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PTE Syllabus 2026: Tasks, Format, Timing, and Scoring
Table of Contents
Most people start studying for the PTE by doing a bit of everything, some speaking practice, a few listening videos, maybe a mock test, without actually knowing what the exam is built around.
A lot of candidates go into PTE prep without understanding what the exam is actually built around. They study “English” in a general way, but the test doesn’t reward that. It rewards familiarity with very specific task types, timing patterns, and scoring rules.
Once you know what’s on the PTE syllabus, the exam stops feeling random. You can see why each task is there, what it’s measuring, and how your score is calculated, which makes your preparation far more focused and predictable.
This guide walks you through the full PTE syllabus so you can stop studying blindly and start preparing with intention.
PTE Exam Pattern 2026: Quick Overview Table
First, let’s have a quick overview of the exam:
Section | Duration | Approximate Number of Tasks | Key Skills Tested | Score Contribution & Notes |
Speaking & Writing | 54–67 minutes | 28–36 | Speaking + Writing (integrated with Reading/Listening) | Highest weight; now includes 2 new tasks |
Reading | 29–30 minutes | 13–18 | Reading comprehension | Moderate weight |
Listening | 30–43 minutes | 12–20 | Listening (integrated with Writing) | Moderate weight; note-taking crucial |
Total | ~2 hours 15 minutes | 65–75 | All four skills (integrated) | Overall score: 10–90 |
Also, there are no separate breaks; the test flows continuously. Now let’s get into the details:
1. Speaking & Writing Section (54–67 minutes)
This is the longest and most important section. It starts with an unscored Personal Introduction (for sharing with institutions), followed by 10 task types (including the two new ones added in 2025).
Question Types Table with Details
Task Type | Number (Approx.) | Prep/Response Time | What You Do | Key Skills & Tips |
Personal Introduction | 1 (unscored) | 25 sec prompt + 30 sec record | Record a short self-introduction | Practice mic setup; not scored |
Read Aloud | 6–7 | 30–40 sec prep | Read a short text (up to 60 words) aloud clearly | Focus on pronunciation, fluency, and stress |
Repeat Sentence | 10–12 | 3–9 sec listen + record immediately | Repeat sentence exactly (often with a beep cue) | High-scoring; exact wording & pronunciation |
Describe Image | 3–4 | 25 sec prep | Describe graph/chart/diagram/map in 40 sec | Structure: overview → details → trend/conclusion |
Re-tell Lecture | 1–2 | 10 sec prep after 60–90 sec audio | Summarize the lecture in 40 sec | Note key points; paraphrase naturally |
Answer Short Question | 5–6 | 3–9 sec question + 10 sec answer | Give a the 1–2 word factual answer | Quick vocabulary recall |
Summarize Group Discussion (New) | 2–3 | Listen 2–3 min + prep | Summarize discussion (opinions, consensus) in 40–60 sec | Balance views; practice paraphrasing |
Respond to a Situation (New) | 2–3 | Read/hear scenario + prep | Give an appropriate spoken response to a real-life situation (40 sec) | Use polite/functional language; be relevant |
Summarize Written Text | 1–2 | 10 min | Write one 5–75 word summary sentence from 200–300 word passage | Grammar + main idea focus |
Write Essay | 1–2 | 20 min | Write 200–300 word essay on the given topic | Clear structure: intro → body → conclusion |
A useful note: The newer PTE tasks don’t reward memorised templates the way they used to. You’ll score better if you can speak naturally, respond to the prompt in real time, and show that you can pull ideas together quickly.
2. Reading Section (29–30 minutes)
The PTE reading section covers academic passages from areas like humanities, science, and social studies, tested through five different task types.
Task Type | Number (Approx.) | Prompt Length | What You Do | Tips |
Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer | 1–2 | ~300 words | Select one correct option | Read the question first, then the passage |
Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers | 1–2 | ~300 words | Select all correct (possible negative marking) | Wrong choices deduct points |
Re-order Paragraphs | 2–3 | ~150 words | Drag paragraphs into logical order | Look for topic sentences & linking words |
Reading: Fill in the Blanks | 4–5 | ~80 words | Drag/drop words into blanks | Context + collocation knowledge |
Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks | 5–6 | ~300 words | Drag words to complete the passage | Grammar & vocabulary integration |
Tip: In this section, get the main idea first, then go back for the details. And make a habit of building your academic vocabulary a little every day, it pays off quickly in the Reading section.
3. Listening Section (30–43 minutes)
In the PTE listening, you only hear each audio once, so good note‑taking makes a huge difference in how much you can recall and answer accurately.
Question Types Table
Task Type | Number (Approx.) | Audio Duration | What You Do | Tips |
Summarize Spoken Text | 1–2 | 60–90 sec | Write 50–70-word summary (10 min) | Key points + grammar |
Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers | 1–2 | 40–90 sec | Select all correct | Note main ideas |
Fill in the Blanks | 2–3 | 30–60 sec | Type missing words while listening | Spelling accuracy crucial |
Highlight Correct Summary | 1–2 | 30–90 sec | Choose the best summary | Compare options to audio |
Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer | 1–2 | 30–90 sec | Select one correct | Eliminate wrong options |
Select Missing Word | 1–2 | 20–70 sec | Predict the ending word/phrase | Context prediction |
Highlight Incorrect Words | 2–3 | 15–50 sec | Click words that differ from the audio | Follow the transcript closely |
Write from Dictation | 3–4 | 3–5 sec per sentence | Type the exact sentence heard | Partial credit per correct word, huge scorer! |
Tip: Write From Dictation carries a lot of weight in the Listening section, and it also feeds into your Writing and Spelling scores. If you want a quick way to lift multiple skills at once, this is the task to practice consistently.
Conclusion
Understanding the PTE syllabus is the easiest way to take the guesswork out of your preparation, but it’s not enough. You need to also know about the PTE scoring system for smart answers.
The PTE still uses the 10–90 scale for both the overall score and the four communicative skills: Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening.
Behind those scores are the enabling skills, grammar, oral fluency, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, and written discourse, which influence your performance across multiple tasks.
Most items are scored by AI, but open‑ended tasks now get an additional human review layer to check content and originality, especially with the newer speaking items.
Partial credit is common throughout the test, so small mistakes add up quickly. Accuracy and consistency matter more than perfection.