Respond to a Situation · Part 1: Speaking & Writing

You are a volleyball player, but your university does not…

Question #RTS7-006Added 12 Oct 2026In this week's predictions
Practise this question with AI scoring

Respond to the situation.

You are a volleyball player, but your university does not provide enough support for the sport and has not organized any volleyball-related activities. You would like to suggest some improvements to the university administrator. What would you say?

How to answer: structure and key points

How to answer

  1. Decide who you are speaking to, and choose a tone to match (friendly for friends, polite and more formal for staff or a teacher).
  2. Greet them and say why you are speaking.
  3. Cover each part of the situation in turn: the problem, what you need, and a suggestion.
  4. Close politely, for example with thanks or by agreeing a next step.
  5. Speak as you would in real life; there is no single correct answer.

Points to cover here

You are speaking to: The university administrator. Tone: polite and constructive.

  1. Introduce yourself as a volleyball player at the university.
  2. Explain that the sport gets little support and no events are run.
  3. Suggest ideas such as a club, regular training times or a campus tournament.
  4. Offer to help organise and thank them for considering it.

These are key points and a structure written by RealPTE, not a script to memorise: say or write it in your own words.

RealPTE numbers

From RealPTE practice records and students’ “I sat this” reports, counted weekly (last count 2026-10-21). Reports are what students tell us; predictions are not guaranteed.

Questions about this question

How do I answer PTE Respond to a Situation #RTS7-006?

Decide who you are speaking to, and choose a tone to match (friendly for friends, polite and more formal for staff or a teacher). Greet them and say why you are speaking. The key points above cover 4 ideas from this question.

How do I get full marks on this Respond to a Situation question?

Answer every part of the situation in a tone that suits the listener, and speak naturally for the time you have.

Can I practise #RTS7-006 with scoring?

Yes. The practice button on this page opens question #RTS7-006 in the RealPTE practice screen, where your answer is scored when you finish.

Practise this question with AI scoringAll questions · Respond to a Situation

Opens question #RTS7-006 in the RealPTE practice screen.

Respond to a Situation format (Pearson)

PromptA situation you hear and read, up to 60 words
Preparation10 seconds
Time to answer40 seconds
Skills assessedSpeaking
Scored onContent; Pronunciation; Oral fluency

How it is scored

  • Partial credit applies: a partly correct response still scores.
  • Traits are scored by AI; a human expert also reviews Content before the score is final.
  • You can take notes while you listen.
  • The recording plays only once.
  • You can record your response only once.

Source: Pearson, PTE Academic & UKVI test format, Part 1: Speaking & Writing, checked 9 October 2026. New task dates: PTE Academic updates 2025.