The test format: three sections explained

PTE Academic is delivered in three parts, always in the same order: Speaking & Writing first, then Reading, then Listening. Across the whole test you'll meet around twenty distinct question types. Here's what each section covers.

Part 1 — Speaking & Writing

This is the longest part. It opens with an unscored personal introduction, then moves through spoken tasks and two writing tasks:

• Read Aloud — read a short text out loud.
• Repeat Sentence — listen, then repeat a sentence exactly.
• Describe Image — describe a chart, graph or picture.
• Re-tell Lecture — listen to a short lecture and summarise it in your own words.
• Answer Short Question — give a one- or few-word answer to a simple question.
• Summarize Written Text — condense a passage into a single sentence.
• Write Essay — write a short argumentative essay on a given topic.

Part 2 — Reading

The Reading section mixes multiple-choice, gap-fill and re-ordering tasks:

• Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks — choose the right word for each gap from drop-downs.
• Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers — more than one option can be correct.
• Re-order Paragraphs — arrange jumbled text boxes into a logical order.
• Reading Fill in the Blanks — drag words into the gaps in a passage.
• Multiple Choice, Choose Single Answer — pick the one best option.

Part 3 — Listening

Each Listening task begins with an audio clip you hear once. The tasks include:

• Summarize Spoken Text — write a short summary of a recording.
• Multiple Choice (single and multiple) — answer questions about the audio.
• Fill in the Blanks — type the missing words as you listen.
• Highlight Correct Summary — choose the paragraph that best matches the audio.
• Select Missing Word — predict the final word that was beeped out.
• Highlight Incorrect Words — click the words on screen that differ from the audio.
• Write from Dictation — type a spoken sentence word for word.

Exact timings and the number of items per type vary between test versions, so treat the list above as the shape of the test rather than a fixed script. Practising every type until it feels routine is the single most reliable way to remove surprises on test day.