PTE or Pearson Test of English is a computer-based English language test which was developed to make an accurate measurement of a person’s English language ability. How long does the test take? It takes approximately three hours to complete the PTE Academic with an optional ten-minute break. The test consists of three major parts, Speaking and writing, Reading and Listening. The first and third parts are divided into various sections.
Part 1: Speaking and Writing
| Section | Task | Task Description | Time to Answer |
| Section 1 | Personal Introduction | After reading the instructions, you have 30 seconds to give a recorded introduction about yourself. This part is not assessed, but is sent to institutions you choose along with your Score Report. | 1 minute |
| Section 2
| Read aloud | A text appears on screen. Read the text aloud | 30-35 minutes |
| Repeat sentence | After listening to a recording of a sentence, repeat the sentence | ||
| Describe image | An image appears on screen. Describe the image in detail | ||
| Re-tell lecture | After listening to or watching a lecture, re-tell the lecture in your own words | ||
| Answer short question | After listening to a question, answer with a single word or a few words | ||
| Section 3-4 | Summarize written text | After reading a text, write a one-sentence summary of the passage of between 5 to 75 words | 20 minutes |
| Section 5 | Write essay | Write an essay of 200-300 words on a given topic | 20 minutes |
Part 2: Reading
| Section | Task | Task Description | Time to Answer |
| Multiple-choice, choose single answer | After reading a text, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the text by selecting one response | 32-41 minutes | |
| Multiple-choice, choose multiple answer | After reading a text, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the text by selecting more than one response | ||
| Re-order paragraphs | Several text boxes appear on screen in a random order. Put the text boxes in the correct order | ||
| Fill in the blanks | A text appears on the screen with several gaps. Drag words from the box below to fill the gaps | ||
| Reading and Writing: Fill in the blanks | A text appears on screen with several gaps. Fill in each gap from a drop-down list of response options |
Part 3: Listening
| Section | Task | Task Description | Time to Answer |
| Section 1 | Summarize spoken text | After listening to a recording, write a summary of 50-70 words | 20-30 minutes |
| Section 2 | Multiple choice, choose multiple answers | After listening to a recording, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the recording by selecting more than one response | 23-28 minutes |
| Fill in the blanks | A transcript of a recording appears on screen with several gaps. After listening to the recording, type the missing word in each gap | ||
| Highlight correct summary | After listening to a recording, select the paragraph that best summarizes the recording | ||
| Multiple choice, choose single answer | After listening to a recording, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the recording by selecting one response | ||
| Select missing word | After listening to a recording, select the missing word that completes the recording from a list of options | ||
| Highlight incorrect words | The transcript of a recording appears on screen. While listening to the recording, identify the words in the transcript that differ from what is said | ||
| Write from dictation | After listening to a recording of a sentence, type the sentence. |
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