PTE Core practice test free: read 19 original sample questions here without signing in, then practise each task with a free account and 25 AI scores a day.
PTE Core sample questions PDF (with answers)
| Before sign-in | With a free account | Shared-task material |
|---|---|---|
| 19 readable original examples | 25 AI scores per day; objective tasks and Write from Dictation marked without limit | 15 tasks use the main bank with academic topics; the Core-specific tasks use our everyday questions |
Audio tasks below show a readable transcript for study. Open the practice link for the audio or recording task. The example text is separate from the question served in practice.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Read this aloud: The neighbourhood repair cafe welcomes visitors who want to mend small household items. Volunteers demonstrate safe techniques, while visitors bring their own replacement parts.
Read the whole passage clearly; keep the pause between the two sentences.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Pearson's Core page does not state it clearly; RealPTE uses 15 seconds, as in PTE Academic.
Original sample question
Transcript to repeat: Please leave the delivery trolley beside the entrance to the craft room.
Please leave the delivery trolley beside the entrance to the craft room.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Describe this imaginary chart: Community centre room bookings: Monday 12, Tuesday 18, Wednesday 9, Thursday 21.
Thursday has the most bookings and Wednesday has the fewest. Tuesday is busier than Monday.
RealPTE Core questions · 10
Original sample question
You booked a quiet meeting room, but a music rehearsal is taking place next door. Ask the receptionist for a practical solution.
Hello, I have booked a meeting room for a recorded interview, but the rehearsal next door is quite loud. Could we move to a quieter room, or arrange a short pause while we record?
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
A parcel cannot be delivered because nobody is home. What document might the driver leave to explain how to collect it?
A collection notice, or a delivery notice.
RealPTE Core questions · 10
Original sample question
The Brook Lane community centre used to lend sports equipment only during office hours. Residents working late shifts rarely arrived before the desk closed, so the centre introduced an evening collection locker. Members now reserve equipment online and receive a temporary access code after a volunteer checks the booking. The locker has made collection more convenient, but equipment still needs to be returned to the staffed desk for inspection. The centre will review missing items and volunteer workload before deciding whether to expand the service.
Brook Lane community centre introduced an evening locker so members can collect reserved sports equipment outside office hours. Returns still require a staffed inspection, and expansion depends on a review of missing items and volunteer workload.
RealPTE Core questions · 30
Original sample question
Your colleague left a reusable lunch box at your home after dinner. Write an email explaining where it is, offering a way to return it and asking when they need it.
Use a friendly greeting, identify the lunch box, offer a handover time and ask whether it is needed sooner.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Choose the word: The repair club lends tools to members, provided they ___ them before closing. Options: return / returning / returned.
return: the clause needs a present-tense verb after “they”.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Read: The library accepts seed donations in labelled envelopes. It cannot accept plants or soil. Which items are accepted? A: labelled bean seeds; B: a potted fern; C: labelled tomato seeds.
A and C; the fern is a plant, which the notice excludes.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Put these in order: A: Finally, collect the repaired item at the desk. B: First, fill out a repair request. C: Next, wait for a volunteer to assess the problem.
B → C → A: request, assessment, collection.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Fill the blank: A volunteer will ___ the returned equipment before lending it again. Options: inspect / borrow / arrive.
inspect: the volunteer checks its condition before the next loan.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Read: The cafe closes its indoor seating at dusk, but takeaway service continues until the last bus leaves. What remains available after dusk? A: indoor seating; B: takeaway service; C: table reservations.
B: takeaway service continues after indoor seating closes.
RealPTE Core questions · 10
Original sample question
Transcript: Our building is changing the way residents receive bulky deliveries. Drivers should call the caretaker before unloading furniture. The caretaker will reserve the service lift and protect its walls. Residents still need to be present to accept their own deliveries.
Residents receiving furniture must arrange access through the caretaker, who reserves and protects the service lift. Residents must still accept deliveries themselves.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Transcript: For the repair workshop, bring the broken object and any spare parts you already own. We supply basic tools, but cannot store unfinished projects. Select both things visitors should bring: A: broken objects; B: basic tools; C: spare parts they own.
A and C; the workshop supplies basic tools.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Transcript for the blank: The volunteer coordinator will confirm your shift by email. Complete: The volunteer coordinator will ___ your shift by email.
The missing word is “confirm”, the verb describing what the coordinator does.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Transcript: The bus stop outside the clinic is closed for repairs. Please use the temporary stop beside the bakery. Where should passengers wait? A: the clinic; B: the bakery; C: the repair depot.
B: beside the bakery.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Transcript with final word removed: When you finish using the borrowed ladder, fold it and return it to the equipment ___. Options: cupboard / appointment / receipt.
cupboard
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Compare the transcript and displayed text. Transcript: The community fridge receives fresh vegetables every Thursday. Displayed text: The community fridge receives fresh flowers every Thursday.
Select “flowers”; the recording says “vegetables”.
Same task in PTE Core. Practice questions come from our main bank (academic topics); the real Core test uses everyday topics.
Original sample question
Transcript to type: The caretaker keeps a spare umbrella beside the noticeboard.
The caretaker keeps a spare umbrella beside the noticeboard.
52 original questions in the PTE Core order, with an estimated CLB for each skill. It uses one mock test from your allowance, the same as a PTE Academic mock.
Source: Pearson Core Speaking & Writing. Checked 2026-10-23.
Source: Pearson Core Reading. Checked 2026-10-23.
Source: Pearson Core Listening. Checked 2026-10-23.
Source: Pearson Core Score Guide: task counts. Checked 2026-10-23.
All 19, in the order of the PTE Core test: seven in Speaking & Writing, five in Reading and seven in Listening.
Write Email, Summarize Written Text, Summarize Spoken Text and Respond to a Situation use questions RealPTE wrote for PTE Core on everyday and workplace topics, with Core timing and scoring. The other 15 tasks share their names and answer formats with Academic (question counts and scoring can differ) and use our main question bank, which has academic topics. None of them are Pearson questions.
No. PTE Core has no Write Essay, Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion or Highlight Correct Summary, so they are not listed here.
Yes, with a free account: objective tasks and Write from Dictation are marked without limit, and AI-scored answers use the same 25 free AI scores a day as PTE Academic. One Plus covers PTE Academic and PTE Core.
Yes. Download the PTE Core sample questions PDF with answers from this page. It contains RealPTE original task samples, listening transcripts, reading exercises, situations, model emails and an answer key. It is study material, not a Pearson mock paper.