PTE Academic exam format and rules
PTE Academic has three parts taken in one sitting of about two hours: Speaking and Writing (76–84 minutes, 9 task types), Reading (23–30 minutes, 5 task types) and Listening (31–39 minutes, 8 task types). Use this overview to check the current question types and rules, then open a task page to practise.
The three parts
PTE Academic is taken in one sitting of about two hours, in this order. Times are Pearson's published ranges for each part.
| Part | Official time | Task types | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Speaking & Writing | 76–84 min | 9: Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Answer Short Question, Summarize Group Discussion, Respond to a Situation, Summarize Written Text, Write Essay | Pearson, checked 9 October 2026 |
| Part 2: Reading | 23–30 min | 5: Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown), Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, Reorder Paragraphs, Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop), Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Pearson, checked 9 October 2026 |
| Part 3: Listening | 31–39 min | 8: Summarize Spoken Text, Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, Listening: Fill in the Blanks (Type In), Highlight Correct Summary, Listening: Multiple Choice, Single Answer, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words, Write from Dictation | Pearson, checked 9 October 2026 |
All 22 task types
Each task page has the full rules, a practice list and, for several tasks, a saved scoring example.
| Task | Part | Prompt | Preparation | Answer time | Skills scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read Aloud | 1 | Text up to 60 words | 30–40 seconds | Depends on the length of the text | Speaking |
| Repeat Sentence | 1 | Recording of 3–9 seconds | — | 15 seconds | Listening, Speaking |
| Describe Image | 1 | An image | 25 seconds | 40 seconds | Speaking |
| Retell Lecture | 1 | Recording up to 90 seconds | 10 seconds | 40 seconds | Listening, Speaking |
| Answer Short Question | 1 | Recording of 3–9 seconds | — | 10 seconds | Listening |
| Summarize Group Discussion | 1 | Recording up to 3 minutes | 10 seconds | 2 minutes | Listening, Speaking |
| Respond to a Situation | 1 | A situation you hear and read, up to 60 words | 10 seconds | 40 seconds | Speaking |
| Summarize Written Text | 1 | Text up to 300 words | — | 10 minutes | Reading, Writing |
| Write Essay | 1 | 2–3 sentences | — | 20 minutes | Writing |
| Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) | 2 | Text up to 200 words | — | Not set per question (Part 2 lasts 23–30 minutes) | Reading |
| Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | 2 | Text up to 350 words | — | Not set per question (Part 2 lasts 23–30 minutes) | Reading |
| Reorder Paragraphs | 2 | Text up to 110 words | — | Not set per question (Part 2 lasts 23–30 minutes) | Reading |
| Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) | 2 | Text up to 80 words | — | Not set per question (Part 2 lasts 23–30 minutes) | Reading |
| Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer | 2 | Text up to 110 words | — | Not set per question (Part 2 lasts 23–30 minutes) | Reading |
| Summarize Spoken Text | 3 | Recording of 60–90 seconds | — | 10 minutes to listen and write | Listening, Writing |
| Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | 3 | Recording of 80–120 seconds | — | Not set per question (Part 3 lasts 31–39 minutes) | Listening |
| Listening: Fill in the Blanks (Type In) | 3 | Recording of 30–60 seconds | — | Not set per question (Part 3 lasts 31–39 minutes) | Listening |
| Highlight Correct Summary | 3 | Recording of 30–90 seconds | — | Not set per question (Part 3 lasts 31–39 minutes) | Listening, Reading |
| Listening: Multiple Choice, Single Answer | 3 | Recording of 30–60 seconds | — | Not set per question (Part 3 lasts 31–39 minutes) | Listening |
| Select Missing Word | 3 | Recording of 20–70 seconds | — | Not set per question (Part 3 lasts 31–39 minutes) | Listening |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | 3 | Recording of 15–50 seconds | — | Not set per question (Part 3 lasts 31–39 minutes) | Listening, Reading |
| Write from Dictation | 3 | Recording of 3–5 seconds | — | Not set per question (Part 3 lasts 31–39 minutes) | Listening, Writing |
Source: Pearson PTE Academic test format pages (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), checked 9 October 2026.
Before the first task
The test starts with a personal introduction: 25 seconds to prepare and 30 seconds to record. It is not scored.
Scores: an overall score and Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing scores, each from 10 to 90; many tasks count towards more than one skill. Pearson: how PTE Academic is scored.
New in 2025 and PTE Core
Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation are in Part 1 for tests from 7 August 2025: PTE new question types: SGD and Respond to a Situation.
PTE Core, used for Canada, has a different format: PTE Core guide and CLB chart · Pearson PTE Core format.
Rules on test day
Booking, payment, rescheduling, ID and test-centre rules are Pearson's and can change. Read them on Pearson's site before your test; we do not restate them here as rules. Pearson policy centre: cancellations and rescheduling · PTE exam fees by country and booking steps.
Try the format under time
Free PTE mock test with a score report: the whole test in this order and timing. Practise one task type.
Questions students ask
How long is the PTE Academic exam?
About two hours. Pearson's published ranges are Speaking & Writing 76–84 minutes, Reading 23–30 minutes, Listening 31–39 minutes.
How many question types are in PTE Academic?
22 scored task types in three parts, plus an unscored personal introduction at the start.
Does PTE Core have the same task types?
No. PTE Core has its own format: some tasks are shared, some are Academic only, and Write Email is Core only. Check Pearson's PTE Core format page.
Where can I practise SGD and RTS?
On the Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation task pages linked in the table, each with practice questions and a saved scoring example.
Is the published format current?
We read Pearson's format pages on 9 October 2026. Pearson can change the format: check its pages, linked in each table, before your test.
Try the whole format under exam timing with one free full mock test.
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