Course Description

Pearson Test of English

PTE Academic is accepted by universities in the USA, UK, Australia, amongst others.

It was created by Person Language Tests part of the Pearson PLC group and endorsed by GMAC ® (Graduate Management Admission Council), owners of GMAT ® (Graduate Management Admission Test).

It is a computer-based exam that focuses on real-life English used in academic surroundings. Throughout the test, students will listen to a variety of accents and academic language encountered at higher education institutions in English speaking countries.

Test Modules

Speaking and Writing – These modules assess all communications skills of the test taker.

Module includes

Listening – This module assesses the listening skills of the test taker.

 Module includes

Reading – This module assesses the reading skills of the test taker.

 Module includes

• Reading Comprehension
• Re-ordering Paragraphs
• Filling Blanks in a text

PTE TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES

PTE Academic Structure:

The test is administered in an approximately 2-hour test session. The test is divided into three timed sections.

Part 1: Speaking & Writing (54–67 Minutes)

This is the longest section of the test. It tests your ability to communicate effectively in both spoken and written English.

• Personal Introduction: 25 seconds to read a prompt and 30 seconds to speak. (Unscored, used for institutional familiarization).
• Read Aloud: Read a short text (up to 60 words) into the microphone.
• Repeat Sentence: Listen to a 3-9 second audio and repeat it exactly.
• Describe Image: Describe a graph, map, or chart shown on screen.
• Re-tell Lecture: Listen to or watch a short lecture and summarize it in your own words.
• Summarize Group Discussion (New): Listen to a short discussion and summarize the key points.
• Respond to a Situation (New): Provide a verbal response to a common everyday scenario.
• Answer Short Question: Answer a question with one or a few words.
• Summarize Written Text: Write a one-sentence summary (5–75 words) of a reading passage.
• Write Essay: Write a 200–300 word essay on a specific topic in 20 minutes.

Part 2: Reading (29–30 Minutes)

This section uses integrated skills to assess your comprehension of academic texts.

• Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks: Choose the best words from a dropdown menu to complete a text.
• Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers: Select all correct options based on a passage.
• Re-order Paragraphs: Drag and drop text boxes to put a story or argument in the correct order.
• Reading: Fill in the Blanks: Drag words from a list into blanks in a text.
• Multiple Choice, Single Answer: Select one correct option based on a passage.

Part 3: Listening (30–43 Minutes)

This part uses audio and video clips that play automatically. You can only hear them once.

• Summarize Spoken Text: Listen to a 60–90 second clip and write a 50–70 word summary in 10 minutes.
• Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers: Select all correct answers based on the recording.
• Fill in the Blanks: Type the missing words into a transcript as you listen.
• Highlight Correct Summary: Choose the paragraph that best summarizes the audio.
• Multiple Choice, Single Answer: Select one correct answer based on the recording.
• Select Missing Word: Predict the word(s) that should go at the end of a beeped-out clip.
• Highlight Incorrect Words: Click on the words in a transcript that differ from what the speaker says.
• Write from Dictation: Listen to a short sentence and type it exactly.

Test Scores

Test Scores are available online, typically 1-5 business days from taking the test. Test takers can report scores to any number of institutions for free. Selected institutions can retrieve scores online, usually within 48 hours.