PTE Exam Syllabus 2025
The syllabus for the PTE Academic exam is organized to assess candidates across four integrated skills: Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening. All sections are delivered on a computer and are assessed using AI-based scoring. The test structure assures a complete measurement of real-life English proficiency required for study, work, or migration. Continue reading to understand the syllabus in each section of the PTE exam in detail.
PTE Reading Section
- Text Types: Academic articles, information texts, instructions, and factual or argumentative passages.
- Format: 15–20 questions | 5 task types | 29–30 minutes
- Task Types:
- Multiple-choice, choose a single answer.
- Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers.
- Re-order paragraphs.
- Fill in the blanks (reading).
- Fill in the blanks (reading & writing)
- Skills TestedSkimming, scanning, understanding main ideas, identifying details, and logical sequencing.
PTE Writing Section
This section measures your ability to communicate effectively in written English. It is combined with the Speaking section and has two main tasks.
| Task | Word Limit | Time (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Summarize Written Text | 5–75 | 10 mins each |
| Essay | 200–300 | 20 mins |
Key Differences:
| Aspect | Task 1: Summarize Written Text | Task 2: Essay Writing |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Summarize the main idea in one sentence | Present an argument or opinion in essay form |
| Skills Tested | Summarization, grammar, vocabulary | Structure, coherence, argumentation, grammar |
- Summarize Written Text : Read a passage and write a one-sentence summary (5–75 words).
- Essay : Write a 200–300 word essay on a given topic, presenting a clear argument or viewpoint.
PTE Speaking Section
This section measures your ability to communicate verbally in academic and everyday contexts. This will be combined with the Writing section and is done via a computer microphone.
- Text Types: Academic articles, information texts, instructions, and factual or argumentative passages.
- Format: 15–20 questions | 5 task types | 29–30 minutes
- Task Types:
- Multiple-choice, choose a single answer.
- Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers.
- Re-order paragraphs.
- Fill in the blanks (reading).
- Fill in the blanks (reading & writing)
- Skills TestedSkimming, scanning, understanding main ideas, identifying details, and logical sequencing.
PTE Listening Section
This section tests your ability to understand spoken English in academic and everyday methods. It includes a variety of audio and video clips, with questions following each.
- Format: 8 task types | 30–43 minutes.
- Task Types:
- Summarize Spoken Text.
- Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers.
- Fill in the blanks.
- Highlight the correct summary.
- Multiple-choice, choose a single answer.
- Select the missing word, Highlight incorrect words and Write from dictatio
- Audio Types
- Academic lectures.
- Everyday conversations.
- Announcements.
- Discussions.