PTE Complete Guide: Syllabus, Format, Tips, and Free Online Practice Test Materials

The Pearson Test of English (PTE) is a globally recognized English language proficiency exam accepted by thousands of universities, colleges, and government agencies worldwide. Renowned for its fair and accurate assessment of all core language skills—speaking, writing, reading, and listening—the PTE is essential for students, immigrants, and professionals seeking opportunities in countries like the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. A strong PTE score can unlock doors to academic, immigration, and career success.

The PTE is a 2-hour computer-based test that assesses candidates through 20 types of questions, which include interpreting graphs, real-life lectures, charts, and different accents, along with everyday scenarios. 

The syllabus is divided into three main sections: 

• Speaking and Writing 

• Reading

• Listening

Each section is designed to test specific language skills comprehensively. Below is a detailed description of the syllabus.

Speaking and Writing (77 to 93 minutes)

This section evaluates the candidate’s ability to speak and write in English effectively. It consists of the following tasks:

1. Personal Introduction: Candidates have 30 seconds to introduce themselves after reading a prompt for 25 seconds. This section is not scored but is sent along with the scorecard.
2. Read Aloud: Candidates are given 30-40 seconds to prepare before reading aloud a passage of more than 60 words.
3. Repeat Sentence: Candidates must repeat an audio clip of 3-9 seconds within 15 seconds.
4. Describe Image: Candidates study an image for 25 seconds and then describe it within 40 seconds.
5. Re-tell Lecture: After listening to a 90-second audio-visual lecture, candidates have 10 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to retell the lecture.
6. Answer Short Question: Candidates answer short questions based on an image or audio clip lasting 3-9 seconds, with answers expected within 10 seconds.
7. Summarize Written Text: Candidates summarize a passage of up to 300 words within 75 words, with 10 minutes provided for this task.
8. Essay: Candidates write a 200-300 word essay based on a 2-3 sentence prompt within 20 minutes.

Reading (32 to 41 minutes)

This section assesses the candidate’s reading comprehension and includes:

1. Multiple Choice, Single Answer: Based on a passage of up to 300 words, candidates answer multiple-choice questions with only one correct answer.
2. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers: Similar to the single answer format but with more than one correct answer.
3. Re-order Paragraph: Candidates must arrange text boxes in the correct order.
4. Fill in the Blanks: Candidates drag and drop text boxes into their correct places in a paragraph of up to 80 words.
5. Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks: Candidates select the correct word from a dropdown menu to fill in the blanks in a passage.

Listening (45-57 minutes)

This section evaluates the candidate’s ability to comprehend spoken English. Tasks include:

1. Summarize Spoken Text: Candidates summarize a 60-90 second audio clip in 50-70 words within 10 minutes.
2. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers: Based on a 40-90 second audio clip, candidates answer questions with multiple correct answers.
3. Fill in the Blanks: Candidates listen to a 30-60 second audio clip and fill in blanks in a given passage.
4. Highlight Correct Summary: Candidates select the best summary of a 30-90 second audio clip.
5. Multiple Choice, Single Answer: Based on a 30-60 second audio recording, candidates answer a single correct response question.
6. Select Missing Word: Candidates select the correct missing word replaced by a beep in a 20-70 second audio clip.
7. Highlight Incorrect Words: Candidates identify incorrect words in the transcript of an audio clip of 15-50 seconds.

8. Write from Dictation: Candidates write down a short 3-5 second audio clip.