Section-wisePTE Exam Pattern & Structure
PTE Academic has three sections: Speaking & Writing, Reading, and Listening
The duration of PTE-A is 2 hours 15 minutes.
Introduction to the PTE Exam Pattern and Its Importance
To excel in the PTE exam in 2025, candidates need to understand the PTE Exam Pattern. However, the format of the PTE test is divided into three sections: listening, reading, speaking and writing. But why it is important to understand the PTE test format? Well, knowing about the exam pattern is essential because it helps to prepare effectively for the test. Also, it gives insights into the exam structure, the expected question types, and the time allowed for each section. Thus, in this write-up, we will discuss everything about the PTE exam pattern 2025 in detail.
Overview of the PTE Exam Pattern 2025
The PTE exam includes Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. In this section, we are going to have an overview of the PTE exam pattern 2025 for the candidates who are looking to appear for the test.
| Speaking and Writing | 54-67 minutes |
| Reading | 29-30 minutes |
| Listening | 30-43 minutes |
| Total Duration | 2 hours |
| Medium | Fully computer-based |
| Test Layout | 20 question types |
PTE Exam Pattern 2025: Section-Wise Breakdown
PTE exam pattern includes the four major skills i.e. listening, reading, writing and speaking. However, it is vital for the test-takers to know the format of the PTE Exam in detail for each section. Thus, in below given tables, we have mentioned the format of all the modules of PTE for you to understand a better way.
PTE Speaking & Writing
This section tests your 2 major skills of communication i.e. speaking and writing skills. It includes six types of questions that check your promptness for both writing and speaking. The time duration for the PTE speaking and writing section is 54-67 minutes. Now look below at the PTE exam pattern of the speaking and writing section.
| Question Types | Number of Questions | Time to Answer (approx) |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Introduction | 1 | 55 seconds: 25 seconds for prompt, 30 seconds to record |
| Read Aloud | 6-7 | 30-40 seconds to prepare for reading out the text of 60 words. Time depends on the length of the prompt. |
| Repeat Sentence | 10-12 | 15 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 15 seconds to record |
| Describe Image | 3-4 | 25 seconds are given to study the image as well as prepare your response on the same for which 40 seconds are given |
| Re-tell Lecture | 1-2 | 90 seconds for prompt length, 10 seconds to prepare, and 40 seconds to answer |
| Answer Short Questions | 5-6 | 20 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 10 seconds to answer |
| Summarize Written Text | 1-2 | 10 minutes you get to answer the text of 300 words |
| Essay Writing | 1-2 | 20 minutes to answer the text prompt of 2-3 sentences |
| Total Questions: 28-36 | Time Allowed: 54-67 minutes |
Skills Assessed in PTE Speaking and Writing Section
As discussed the PTE exam format of the speaking and writing section, there are some skills too which are assessed. They are as follows:
- How candidates organize their ideas and communicate them
- It checks your grammar accuracy, vocabulary use, and fluency.
- Presenting ideas logically and coherently, whether speaking or writing.
- Ability to express their thoughts effectively in different formats.
PTE Reading Section
The reading section of the PTE exam tests the candidate's ability to understand the written instructions in the language. It has a total of 5 types of questions. Now check the exam format of the PTE reading section.
| Question Types | Number of Questions | Time to Answer (approx) |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | 1-2 | Read the text of 300 words and choose the relevant option to the question |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | 1-2 | Read the text of 300 words and choose more than one response related to the option |
| Re-order Paragraphs | 2-3 | Read down 150 words of the text and arrange the paragraphs in the correct order |
| Reading Fill in the Blanks | 5-6 | Read the text of 80 words and drag down the words to fill the gaps. |
| Reading and Writing Fill in the Blanks | 4-5 | Read the text of 300 words and drag down the words to fill the gaps. |
| Total Questions: 13-18 | Time Allowed: 29-30 minutes |
Skills Assessed in PTE Reading Section
Some of the major skills assessed in the PTE reading section are as follows:
- It evaluates your reading comprehension and grasping of the main ideas.
- It checks your skimming and scanning skills.
- This section assess the test takers ability to understand written instructions in the language.
- It checks your vocabulary and reading speed skills.
PTE Listening
The listening section of the PTE exam is 30 to 43 minutes. This segment is designed to examine the candidate's ability to understand spoken English. In this section, candidates need to carefully hear the audio file played and recall what they heard. Now look below the PTE exam pattern 2025 of the listening section.
| Question Types | Number of Questions | Time to Answer (approx) |
|---|---|---|
| Summarize Spoken Text | 1-2 | 60-90 seconds to skim and proofread the text. And 10 minutes for writing the 50-70 words summary |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer | 1-2 | 40-90 seconds to listen to the audio and to choose more than one option |
| Fill in the Blanks | 2-3 | 30-60 seconds to listen to a recording and fill in the gaps in the transcript |
| Highlight Correct Summary | 1-2 | 30-90 seconds to listen and choose the summary that best fits the recording |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | 1-2 | 30-60 seconds to listen to the audio and choose the one response |
| Select Missing Word | 1-2 | 20-70 seconds to listen to the audio and select the missing word to complete the recording |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | 2-3 | 15-50 seconds to listen to a recording and identify those words that differ in the transcript and audio |
| Write from Dictation | 3-4 | 3-5 seconds to listen and type the sentence |
| Total Questions: 12-20 | Time Allowed: 30-43 minutes |
Skills Assessed in PTE Listening Section
The skills that are tested in the PTE listening section are as follows as mentioned below.
- It checks your ability to understand spoken English
- Evaluate your listening abilities
- Assess your understanding of different accents
- Focus on pronunciation and intonation
PTE Scoring Criteria 2025
The PTE score report tells the candidate’s performance within 48 hours of taking the test. However, the PTE score chart represents the scores in a range between 10 and 90 with 90 being the highest possible score. The purpose of this score chart is to give a fair and consistent approach to assessing all of the skills tested in the PTE exam. Whatever score a candidate gets in the PTE exam is an accurate reflection of their English skills and is scored against the Global Scale of English (GSE). Now check below the score chart of PTE as per the English proficiency levels.
| PTE Score Range | Proficiency Levels |
|---|---|
| 89-90 | Expert |
| 84-85 | Very good |
| 74-83 | Very good |
| 73-77 | Good |
| 64-72 | Good |
| 58-63 | Competent |
| 50-57 | Competent |
| 42-49 | Modest |
| 35-41 | Modest |
| 30-34 | Limited |
| 0-30 | Limited |
PTE Scoring Methods 2025: Skills Assessment & Distribution
The PTE marks distribution or scoring system is based on automated scoring technologies where some of the answers are rated only based on correctness and incorrectness. On the other hand, others are based on formal aspects (e.g. word limit of the task) and the quality of response (e.g. fluency and pronunciation). However, to ensure a proper evaluation of the candidate’s English language skills, the PTE scoring system has two scoring methods:
| Correct or Incorrect Scoring | If you answer the question correctly, then you will get one mark for that question, and if it's incorrect it will be marked as 0. |
| Partial Credit Scoring | Offers a detailed assessment of tasks and give them marks according to the responses. if the answer isn't complete then they will be given partial marks |
Understanding the PTE exam structure is not enough for students until they learn about the essential tips. Thus, in the following section, we have mentioned the PTE exam tips to achieve great band scores.
- Familiarize yourself with the PTE question pattern, including the PTE Academic syllabus and question types for each section.
- Develop time management skills and master the art of pacing yourself during each section to avoid running out of time.
- Enroll in the PTE coaching online or offline and get a proper understanding of the PTE exam format and syllabus.
- Enhance your vocabulary and practice speaking fluently and confidently.
- Read academic journals to improve communication skills.
- Start appearing for the free PTE mock tests for all the sections.
- See the expert guidance from the professionals or tutors to know your weak areas.
- Listen to English podcasts to enhance your listening skills.
- Use your own words and think critically where you should avoid using memorized scripts.
- Practice the whole PTE exam format before appearing for the actual exam.
Conclusion
To conclude, we discussed the PTE exam pattern 2025 section-wise along with the skill assessment and scoring criteria. Further, we also had a look at the PTE preparation tips for students to excel in the exam. Now if you are willing to take the PTE exam in 2025 then know about the PTE registration process with Gradding.com. Also, you can get information on the PTE exam dates, PTE eligibility, scores, and results.
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University of Queensland
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You need to follow a specific order for your PTE test, as the sections appear that way only. This means you will begin with Speaking & Writing, followed by Reading and then Listening. Thus, you must adhere to this when appearing for the test.
PTE speaking section is the first part of the test that includes 5 types of questions. This section “Speaking & Writing” is 54 to 67 minutes long. The question types are: Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Retell Lecture and Answer Short Question.
YES! At Gradding, you will get many PTE practice tests to help you understand the pattern and everything about the PTE exam. These tests are designed as per the standards of the actual exam to provide a similar environment to avoid anxiety on the day of the actual test.
You can change or modify your answer only till you click on the “save & next button”. Thus, it is recommended that you proofread your answer before you move to the next question.
Yes! The question types in the PTE test can be random. The pattern you might have followed in the practice PTE test can differ from the one in the actual test. Thus, you must be prepared for the same.
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