

response or an irrelevant response. This question type affects the scoring of the
following: speaking, oral fluency and pronunciation.
 Your listening and writing skills are not tested by this question type, and your
reading skills are only used to read the instructions.

5. Re-tell Lecture:
Task
After listening to or watching a lecture, re-tell the lecture in your own words.
Prompt Length
Up to 90 seconds
Skills Assessed
Time to Answer
40 seconds
How to answer this question:
For this item type, you need to re-tell what you heard.
The audio begins to play automatically. You may also see an image related to the
audio. After the audio finishes, you have 10 seconds to prepare.
The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You
hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking
before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.

“Recording” changes to “Completed’’.
Note: While the audio is playing, you can take notes on the erasable noteboard
provided.

Test tips
Make good use of the image to predict the topic of the lecture
You have three seconds before you listen to the recording to
quickly look at the image on the screen. Use this time to think
about the vocabulary you might hear. This will give you an idea
of the topic of the lecture and help you predict what you will
hear when the recording begins:

Make good use of the 40 seconds
speaking time
You only have 40 seconds to speak and make sure that you include all
the main points of the lecture. If you repeat ideas, correct yourself or
hesitate, you will use up valuable time and lose score points. So keep
talking and ignore any mistakes that you make.

Your response for Re-tell Lecture is judged based on our ability to give a presentation
on information from a lecture on an academic subject. Your score is based on three
factors:

Content: Does your response accurately and thoroughly retell the information in the
lecture?
Content is scored by determining how accurately and thoroughly you convey the
situation, characters, aspects, actions and developments presented in the lecture. Your
description of relationships, possible developments and conclusions or implications is
also scored. The best responses retell all the main points of the lecture and include
possible developments, conclusions or implications. Mentioning a few disjointed ideas
will negatively affect your score.
Oral fluency: Does your response demonstrate a smooth, effortless and natural rate of
speech?
Oral fluency is scored by determining if your rhythm, phrasing and stress are smooth.
The best responses are spoken at a constant and natural rate of speech with
appropriate phrasing. Hesitations, repetitions and false starts will negatively affect your
score.

Pronunciation is scored by determining if your speech is easily understandable to most

regular speakers of the language. The best responses contain vowels and consonants
pronounced in a native-like way, and stress words and phrases correctly. Responses
should also be immediately understandable to a regular speaker of the language.
PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to

the degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language.
Notes
 Partial credit scoring applies to Re-tell Lecture. No credit is given for no response
or an irrelevant response.
 This question type affects the scoring of the following: listening, speaking, oral
fluency and pronunciation.
 Your writing skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading skills are
only used to read the instructions.

6. Answer Short Question:
Task
After listening to a question, answer with a single word or a few words.
Prompt Length
3–9 seconds
Skills Assessed
Time to Answer
10 seconds
For this item type, you need to reply to the question in one or a few words.
The audio begins to play automatically. You may also see an image.
When the audio finishes, the microphone opens and the recording status box shows
“Recording”. Speak into the microphone immediately (there is no short tone) and
answer the question with one or a few words.

“Recording” changes to “Completed”.
 You are not able to replay the audio. You are only able to record your
response once.
Test tips
Do not pause for too long when you answer the question
You hear a short question and then the recording status box will change to recording.

Start your answer as soon as this happens. If you wait for more than three seconds, the
recording will stop and the item status will change to ‘completed’, which means that you have
lost your chance to give your answer.
When you have started talking, don’t stop for more than a second or two until you have
finished. 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.
If the status changes to ‘completed’, you have to click ‘Next’ to move on to the next item. This
also applies to speaking item types Read aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image and Re-tell
Lecture.

Do not try to give a long answer
The instructions for this item type tell you how to answer the 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.
For example, for this question: ‘What type of periodical is published on a daily basis?’,
both these answers would score the same marks:

Your response for Answer Short Question is judged on your ability to understand a question
presented in a recording and provide a brief and accurate response. Your response is scored as
either correct or incorrect based on how appropriate the words in your response are. No credit is
given for no response or an incorrect response.
Note
 This question type affects the scoring of the following: listening, speaking and
vocabulary.
 Your writing skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading skills
are only used to read the instructions.

7. Summarize Written Text
Task
After reading the text, write a one-sentence summary of the passage.
Prompt Length
Text up to 300 words
Skills Assessed
Reading and writing
Time to Answer
10 minutes

For this item type, you need to write a summary of the text in one sentence.
You have 10 minutes to write your summary. Make sure to include the main
points of the reading passage in a full, single sentence of no more than 75 words.
The word count at the bottom of the screen counts the number of words you write.
There are also cut, copy and paste buttons which you may use while constructing
your summary.
Cut: Select text from your answer that you wish to remove and left-click “Cut”.
Copy: Select text from your answer that you wish to copy and left-click “Copy”.
Paste: Place the cursor where you wish to paste the cut/copied text and left-click
“Paste”.

Test tips
Make sure your response is in the correct form
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 between 5 and 75 words so check the word count using
the ‘Total Word Count’ counter below the response box. If you write fewer than five
words or more than 75 words, your response will not be scored:

Practice using compound and complex
sentences:
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.
For example, look at the clause structures used in these summaries to link supporting
ideas to the main point:

Content: Does your response summarize the main points in the passage?
Content is scored by determining if all key points of the passage have been addressed without
misrepresenting the purpose or topic. 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. The best responses clearly summarize the main idea and
condense essential supporting points. They focus on the topic, including only key information
and essential supporting points.
Form: Does your response meet the requirements of a one-sentence summary? If your summary
contains fewer than five words or more than 75 words, you will not receive any score points for
your summary on any of the four factors. Your summary will be scored zero.
Grammar: Does your response demonstrate correct grammatical usage?

Grammar is scored by determining if the basic structure of the sentence is correct. The best
responses usually consist of a main clause and subordinate clause.
Vocabulary: Does your response demonstrate correct and appropriate word choice and usage?
Vocabulary is scored according to its relevance to the passage and its appropriateness in an
academic environment. The appropriate use of synonyms is also scored. The best responses use
words from the passage appropriately, demonstrate an understanding of the context and use
synonyms effectively to show variety in language use.
Note
 Your response is scored as either correct or incorrect based on the

appropriateness of the words in your response. No credit is given for no
response or an incorrect response.
 Your listening and speaking skills are not tested by this question type.

8. Essay:
Task
Write a 200–300 word essay on a given topic.
Prompt Length
2–3 sentences
Skills Assessed
Writing
Time to Answer
20 minutes
How to answer this question:

For this item type, you need to write a 200–300 word argumentative essay in
response to a prompt.
You have 20 minutes to write your essay.
The Word Count at the bottom of the screen counts the number of words you write.
Make sure to write a minimum of 200 words, but no more than 300 words.
There are also cut, copy and paste buttons, which you may choose to use while
constructing your response.
Cut: Select text from your answer that you wish to remove and left-click “Cut”.
Copy: Select text from your answer that you wish to copy and left-click “Copy”.
Paste: Place the cursor where you wish to paste the cut/copied text and left-click
“Paste”.

Test tips
Start by analyzing the task:

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:

Analyze the essay prompt so you know how
to answer
Essay prompts can be written in a number of ways. For example, you may need
to discuss whether you agree or disagree with a statement:
You may have to consider how different groups of people might feel about a
particular situation:

Your response on Write Essay is judged on our ability to write a persuasive or argumentative
essay on a given topic. Your score is based on seven factors:
Content: Does your response address the topic?
Content is scored by determining if all aspects of the topic have been addressed in your response.
The appropriateness of the details, examples and explanations used to support your point of view
is also scored. 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. The best responses are on
topic, contain logical and specific information and answer any questions asked. They also
support any arguments with details, examples and/or explanations.
Development, structure and coherence: Does your response demonstrate good development of
ideas and a logical structure?

Development, structure and coherence are scored according to the organization of your response.
A well-developed response uses a logical organizational pattern, connects ideas and explains
these connections. The best responses contain multiple paragraphs and have a clear introduction,
body and conclusion that relate to the topic of the essay. Within paragraphs, ideas are clearly
presented and supported with details, examples and/or explanations. Transitions between
paragraphs are smooth.
Form: Does your response meet the length requirement of between 200 and 300 words?
Form is scored by counting the number of words in your response. You will receive full credit if
your essay is between 200 and 300 words. Writing less than 200 words or more than 300 words
will decrease your score. If your essay contains less than 120 words or more than 380 words, you
will not receive any score points for your essay on any of the seven factors. Your essay will be
scored zero.
General linguistic range: Does your response use language that precisely conveys your ideas?
General linguistic range is scored by determining if the language in your response accurately
communicates your ideas. This includes your ability to provide clear descriptions, change
emphasis, eliminate ambiguity, express subtleties in meaning, and use stylistic features to
communicate meaning. 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. This is because complex ideas are often expressed with complex sentence structures
and vocabulary. The best responses use language that highlights key ideas, creatively expresses
opinions and ensures clear communication.
Grammar usage and mechanics: Does your response demonstrate correct grammatical usage
and consistent control of standard written English?
Grammar usage and mechanics are scored by examining sentence structure, punctuation and
capitalization. The best responses contain high proportions of grammatically correct complex
sentences that clearly communicate the intended meaning.
Vocabulary range: Does your response demonstrate command of a broad vocabulary range?
Vocabulary range is scored according to the variety of words in your response and their
appropriateness in an academic environment. Synonyms, idiomatic expressions and academic
terms are also assessed if appropriate. The best responses use precise academic terms and avoid
repetition by using synonyms and idioms where appropriate.
Spelling: Does your response demonstrate correct and consistent use of a single spelling
convention?
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.

Note
 Partial credit scoring applies to Write Essay. No credit is given for no response
or an irrelevant response.
 This question type affects the scoring of the following: writing, grammar,
spelling, vocabulary and written discourse.
 Your listening and speaking skills are not tested by this question type, and your
reading skills are only used to read the instructions and the prompt.


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Part 1: Speaking & Writing

Understand each question type

6. Answer Short Question

7. Summarize Written Text

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

How to answer this question

 You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

Photography’s gaze widened during the early years of the twentieth

Stress the words that carry important information

The development of easy-to-use statistical software ⬇️ has changed the way

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

Content is scored by counting the number of correct words in your response.

Pronunciation: Does your response demonstrate your ability to produce speech

Pronunciation is scored by determining if your speech is easily understandable to

PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation

 This item type affects the scoring of the following: reading,

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

How to answer this question

 You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.

Next week’s tutorial / on Tuesday / has been cancelled.

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

I’m going to attend the briefing ⬇️ for students ⬇️.

How this question is scored

Content is scored by counting the number of correct word sequences in your

Pronunciation: Does your response demonstrate your ability to produce speech

Pronunciation is scored by determining if your speech is easily understandable to

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

 Partial credit scoring applies to Repeat Sentence. No credit is given for no

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

How to answer this question

 You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

How this question is scored:

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

Pronunciation: Does your response demonstrate your ability to produce speech

Pronunciation is scored by determining if your speech is easily understandable to most

PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to

 Partial credit scoring applies to Describe Image. No credit is given for no

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

How to answer this question:

 You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

How this question is scored

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

Pronunciation: Does your response demonstrate your ability to produce speech

Pronunciation is scored by determining if your speech is easily understandable to most

PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

How to answer this question

 You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

How this question is scored:

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

How to answer this question

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

Prepared by: Bhishan Raj Poudel

How this question is scored:

Grammar: Does your response demonstrate correct grammatical usage?