Understand the PTE Academic — then beat it.
PTE Academic is a two-hour, computer-based English test used for study and migration. It's fully AI-scored on the Global Scale of English (10–90), and it tests your skills in an integrated way — your speaking affects your listening score, your reading affects your writing.
🔄 54 new questions added to the bank this week
Speaking and Listening share scores — clear pronunciation in speaking also lifts your listening band.
The four skills
Speaking
Recorded and scored by AI on pronunciation, oral fluency, and content. You speak into the microphone against a countdown — there are no second chances, so pace yourself.
Tip: Keep a steady rhythm. Fluency (no long pauses or restarts) is worth as much as pronunciation.
Writing
Summaries and essays graded on content, form, grammar, vocabulary and spelling. Word counts are strict — going outside the range can zero the item.
Tip: For the essay, plan 2 body paragraphs, hit 200–300 words, and leave 2 minutes to proofread spelling.
Reading
Multiple-choice, re-ordering and fill-in-the-blanks, section-timed. Fill-in-the-blanks items carry the most marks per minute — do them first.
Tip: In multiple-answer questions, wrong picks cost you a mark each — only select what you're sure of.
Listening
Audio plays once. Tasks range from summaries to dictation. Write-from-Dictation and Highlight-Incorrect-Words are the highest-value, most learnable items.
Tip: For Write from Dictation, type function words too (a, the, of) — every correct word scores.