PTE Academic flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Read Aloud scoring

Content is judged on how closely the response matches the printed text, while oral fluency and pronunciation are scored separately, so smooth delivery and clear stress can partially offset a minor omission.

Repeat Sentence word order

Points accrue for words reproduced in the correct sequence. Chunking the sentence into short groups and replaying them in order preserves more sequence than recalling isolated words.

Describe Image timing

Candidates get 25 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to speak. A fixed structure covering the title, the largest trend, two data points, and a conclusion fits the time limit.

Retell Lecture notes

Notes should record nouns, numbers, and arrows linking ideas rather than full sentences. Content scoring rewards key ideas, not verbatim reproduction of the recording.

Answer Short Question scoring

One or two words are sufficient. A correct word is not erased by an additional wrong word, so attempting an answer always dominates silence.

Summarize Written Text form

The response must be one grammatically complete sentence of 5 to 75 words with a single full stop. Falling outside that range scores zero on form.

Write Essay word count

The essay must be 200 to 300 words and is written in 20 minutes. Fewer than 200 words loses form marks, and scoring also covers content, coherence, grammar, and vocabulary range.

Enabling skills in writing

Grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and written discourse are scored from writing tasks and reported separately. Spelling errors therefore reduce scores beyond the writing section itself.

Reading block timing

Reading is one timed block of roughly 32 to 40 minutes containing about five task types. The timer is shared, so time spent on one task reduces time available for the others.

Multiple answer negative marking

In reading multiple-answer items, each correct selection adds a point and each incorrect selection subtracts one, with a floor of zero. Only defensible options should be selected.

Re-order Paragraphs scoring

Credit is based on correctly ordered adjacent pairs rather than the whole sequence. Identifying the opening sentence and pronoun-reference links secures partial credit.

Dropdown fill in the blanks

This reading and writing task uses dropdown options and is scored blank by blank. Collocation and grammatical fit are the primary criteria for choosing an option.

Drag-and-drop distractors

The drag-and-drop fill-in-the-blanks task supplies more options than blanks. Unused options are eliminated by part of speech and by collocation with surrounding words.

Single answer guessing

Reading multiple-choice single-answer items score 1 or 0 with no negative marking. Every item should therefore be answered before the block timer expires.

Summarize Spoken Text limits

The response is 50 to 70 words written in 10 minutes. Content, form, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling are each scored, and word count outside the range loses form marks.

Listening multiple answer penalty

Listening multiple-answer items subtract one point for each incorrect selection, with a floor of zero. Single-answer listening items carry no penalty for a wrong choice.

Listening fill in the blanks

Each blank is worth one point and spelling must be exact. A word heard correctly but spelled incorrectly scores zero for that blank.

Highlight Incorrect Words penalty

This task is negatively marked, so each wrongly highlighted word reduces the score. Selections should be limited to words clearly different from the recording.

Select Missing Word

The final word or phrase of the recording is replaced by a beep. Predicting the ending from topic and grammar before the audio finishes improves accuracy.

Write from Dictation scoring

Each correct word in the correct position earns a point, and the task contributes to both listening and writing. Partially correct sentences still earn partial credit.

Single-play audio rule

Listening audio plays once and cannot be paused or replayed. Notes taken during playback are the only record available for answering later questions.

Overall score range

The overall score runs from 10 to 90 and combines communicative skills with enabling skills such as grammar, oral fluency, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, and written discourse.

Integrated task scoring

Some tasks feed two skill scores: Read Aloud feeds reading and speaking, Write from Dictation feeds listening and writing, and Summarize Spoken Text feeds listening and writing.

Enabling skills derivation

Enabling skills are not separate tasks but are derived from performance across tasks. A repeated weakness such as spelling therefore lowers several section scores at once.

Global Scale of English mapping

Scores are reported against the Global Scale of English, so a target band corresponds to a GSE range rather than to a fixed percentage of correct answers.

Machine scoring implications

Because scoring is automated, intelligible pronunciation and consistent spelling carry more weight than accent or stylistic elegance in the response.

Total test duration

The full test takes about 2 hours 15 minutes across three parts: Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening, taken in that order in one sitting.

Optional break placement

A single optional 10-minute break is offered between the Reading and Listening parts. No break is scheduled between Speaking and Writing and Reading.

Section timer behavior

One timer governs each part of the test. Time used on one task reduces the time available for later tasks within the same part.

Personal Introduction status

The Personal Introduction is the only speaking task that is not scored. It records a short self-description used for identification purposes only.

Score report availability

Results are usually available online within 5 business days. The report shows an overall score plus separate scores for each communicative skill.

Part order and timing

Speaking and Writing takes roughly 54 to 67 minutes, Reading about 29 to 30 minutes, and Listening about 30 to 43 minutes, in that fixed order.