One-Stop Guide to thePTE Syllabus for 2024!
The PTE contains three sections, i.e. speaking and writing, reading, and listening.
The PTE exam duration for the academic version is 2 hours 15 minutes, and for the general version, it varies from 1 hour 15 minutes to 2 hours 55 minutes.
Introduction
The PTE is a computer-based language test used to assess the applicant's level of fluency in English. The PTE, stands for Person Test of English and evaluates speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills. This is to ensure, students can study and adjust in an international environment and prove their English language proficiency. Moreover, knowing the PTE exam syllabus is crucial for aspirants to score well in the exam. Thus, students who want to excel in the PTE test in 2024 should be familiar with the most recent syllabus for PTE 2024. Here is the syllabus provided below for all aspirants planning to take the next PTE exam.
Breakdown of the PTE Syllabus
The PTE exam for the academic version consists of three sections: speaking and writing, reading, and listening.
| SECTIONS | Types of Questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking & Writing | 7 | 54 to 67 minutes |
| Reading | 5 | 29 to 30 minutes |
| Listening | 8 | 30 to 43 |
As mentioned above, this test was developed to measure the fluency of non-native English speakers. Every section of the PTE exam syllabus is designed to determine your fundamentals of the English language. Below, you can have an idea of each section in detail so you can get your desired score.
| PTE Sections | PTE Syllabus | Total Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking & Writing | Personal Introduction Read Aloud Repeat Sentence Describe Image Re-Tell Lecture Answer Short Questions Summarize Written Text Essay | No. of Questions: 28 – 36 Duration: 54 – 67 minutes |
| Reading | Multiple Choice, Choose Single Answer Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers Re-Order Paragraphs Reading: Fill in the Blanks Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks | No. of Questions: 13 – 18 Duration: 29 – 30 minutes |
| Listening | Summarize Spoken Text Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer Fill in the Blanks Highlight Correct Summary Multiple Choice, Single Answer Select Missing Word Highlight Incorrect Words Write from Dictation | No. of Questions: 12 – 20 Duration: 30 – 43 minutes |
A student who completes the syllabus of PTE and performs well in this test can demonstrate to the admissions and visa authorities that they will be able to understand the English language while studying in a foreign country. Below, you will learn about each section in detail.
PTE Syllabus: Speaking and Writing Section
This section of the PTE exam judges two key communication abilities, verbal and written, based on seven small sections that assess the applicant's quickness in speaking and writing. If you are planning to study abroad, then you have to work on your language skills to get admission to your desired university.
| Segment | No. of Questions in the Segment | Approximate Time to Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Repeat Sentence | 10-12 | 15 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 15 seconds to record |
| Describe Image | 3-4 | 25 seconds are granted to study the image as well as prepare your response on the same |
| 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 to answer to text prompt of 300 words |
| Essay | 1-2 | 20 minutes to answer to text prompt of 2-3 sentences |
PTE Syllabus: Reading
The reading section of the PTE syllabus assesses students' ability to understand instructions written in English. This part is divided into five small sections that last 20 to 30 minutes. Here, you can know the segment-wise time distribution.
| Segment | No. of Questions | Task |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Choice, Choose Single Answer | 1-2 | Read 300 words of text and choose one response relevant to the question. |
| Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers | 1-2 | Read 300 words of text and choose more than one response relevant to the question |
| Re-Order Paragraphs | 2-3 | Read 150 words of text and arrange the paragraphs in the right order. |
| Reading: Fill in the Blanks | 5-6 | Read 80 words of text and drag the words to fill the gaps |
| Fill in the blanks | 4-5 | Read 80 words of text and drag the words to fill the gaps. |
PTE Syllabus: Listening
This PTE exam module is intended to assess the applicant's ability to understand spoken English. In this section, the students have to hear the audio file carefully and remember what they are listening to. This section is divided into eight tasks with allotted time as follows:
| Segment | No. of Questions | Task |
|---|---|---|
| Summarize Spoken Text | 1-2 | 60-90 seconds to skim and proofread the text. 10 minutes for writing the 50-70 word summary |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer | 1-2 | 40-90 seconds to listen to audio and choose more than one response relevant to the question |
| Fill in the Blanks | 2-3 | 30-60 seconds to listen 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 suits the recording |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | 1-2 | 30-60 seconds to listen to the audio and choose one response relevant to the question |
| Select Missing Word | 1-2 | 20-70 seconds to listen to the audio and choose the missing word to complete the recording |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | 2-3 | 15-50 seconds to listen to a recording and identify the words that differ in the transcript and audio |
| Write from Dictation | 3 - 4 | 3-5 seconds to listen and type the sentence |
Tips for Preparing for Each Section
To ace the PTE exam, aspirants need to apply effective strategies. These tricks will remove hurdles from their path and help them score well. So, in this segment, you will explore the preparation tips for each section of the test.
Writing section tips
- Improve your grammar and vocabulary to score well.
- Carefully use punctuation while writing the essays.
- Do not provide examples until you have been asked.
- Avoid using the first person, i.e. I, Me, We, etc.
- Improve your summarisation to concisely draft an essay.
Reading section tips
- Understand the questions well before reading the text.
- Practice is reading through academic books, articles, newspapers, etc.
- Expand your vocabulary to easily understand the meaning of words used in the text.
- Do not focus on perceiving every single word; rather, know the essence of the text.
- Learn to rephrase the content to explain the meaning using different words.
Listening section tips
- Listen to different types of audio, such as podcasts, songs and more in English.
- Read the question before you listen to the audio.
- Stay focused till the end, as the answers might be available in the end.
- Get used to different accents, as the audio might use several ones.
- Take notes while you listen so you do not miss any detail.
Speaking section tips
- Improve your pronunciation by listening closely to native speakers.
- Work on fluency in your speaking to avoid hesitation and gain confidence.
- Do not repeat the thoughts or words while speaking.
- Avoid using filler words to ensure you do not look underconfident.
- If you have made a mistake, do not stop and keep speaking till the end.
These are a handful of tips you can use while preparing for your PTE exam. Moreover, to ease your task a bit more, the upcoming segment contains the resources you can use to prepare for the PTE exam modules.
Resources for PTE Preparation
There are two major types of PTE preparation materials that aspirants use to smoothly crack the test with higher scores. These are:
Official PTE Preparation Material
For PTE exam preparation, aspirants must use the official guide prepared by the examiners themselves. This will give them a complete idea of what to prepare and how to do it. Moreover, this guide includes a gist of the sections and exercises to improve and ace the test.
Online Resources
There are many websites available to prepare for the test and ensure you score well in the test. There are PTE classes as well providing these resources. Here the mentors will guide you at each step and ensure you do not struggle alone. Besides, Gradding.com is one such platform providing both the online resources and the coaching from the adepts in the field.
Conclusion
The candidates must have got an idea from this information that getting a higher score on this exam is not a piece of cake. However, passing this exam is important for them. So, join the PTE coaching, or you can also get help from Gradding.com to ease the task and achieve higher scores. The experts here will make sure to take regular classes, provide study material, and train the aspirants so they are all set for the main exam.
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I had the pleasure of attending Gradding for PTE coaching, and my experience was nothing short of excellent. Finally, I was able to achieve the desired scores.
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University of Warwick
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University of East London
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In my experience, Gradding is one of the best places to get PTE coaching online or offline at affordable cost. What distinguishes them from others is the practice tests they arrange on weekly basis.
Kanika Goel
University of South Alabama
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I found my experience at Gradding to be highly incredible. My trainer was so supportive in the entire PTE preparation online journey. They even helped me with PTE study materials to improve my score.
Ashvini Charan
University of Queensland
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Joining Gradding was my best decision. The trainers were super knowledgeable. From providing online PTE classes to practice sessions, they gave expert feedback that helped me improve my weaker side.
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Birmingham City University
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My experience with Gradding was phenomenal. Their dedicated tutors and comprehensive study materials empowered me to raise my PTE score. I'm immensely grateful for their support and guidance.
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Hodges University
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