Question 1Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks
Blank (1): choose the word that best fits.
PTE Academic format
One test of about two hours in three parts: Speaking and Writing, then Reading, then Listening. There are 22 scored task types and an unscored Personal Introduction.
| Part 1: Speaking and Writing | 76 to 84 minutes, 9 scored task types |
|---|---|
| Part 2: Reading | 23 to 30 minutes, 5 task types |
| Part 3: Listening | 31 to 39 minutes, 8 task types |
| Recordings | Each one is heard once; you may take notes |
| Scores | 10 to 90 overall, with a score for each communicative skill |
Every task type, in order
| Task | What you get | Pearson says it scores |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking and Writing: Personal Introduction | 25 seconds to prepare, 30 to record | Not scored |
| Speaking and Writing: Read Aloud | A text of up to 60 words; 30 to 40 seconds to prepare | Reading and speaking |
| Speaking and Writing: Repeat Sentence | A 3 to 9 second sentence to repeat | Listening and speaking |
| Speaking and Writing: Describe Image | 25 seconds to prepare, 40 to speak | Speaking |
| Speaking and Writing: Re-tell Lecture | A lecture of up to 90 seconds; 10 seconds to prepare, 40 to speak | Listening and speaking |
| Speaking and Writing: Answer Short Question | A 3 to 9 second question; 10 seconds to answer | Listening |
| Speaking and Writing: Summarize Group Discussion | Up to 3 minutes, three speakers; 10 seconds to prepare, 2 minutes to speak | Listening and speaking |
| Speaking and Writing: Respond to a Situation | A situation of up to 60 words; 10 seconds to prepare, 40 to speak | Speaking |
| Speaking and Writing: Summarize Written Text | One sentence of 5 to 75 words, in 10 minutes | Reading and writing |
| Speaking and Writing: Write Essay | 200 to 300 words in 20 minutes | Writing |
| Reading: Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks | A text of up to 200 words with drop-down gaps | Reading |
| Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | A text of up to 350 words | Reading |
| Reading: Re-order Paragraphs | Text boxes of up to 110 words in all | Reading |
| Reading: Reading: Fill in the Blanks | A text of up to 80 words; drag words from a box | Reading |
| Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer | A text of up to 110 words | Reading |
| Listening: Summarize Spoken Text | A 60 to 90 second recording; 50 to 70 words in 10 minutes | Listening and writing |
| Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | An 80 to 120 second recording | Listening |
| Listening: Fill in the Blanks | A 30 to 60 second recording; type the missing words | Listening |
| Listening: Highlight Correct Summary | A 30 to 90 second recording | Listening and reading |
| Listening: Multiple Choice, Single Answer | A 30 to 60 second recording | Listening |
| Listening: Select Missing Word | A 20 to 70 second recording that stops before its end | Listening |
| Listening: Highlight Incorrect Words | A 15 to 50 second recording and its transcript with changed words | Listening and reading |
| Listening: Write from Dictation | A 3 to 5 second sentence to type | Listening and writing |
What the format means for practice
Many tasks score more than one skill. Re-tell Lecture counts for listening and speaking; Write from Dictation counts for listening and writing. A weak listener loses marks in all three parts, not just in Listening.
Two written tasks have hard word limits: Summarize Written Text scores zero under 5 or over 75 words, and Write Essay scores zero under 120 or over 380 words. Summarize Spoken Text scores zero under 40 or over 100 words.
Try 2 questions
Coral bleaching
Reef-building corals live in partnership with microscopic algae that occupy their tissues and supply much of their food through photosynthesis. When the surrounding water stays unusually warm for several weeks, this partnership (1) ______: the stressed coral expels the algae, and because the algae give the coral most of its colour, the animal turns pale. A bleached coral is not yet dead, but it is (2) ______ to disease and starvation. If temperatures return to normal quickly, the algae can recolonise the tissue and the coral may (3) ______. Repeated events, however, leave too little time for this recovery, which is why scientists regard the (4) ______ of marine heatwaves, and not only their intensity, as a key threat to reefs.
How glaciers shape valleys
Put the sentences in the right order. Topic: How glaciers shape valleys.
Question 2Re-order Paragraphs
Put the sentences in the right order to make a coherent paragraph.
Put every sentence in order. Tap to place it; tap again to take it back.
- Tap an item below
Next step
Questions people ask
How long is the PTE Academic test?
About two hours. Pearson gives 76 to 84 minutes for Speaking and Writing, 23 to 30 minutes for Reading and 31 to 39 minutes for Listening.
How many task types does PTE Academic have?
22 scored task types: 9 in Speaking and Writing, 5 in Reading and 8 in Listening, plus an unscored Personal Introduction at the start.
Which task types were added in 2025?
Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation, both in the Speaking and Writing part.
Can I take notes in Listening?
Yes. Pearson's Listening page says you hear each recording once and may take notes.