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All About the PTE Speaking & Writing Tasks

PTE Speaking & Writing is the first section and will take approximately between 75-90 minutes. It includes 7 tasks in total. Before
commencing these tasks, you will record a brief oral introduction of yourself, and this will not be assessed. It is for security
purposes only.

PTE Speaking Tasks

Read Aloud Task

In the “Read aloud” task, a short text will appear on the screen in front of you.

You will have about 40 seconds to read the text before the microphone starts recording you. When the microphone begins
recording, clearly read the text out loud.

The microphone will stop recording after 40 seconds (unless you remain silent, in which case it will stop after only 3 seconds).
Repeat Sentence Task

In the “Repeat sentence” task, you will see the audio recorder box again.

After 3 seconds, a recording will start to play and you will hear somebody reading out a sentence. When the recording has
finished, you must wait until the microphone turns red and then repeat the sentence exactly as you heard it.

You’ll have 15 seconds to repeat the sentence (unless you remain silent, in which case the microphone will stop recording after 3
seconds).
Describe Image Task

In the “Describe image” task, an image will appear in front of you. This image is might be a graph, picture, map, chart or table.

You will have 25 seconds to study the image before you give your response. Once the microphone starts recording, you must
describe the image you see in as much detail as possible.

You will have 40 seconds to respond (unless you remain silent, in which case the microphone will stop recording after 3 seconds).
Re-Tell Lecture Task

In the “Re-tell lecture” task, you will see the audio recorder box again. Next to it, there might be an image that relates to what you will hear.

After 3 seconds, a recording will start to play and you will hear somebody giving a lecture.When the lecture has finished, you must
wait 10 seconds until the microphone turns red and then summarize what you heard in the lecture in your own words.

You’ll have 40 seconds to “re-tell” the lecture (unless you remain silent, in which case the microphone will stop recording after 3
seconds).
Answer Short Question Task

In the “Answer short question” task, you will see the audio recorder box on your screen. After 3 seconds, a recording will start to play and
you will hear somebody asking you a question.

When the recording has finished, the microphone will immediately start recording your answer after only 1 second.

You’ll have 1o seconds to give your answer of one or a few words (unless you remain silent, in which case the microphone will
stop recording after 3 seconds).To understand what essential skills are required to ace the PTE Speaking, check out our post
on PTE Speaking Preparation.
PTE Writing Tasks
Summarize Written Text Task

In the “Summarize written text” task, you will see a short reading passage. Underneath, you will see a response box for you to input your
answer.

After reading the passage, you must write a one-sentence summary of what you read. It should be between 50 and 75 words, with
NO MORE than 75 words in total.

You will have 10 minutes to complete this task.


Write Essay Task

In the “Write essay” task, you will see a prompt appear in front of you.

The prompt will make a statement and then ask you to express how much you either agree or disagree with the statement. It will
encourage you to support your points with reasons and examples from your own experience or observations. Underneath the
prompt, there will be a response box for you to input your answer.

You will have 20 minutes to write a brief essay (200-300 words maximum) in response to the prompt
Read a PTE 90 Level Essay Right Here

Some people work for the same organisation all their working lives. Others think that it is better to work for different
organisations.

Argue which position you favour, giving your opinion, supported by evidence from your experience.

We all must work for a living wherever we live. Some people plan to work for the same organisation all their lives while others plan
to work in a variety of organisations. This essay will discuss the merits of working with one company and argue that a variety of
organisations provides an interesting and satisfying approach to work.

Working with the same company provides consistency and allows a person to develop strong skills and relationships. Working for
the same company, it is possible to study and learn how to further our skills which can help both us and the business we work for
grow. For example, any professional will work hard to improve their specialist skills to be better able to serve their clients, which
allows for professional and personal growth. Stable organisations can provide a base for growth and a rich and fulfilling career.

On the other hand, some of us like to travel and enjoy new experiences. Being able to transfer our skills to different work settings
gives us a variety as we develop. For example, specialist teaching skills may be used in a variety of contexts and geographies,
giving freedom and a chance for new experiences. Not working for one organisation for life may be less restricting for many
people.

This essay has argued that although a single organisation may provide opportunities to specialise, it may be restricting. In my
opinion, variety is one of life’s spices, and to develop specialist transferrable skills and work for different organisations is a way of
planning a career.

258 words
Good PTE speaking preparation involves practicing your pronunciation skills and applying a strategy to each specific task.

This article from E2Language explains what essential speaking skills you need to practice and how to improve these skills for test-day.

Did you know that five different tasks contribute to your speaking score? However, PTE Describe Image is the only one that tests speaking alone. The others test
both speaking and another skill.

PTE Speaking Test Overview


Speaking Listening Reading
Describe Image PTE * --- ---
Read Aloud * --- *
Repeat Sentence * * ---
Re-tell Lecture * * ---
Answer Short Question * * ---
There are strategies you can use to approach each PTE task that will help you to maximise your mark– and we’ll look at some of those later.

However, if your fundamental speaking skills are not strong, you will always score poorly. So you need to make sure that you are communicating effectively in
English.

For speaking this involves your pronunciation, intonation, speed, word and sentence level stress and where you pause. Of course it also involves your
confidence and anxiety levels.
PTE Speaking Preparation

How can you improve your pronunciation?

You need to identify any problem areas in your PTE pronunciation and oral fluency. This can be hard to do on your own. Asking a native
speaker to help you can be very useful.

It is also helpful to look at common errors made by speakers of your first language. Some examples are listed below.

Arabic speakers: frequently have problems with v/f, b/f and with the long /a/ sound in ‘came’

Hindi speakers: v/w, t/d,s/z

Mandarin speakers: l/n and l/r as well as several vowel sounds

Cantonese speakers: l/r, /v/f, s/z, th/s,th/f, th/s, th/d

Urdu speakers: ch/k, ch/sh, c/s

Intonation

Can imitating native English speakers help your intonation?


Yes. ‘Shadowing’ is a useful way to manage this.

 Find a TED talk on a topic that you enjoy.


 Listen to the speaker for a minute.
 Then click the ‘interactive transcript’ button below the video.
 Read the script aloud.
 Next play the video again and speak at the same time as the speaker (shadow the speaker).
It’s not easy, but it will help you to focus on when the voice goes up and down. Good intonation will help your speaking sound more English-
like. You can find some short TED. You only need to use a paragraph at a time.
Speed of Speaking
Is speaking too fast a barrier for your communication?
If you already have problems with your speaking, then speaking quickly will make it even harder for other people to understand you. It adds
another barrier to communication.
The normal speaking speed for a native English speaker is between 140 and 180 words per minute. Some people speak more quickly, but even
with a fast native English speaker, the listener needs to work hard to catch it all.
In some languages, such as Hindi the ‘normal’ rate is much faster than English. So, when a Hindi speaker speaks English, they need to
consciously slow down.
How can you slow down?
To slow down your speaking read a paragraph aloud and record it while you are reading normally. Then record it again while you deliberately
slow down. Check it.
Does it sound better? Usually there is an immediate improvement to your communication as soon as you learn to slow down.
You need to practice this. It is achievable.

Word and Sentence Level Stress


Does stress really matter?
Yes! Incorrect stress is definitely a barrier to communication and many experts believe it is more important than pronunciation. It is a key part
of your PTE speaking preparation.

Word Stress
Imagine you create a sentence like;
The water DEEpens as you go out further. (correct word stress)
If you mis-stress the key word, the listener will become confused.
The water deePENS as you go out further. (Incorrect word stress)
The listener will be thinking, the water depends on what?
There are some basic rules for word stress. For example most two-syllable nouns and adjectives are usually stressed on the first syllable
(CLImate, KNOWledge) while most two-syllable verbs are stressed on the second syllable (deCIDE, reQUIRE). The rules are not perfect, but
they cover a lot of situations.
Sentence Level Stress

English is a stress-timed language as opposed to a syllable-timed language. In some languages such as Cantonese, each syllable
in a sentence is equally important and is stressed.

However, in English we only stress the words that carry the meaning. We don’t stress words that are structural (eg. of, the, and).
Sentence level stress helps convey a lot of the meaning in English.

Look at the sentence below which shows the words a native speaker would stress. Non-stressed words are spoken more quickly
while stressed words are louder and longer. Practice saying it. Does it sound natural to you?

“The RAINFALL in the last MONTH has been much HIGHER than would NORMALLY be expected at this time of year. In PAST
years this has been quite a DRY MONTH.”

Pauses

How do I know when to pause?

You need to pause at every comma and full stop, but if they are the only places you stop, you will soon run out of breath. So you
also need to stop after each unit of meaning or phrase. This helps you to manage long pieces of text, but importantly, it also helps
the listener to follow you. If you don’t pause, the listener has problems understanding.

You can practice this by using the ‘interactive transcript’ for a TED talk (the button below the large picture and descriptive
paragraph). Print out the transcript and mark where you think the pauses should be. Then listen to the speaker to see if you are
right. Develop a feel for where the pauses should be.

Look at the text below to see where a native speaker would pause.
“Cats were first domesticated / thousands of years ago in Egypt. / It was a symbiotic relationship. / The cats benefited from living
with humans / because it meant that they were fed / and had warmth and shelter. / People benefited from the relationship too /
because the cats were useful for catching mice. / This meant that stored grains / and food supplies generally / were safer.”

Confidence and Anxiety Levels

What can you do to increase confidence and reduce anxiety?

There are two main things you can do:

Firstly, work on the general skills we have been talking about, and PTE Read Aloud is a great way to do that. Take a paragraph of
text and read it aloud. Check your speed; especially if your first language is a fast language like Hindi. Then work on other areas
like pronunciation, intonation and word stress. Focus on the areas you do need to improve.

Secondly, prepare carefully for the various PTE tasks. Understand the techniques and practise them.
PTE Speaking Preparation For Specific Tasks

Let’s look at PTE Speaking Test tasks now.

PTE Repeat Sentence

A good place to start is the marking criteria. There are 13 possible marks.

Note that to get 3 marks for content you need to get all of the words, but if you can’t, don’t panic! Any two words in row that are
correct can count toward the 50% which will enable you to get 2 marks out of 3.

Top Tips

#1 Memorize the phrases

#2 Relax and focus


PTE Describe Image

Take note of the marking criteria:

You will be given 6 or 7 different images to describe which may include:

 bar charts TOP TIPS


 line charts #1 Break it down into 3: introduction, body and
 pie charts conclusion
 two different charts in one image
# 2 Introduction – describe title and x-axis
 tables
#3 Body – talk about differences (high/low) & either
 pictures
 processes similarities or something interesting
 #4 Conclusion – can be a summary, reason or prediction
#5 Speak for 30 – 35 seconds.
#6 Remain calm
#7 Be flexible
#8 Do lots of practice so you can be confident
PTE Describe Image Example

Try this example, then check the answer below:

Possible Answer

“This image represents sugar cane production in Queensland from 1997 to 2003. The highest amount of sugarcane was produced
in 1997 whereas the lowest amount was produced in 2001. Cane production figures fluctuated throughout the period but remained
in a low range from 1998 through to 2001. A possible reason for the lows in this period may be related to drought or other weather
conditions prevailing at the time.”
PTE Reading
PTE Reading is the second section of the test and will take approximately 30-40 minutes. It includes 5 tasks in total. The reading
materials for this section are all authentic texts about a variety of academic subjects, including humanities, natural sciences and
social sciences.

Don’t worry, you won’t need to be particularly knowledgeable about these subjects, as all of the information needed to answer the
questions can be found in the texts.

PTE Reading Tasks


Multiple-choice, choose single answer

In the “Multiple-choice, choose single answer” task, you will see a passage your screen with a multiple choice question to the right.

The text will be less than 110 words, which isn’t much at all! You definitely have time to read it all deeply. You also make sure you
read the question prompt for that is the most important part of the question – if you don’t get that then you won’t be able to answer
correctly. Remember, in PTE Reading you must manage your own time. You can spend 20 minutes on this particular question if
you like, but that would be nuts! It would eat into the time for the other questions, so spend only about 2-3 minutes answers this
question type.
Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers

In the “Multiple-choice, multiple answers” task you will see an audio recording box on your screen with a multiple choice question beneath
it.

This question type is similar to choose single answer but there will be more than one answer (maybe 2, maybe 3, maybe even 4!).
The key to this task is to read the question prompt — understand it fully — then read the statements. You then need to find the
statement in the passage; it’ll be written in different words to A) say the same thing or B) say something different. If it says the
same thing (in different words) then select it! You should spend no more than 3-4 minutes on each of these questions.
Re-order paragraphs

For the PTE “Re-order paragraphs” task you will be presented with a reading text containing 150 words or less.

The sentences in the text will have been placed in a random order. By “dragging and dropping” an item, or by using the arrow
buttons on the screen, you must organize the sentences into the correct order by clicking on each one and dragging it into the
empty text box.

It must be noted that there is only one correct order. It is also important for you to know that none of the reading tasks are timed
individually. This means that you will have a set amount of time (30-40 minutes) to complete the entire reading section, and you
must use your time wisely for each task.
Fill in the blanks

For the “Fill in the blanks” task you will be presented with a reading text containing 80 words or less. The text will be missing some
keywords, represented by blank text boxes.

At the bottom of the screen, you will see a group of individual words contained in small boxes. You must use your mouse to drag
the correct word to its corresponding blank space in the text. You will receive credit for every correct word you insert into the
paragraph, so it’s better not to leave anything blank, even if you are unsure about your answer.

It must be noted that there are more word options than there are blank spaces, so you will not use all the words provided. It is also
important for you to know that none of the reading tasks are timed individually. This means that you will have a set amount of time
(30-40 minutes) to complete the entire reading section, and you must use your time wisely for each task.
Reading & Writing: Fill in the blanks

For the “Reading & writing: Fill in the blanks” task you will be presented with a reading text containing 300 words or less. The text
will be missing some keywords, represented by blank text boxes. When you click a blank box, a drop-down menu will appear with
a list of words. You must select the correct word to complete each sentence.

You will receive credit for every correct word you insert into the paragraph, so it’s better not to leave anything blank, even if you
are unsure about your answer. It is also important for you to know that none of the reading tasks are timed individually. This
means that you will have a set amount of time (30-40 minutes) to complete the entire reading section, and you must use your time
wisely for each task. Here is what you will see on the screen:
PTE Listening
All About PTE Listening:
PTE Listening is the final section of the test and will take approximately 45-60 minutes, depending on the combination of tasks you
may be presented with. You will be listening to a short recording in each task, all of which will relate to academic subjects such as
humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.

Don’t worry, you won’t need to be particularly knowledgeable about these subjects, as all of the information needed to answer the
questions can be found in the recordings.

There are a total of 8 tasks in the listening section.

Breakdown of the PTE Listening Tasks

Summarize Spoken Text

In the “Summarize spoken text” task you will see an audio recording box on your screen with a blank text box beneath it.

After 12 seconds, a recording will automatically play and will last for approximately 60-90 seconds. After it finishes, you must write
a brief summary of what you heard in the text box provided.

You must write between 50 and 70 words, and include what you think were the most important points made by the speaker in the
recording. You can view some examples of Summarize Written Text and practice them in this section.
Multiple choice, choose multiple answers

In the “Multiple-choice, multiple answers” task you will see an audio recording box on your screen with a multiple choice question beneath
it.

After 7 seconds, a recording will automatically play and will last for approximately 40-90 seconds. Once the recording has finished,
you will need to answer the multiple choice question by selecting more than one answer.
Fill in the blanks

In the “Fill in the blanks” task you will see an audio recorder box and a short transcript with some blank text boxes representing missing
words.

After 7 seconds, the audio recording will play for between 30 and 60 seconds. The recording will contain the full transcript of the
short text, and you must listen for the missing words in the text and type them in to each corresponding box.
Highlight correct summary

In the “Highlight correct summary” task, you will see an audio recorder box with a multiple choice question beneath it.

After 10 seconds, a brief audio recording (30-90 seconds) will play. Once the recording has finished, you must select the answer
option that best summarizes the “gist” or the overall meaning of the recording
Multiple choice, choose single answer

In the “Multiple-choice, single answer” task you will see an audio recording box on your screen with a multiple choice question beneath it.

After 5 seconds, a recording will automatically play and will last for approximately 30-60 seconds. Once the recording has finished,
you will need to answer the multiple choice question by selecting only one answer.
Select missing word

In the “Select missing word” task you will see an audio recording box on your screen with a multiple choice question beneath it.

After 7 seconds, a recording will automatically play and will last for approximately 20-70 seconds. You will not hear the last word
(or group of words) in the recording, instead, you will hear a beep. You must decide which of the multiple choice options is most
likely to be the final word(s) in the recording
Highlight incorrect words

In the “Highlight incorrect words” task you will see an audio recorder box and a short transcript below.

The
transcript is complete, but some of the words in it are incorrect and are not the words used by the speaker in the recording.
After 10 seconds, the audio recording will play for between 15 and 50 seconds.

In the recording, the speaker will read the transcript with the appropriate words, and you must listen for words that are different
than what is written and highlight them with your mouse cursor.
Write from dictation

In the “Write from dictation” task you will see an audio recording box on your screen with a blank text box beneath it.

After 7 seconds, a recording will automatically play, and you will hear a sentence that lasts no more than 5 seconds. After it
finishes, you must type the sentence you heard in the text box as accurately as you can. You will receive a point for every correct
word in your response.

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