The PTE Academic exam is designed to assess the English language proficiency of non-native English speakers in an academic setting. It is a computer-based exam that evaluates a candidate's abilities across four modules: Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening. Each module comprises several question types that test different aspects of language proficiency. Here’s a breakdown of the modules and the specific questions within each:

 

Speaking & Writing (77 – 93 minutes)

This combined module assesses your ability to produce spoken and written English in an academic environment.

• Personal Introduction: You will record a short introduction of yourself. This part is not scored but can be sent alongside your score report to institutions.

• Read Aloud: You will read a text aloud, demonstrating your pronunciation and fluency.

• Repeat Sentence: After listening to a recording, you repeat the sentence exactly as you heard it.

• Describe Image: You will describe an image into the microphone, testing your ability to analyze and describe visual information.

• Re-tell Lecture: After listening to or watching a lecture, you'll have to summarize the information presented.

• Answer Short Question: You answer a question based on your general knowledge in a few words.

• Summarize Written Text: Read a text and summarize it in one sentence, demonstrating your reading and writing skills.

• Essay (20mins): Write a 200–300 word essay on a given topic, showcasing your ability to construct a coherent argument.

 

Reading (32 – 41 minutes)

This module tests your ability to understand written English, featuring several types of tasks that assess different reading skills.

• Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer: Read a passage and choose the correct answer from several options.

• Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers: Select more than one correct answer from several options after reading a text.

• Re-order Paragraphs: Rearrange paragraphs into their correct order after reading a text.

• Reading: Fill in the Blanks: Fill in the blanks in a passage from a dropdown list.

• Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks: A text with blanks is provided, and you need to select the correct words from a list.

 

Listening (45 – 57 minutes)

The listening module evaluates your ability to understand spoken English, featuring a variety of accents and academic lectures.

• Summarize Spoken Text: Listen to a recording and write a summary.

• Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers: Choose more than one correct answer from several options after listening to a recording.

• Fill in the Blanks: Fill in the blanks in a transcript as you listen to a recording.

• Highlight Correct Summary: Select the correct summary of a recording from several options.

• Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer: After listening to a recording, choose the correct answer from several options.

• Select Missing Word: Identify the missing word at the end of a recording.

• Highlight Incorrect Words: Highlight the words that differ in a transcript from what is said in a recording.

• Write from Dictation: Type the sentence exactly as you hear it in a recording.

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Each module and question type in the PTE Academic is designed to closely simulate real-life English academic settings, ensuring that the scores accurately reflect the test taker's ability to communicate effectively in English-speaking academic environments.