PTE Academic
Pearson
Complete guide to passing the PTE Academic exam on your first attempt.
$200-$250
N/A (score-based)
2 years
Global
Pearson
University/immigration
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Complete Overview
PTE Academic is a two-hour, computer-delivered English test from Pearson that scores speaking, writing, reading and listening in a single sitting at an authorized test center. It is taken by applicants to universities abroad, by people applying for Australian and New Zealand visas, and by nurses seeking registration in the United States; Pearson prices the test locally through the country price finder on pearsonpte.com and does not publish one worldwide fee. The test runs in three parts with no scheduled breaks. Part 1, Speaking and Writing, is published at 76 to 84 minutes and contains nine scored question types. Part 2, Reading, is 23 to 30 minutes and contains five. Part 3, Listening, is 31 to 39 minutes and contains eight. Pearson's PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide states that a single test contains 65 to 75 questions drawn from 22 question types, and the exact mix varies between test forms. Scores are reported from 10 to 90 on the Global Scale of English: one overall score plus four communicative skills scores for Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing. The overall score is not an average of the four skills scores. There is no pass mark. Institutions and governments set their own minimums, and Pearson's published guidance is 36 to 50 for foundation courses, 51 to 60 for undergraduate degrees and 57 to 67 for postgraduate degrees. For Australian visa purposes, the Department of Home Affairs requires at least 47 listening, 48 reading, 51 writing and 54 speaking for Competent English on tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. Scoring is automated. Pearson scores written responses with the Intelligent Essay Assessor, built on its Knowledge Analysis Technologies engine and Latent Semantic Analysis, and scores spoken responses with the Versant engine. Seven of the 22 question types also get a human expert review of Content before the score is finalized: Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Respond to a Situation, Summarize Group Discussion, Summarize Written Text, Write Essay and Summarize Spoken Text. Results are usually released in two business days and Pearson aims to release all results within five. Two structural rules shape how you take the test. You cannot go back to a previous question to change an answer, so an unanswered item is a permanent zero. Audio and video clips play once and cannot be replayed, which makes note-taking on the supplied erasable whiteboard part of the technique rather than an optional extra. Two question types in Reading and one in Listening deduct a point for each wrong option selected, so blanket guessing on multiple-answer items can push a response toward its minimum score. A PTE Academic Score Report is valid for two years from the test date, and Pearson allows a new booking only once the scores from the previous test have been released, with a ceiling of 12 tests in any 12-month window.
Why Get PTE Academic Certified?
One 2-hour session covers all four skills, replacing the two separate sittings some other four-skills tests use
Pearson usually releases results in 2 business days and aims to release every result within 5 business days
Accepted for study by more than 4,000 universities and colleges worldwide, according to Pearson's PTE Academic page
Bookable at more than 500 test centers worldwide, with appointments available up to 6 months ahead
Score Reports can be sent to an unlimited number of institutions at no cost, up to 7 recipients per submission
Accepted by the Australian Department of Home Affairs and Immigration New Zealand for every visa type that requires an English test
You can sit the test up to 12 times in a rolling 12-month window, so a near miss does not cost you a full application cycle
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
A maximum of 2 hours 15 minutes, which is 135 minutes, and approximately 2 hours in practice. Pearson publishes three part timings of 76 to 84 minutes, 23 to 30 minutes and 31 to 39 minutes, but attaches a note to them in the Test Taker Score Guide: the part timings deliberately do not add up to the stated total, because different versions of the test are balanced for total length, and no test taker receives the maximum or the minimum times shown. Add the 30 minutes Pearson requires for check-in and security before your appointment time. There are no scheduled breaks.
Questions
65 to 75 questions per test, drawn from 22 question types (Pearson, PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide). The count varies between forms because most question types are delivered in a range rather than a fixed number.
Passing Score
None. PTE Academic reports a scaled score from 10 to 90 and Pearson sets no pass mark. Institutions and governments set their own minimums. Pearson's published study guidance is 36 to 50 for foundation courses, 51 to 60 for undergraduate degrees and 57 to 67 for postgraduate degrees.
Question Types
- Personal Introduction (unscored, 25 seconds to prepare and 30 seconds to record)
- Read Aloud, 6 to 7 items, text up to 60 words
- Repeat Sentence, 10 to 12 items, audio of 3 to 9 seconds
- Describe Image, 5 to 6 items, 25 seconds to study and 40 seconds to speak
- Retell Lecture, 2 to 3 items, audio up to 90 seconds, 10 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to speak
- Answer Short Question, 5 to 6 items, 10 seconds to answer
- Summarize Group Discussion, 2 to 3 items, audio up to 3 minutes, 2 minutes to speak
- Respond to a Situation, 2 to 3 items, prompt up to 60 words, 40 seconds to speak
- Summarize Written Text, 2 items, text up to 300 words, 10 minutes per item, one sentence of no more than 75 words
- Write Essay, 1 item, 20 minutes, 200 to 300 words
- Reading Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown), 5 to 6 items
- Reading Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, 2 to 3 items, marks deducted for wrong options
- Reorder Paragraph, 2 to 3 items, scored on correctly ordered adjacent pairs
- Reading Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop), 4 to 5 items
- Reading Multiple Choice Single Answer, 2 to 3 items
- Summarize Spoken Text, 1 item, written response of 50 to 70 words
- Listening Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, 2 to 3 items, marks deducted for wrong options
- Listening Fill in the Blanks (Type In), 2 to 3 items
- Highlight Correct Summary, 2 to 3 items
- Listening Multiple Choice Single Answer, 2 to 3 items
- Select Missing Word, 1 to 2 items
- Highlight Incorrect Words, 2 to 3 items, marks deducted for wrong words selected
- Write from Dictation, 3 to 4 items, one point per correctly spelled word
Delivery Method
Computer-delivered at an authorized PTE test center with headphones and a built-in microphone. Pearson states PTE Academic cannot be taken at home, and the Australian Department of Home Affairs does not accept fully online, remote-proctored English tests for visa purposes.
How scoring works
Score scale
10 to 90 overall, plus separate 10 to 90 scores for Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing, all placed on the Global Scale of English.
Score needed to pass
No pass mark exists. Pearson's published study guidance is 36 to 50 overall for foundation courses, 51 to 60 for undergraduate degrees and 57 to 67 for postgraduate degrees. For Australian visas the Department of Home Affairs requires at least 47 listening, 48 reading, 51 writing and 54 speaking for Competent English on tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.
Roughly what that means raw
Pearson's July 2025 concordance research, reproduced in the PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide, maps PTE overall 24 to 30 onto IELTS 4.5, 31 to 38 onto 5.0, 39 to 46 onto 5.5, 47 to 54 onto 6.0, 55 to 62 onto 6.5, 63 to 70 onto 7.0, 71 to 78 onto 7.5, 79 to 85 onto 8.0, 86 to 89 onto 8.5 and 90 onto 9.0. Pearson attaches an explicit disclaimer that any prediction across tests carries measurement error.
When results arrive
No unofficial score is shown at the test center. Pearson typically releases the official Score Report within two business days and aims to release every result within five. You are notified by email, then view and download the report from the My Activity page in myPTE. If more than five working days pass with no email, Pearson asks you to check spam and then contact customer service.
How the scale is built
Score points are awarded per question according to its complexity, then aggregated across the whole test. Some items are scored correct or incorrect for one point; others use partial credit across traits such as Content, Form, Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling, Pronunciation and Oral Fluency. Three question types deduct one point per wrong selection. Integrated items feed two skills at once, so the overall score is not an average of the four skills scores. Written responses are machine-scored by the Intelligent Essay Assessor using Latent Semantic Analysis; spoken responses by the Versant engine; seven types also get human Content review.
Pacing and time budget
65 to 75 (Pearson does not publish a fixed number; most question types are delivered in a range) questions in 135 minutes gives you About 1 minute 56 seconds on average across 70 questions in the 135-minute maximum, but the average is misleading: Write Essay alone takes 20 minutes and each Summarize Written Text takes 10, while Answer Short Question allows 10 seconds. per question.
Minute 2
Personal Introduction recorded. It is unscored, so treat it as a microphone and nerves check rather than a performance.
Minute 45
Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence and Describe Image should be behind you, roughly 21 to 25 spoken items and the bulk of the Speaking score.
Minute 80
All of Part 1, which is 35 to 43 questions including both Summarize Written Text items and the essay. Pearson publishes 76 to 84 minutes for this part, so treat the middle of that band as your marker rather than the top of it.
Minute 106
All of Part 2 Reading, a further 15 to 20 questions. Pearson publishes 23 to 30 minutes for the part.
Minute 135
All of Part 3 Listening, a further 15 to 22 questions, inside the 31 to 39 minutes Pearson publishes for the part. 135 minutes is the maximum length of the test stated in the Score Guide glossary.
| At this point | You should have answered |
|---|---|
| Minute 2 | Personal Introduction recorded. It is unscored, so treat it as a microphone and nerves check rather than a performance. |
| Minute 45 | Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence and Describe Image should be behind you, roughly 21 to 25 spoken items and the bulk of the Speaking score. |
| Minute 80 | All of Part 1, which is 35 to 43 questions including both Summarize Written Text items and the essay. Pearson publishes 76 to 84 minutes for this part, so treat the middle of that band as your marker rather than the top of it. |
| Minute 106 | All of Part 2 Reading, a further 15 to 20 questions. Pearson publishes 23 to 30 minutes for the part. |
| Minute 135 | All of Part 3 Listening, a further 15 to 22 questions, inside the 31 to 39 minutes Pearson publishes for the part. 135 minutes is the maximum length of the test stated in the Score Guide glossary. |
- Part 1 carries 35 to 43 of the 65 to 75 questions and up to 84 minutes, so more than half of your pacing risk sits in the first block before you have settled.
- Write Essay at 20 minutes and Summarize Written Text at 10 minutes each are the only large self-managed time budgets in the test. Everything else runs on a short item timer you cannot extend.
- You cannot return to a previous question, so an item you skip is a permanent zero. Put something in every response field before clicking Next.
- Audio and video play once with no replay, so the 5 to 7 second preview before a clip is the only planning time you get. Use it to read the question stem, not the options.
- There are no scheduled breaks and an unscheduled break does not stop the clock, so build stamina by rehearsing the full sitting rather than practising in 30-minute blocks.
- Do not build a plan on the sum of the three part timings. Pearson states in the Score Guide that the minimum and maximum section timings do not add up to the stated total, because forms are balanced for total length, so no test taker faces every part at its published maximum.
Where the marks are
Repeat Sentence
10 to 12 items per test, the largest single block; percentage weight not published
Scored for Content, Oral Fluency and Pronunciation while also feeding Listening. Partial credit means a half-recalled sentence still banks points, so never stay silent.
Read Aloud
6 to 7 items per test; percentage weight not published
The only item where you see the full text before speaking. Scored on Content, Oral Fluency and Pronunciation, with sentence-level stress separating a 4 from a 5 on the Pronunciation scale.
Describe Image
5 to 6 items per test; percentage weight not published
Content is reviewed by a human expert as well as the machine, so 40 seconds of generic framing without axis labels, extremes or a trend scores badly however fluent it sounds.
Answer Short Question
5 to 6 items per test; percentage weight not published
Scored purely correct or incorrect on Vocabulary in a 10-second window. Fast points for anyone with everyday concrete vocabulary, and zero for anyone who explains instead of answering.
Reading Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)
5 to 6 items per test; percentage weight not published
One point per correctly completed blank with no deduction, which makes it the safest scoring block in Part 2. Tests collocation and grammatical fit more than topic knowledge.
Reading Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop)
4 to 5 items per test; percentage weight not published
Also one point per blank with no penalty. Distractors are usually the right part of speech but the wrong collocation, so read the whole sentence before committing a word.
Write from Dictation
3 to 4 items per test; percentage weight not published
One point for each word both heard correctly and spelled correctly, feeding Listening and Writing at once. Short sentences make it the highest points-per-second item in Part 3.
Multiple-answer items with negative marking
4 to 6 items per test across Reading MCMA, Listening MCMA and Highlight Incorrect Words; percentage weight not published
Each of these three types subtracts one point for every wrong option chosen. Disciplined under-selection protects points that guessing would give back.
| Topic | Weight | Why it scores |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat Sentence | 10 to 12 items per test, the largest single block; percentage weight not published | Scored for Content, Oral Fluency and Pronunciation while also feeding Listening. Partial credit means a half-recalled sentence still banks points, so never stay silent. |
| Read Aloud | 6 to 7 items per test; percentage weight not published | The only item where you see the full text before speaking. Scored on Content, Oral Fluency and Pronunciation, with sentence-level stress separating a 4 from a 5 on the Pronunciation scale. |
| Describe Image | 5 to 6 items per test; percentage weight not published | Content is reviewed by a human expert as well as the machine, so 40 seconds of generic framing without axis labels, extremes or a trend scores badly however fluent it sounds. |
| Answer Short Question | 5 to 6 items per test; percentage weight not published | Scored purely correct or incorrect on Vocabulary in a 10-second window. Fast points for anyone with everyday concrete vocabulary, and zero for anyone who explains instead of answering. |
| Reading Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) | 5 to 6 items per test; percentage weight not published | One point per correctly completed blank with no deduction, which makes it the safest scoring block in Part 2. Tests collocation and grammatical fit more than topic knowledge. |
| Reading Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) | 4 to 5 items per test; percentage weight not published | Also one point per blank with no penalty. Distractors are usually the right part of speech but the wrong collocation, so read the whole sentence before committing a word. |
| Write from Dictation | 3 to 4 items per test; percentage weight not published | One point for each word both heard correctly and spelled correctly, feeding Listening and Writing at once. Short sentences make it the highest points-per-second item in Part 3. |
| Multiple-answer items with negative marking | 4 to 6 items per test across Reading MCMA, Listening MCMA and Highlight Incorrect Words; percentage weight not published | Each of these three types subtracts one point for every wrong option chosen. Disciplined under-selection protects points that guessing would give back. |
The numbers
65 to 75
Questions in a single PTE Academic test
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide
22
Question types the test draws from
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide
More than 4,000
Universities and colleges accepting PTE Academic
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic product page, pearsonpte.com
More than 500
Test centers worldwide
Source: Pearson, PTE test centers and fees page, pearsonpte.com
Over 678,000
Examiner responses fed into the scoring algorithm in 2020 alone
Source: Pearson, PTE scoring explained page, pearsonpte.com
More than 10,000 test takers from 38 cities in 21 countries, who came from 158 different countries and spoke 126 different first languages
Field test sample used to build the automated scoring engines
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide
If you fail
Wait before retaking
No fixed number of days. Pearson allows a new booking only once the scores from your previous test have been released, which is typically two business days and up to five. You may retake more than once a month.
Attempt limit
Up to 12 tests within any rolling 12-month window, with only one booked appointment held at a time. Additional attempts can be requested through Pearson's exception form. Creating a second account to bypass the limit delays the release of future scores and may breach the malpractice policy.
Retake fee
The full test fee applies every time, at the country price shown by Pearson's price finder. There is no discounted retake. If you would rather challenge an existing result than resit, a rescore costs $160 USD and a technical review of your speaking audio costs $50 USD.
Appointments can be booked up to six months in advance. A rescore covers only spoken responses and open-ended written responses, and Pearson warns the score may go down as well as up. A technical review checks your audio for faults but cannot itself change a score. Scores already released remain valid for two years regardless of how many times you resit, so a stronger later result does not invalidate an earlier one.
Exam Domains & Topics
Pearson does not publish a percentage weight for any communicative skill. Speaking is fed by six Part 1 question types plus the integrated items, and score points are awarded according to the complexity of each question rather than a fixed share of the total.
Key Topics to Master:
- Read Aloud, scored on Content, Oral Fluency and Pronunciation
- Repeat Sentence, the largest single item block in the test at 10 to 12 questions
- Describe Image, always double-scored for Content by a human expert
- Retell Lecture, an integrated Listening and Speaking item
- Answer Short Question, scored correct or incorrect on Vocabulary
- Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation, the two speaking types Pearson added in 2025
- Pronunciation rated 0 to 5, with 5 requiring correct word and sentence stress throughout
- Oral Fluency, penalized by unnatural pausing, hesitation and poor enunciation
Writing is fed by Summarize Written Text and Write Essay in Part 1, plus the integrated items Summarize Spoken Text, Listening Fill in the Blanks (Type In) and Write from Dictation in Part 3. Form and Content are scored as gates: a zero on either wipes out the whole response.
Key Topics to Master:
- Write Essay, one item, 20 minutes, 200 to 300 words, scored zero on Form below 120 words
- Summarize Written Text, two items, 10 minutes each, one sentence of at most 75 words
- Summarize Spoken Text, 50 to 70 words, scored zero on all five traits below 40 or above 100 words
- Write from Dictation, one point per correctly spelled word
- Grammar, Vocabulary Range and Spelling traits, each rated 0 to 2 on written tasks
- Consistent use of a single spelling convention across the whole test
- Development, Structure and Coherence, expert-reviewed on Write Essay
- Content scored zero for responses built on significant pre-prepared or memorized material
Part 2 is published at 23 to 30 minutes and holds five question types totalling 15 to 20 items. Two of them use negative marking, and Reading also picks up score points from integrated items in Part 1 and Part 3.
Key Topics to Master:
- Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown), 5 to 6 items, one point per correct blank
- Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop), 4 to 5 items, one point per correct blank
- Reorder Paragraph, 2 to 3 items, one point per correctly ordered adjacent pair rather than per sentence
- Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, minus one point for each incorrect option chosen
- Multiple Choice Single Answer, scored strictly correct or incorrect
- Highlight Incorrect Words and Highlight Correct Summary, which feed Reading from the Listening part
- Summarize Written Text, an integrated Reading and Writing item
Part 3 is published at 31 to 39 minutes and holds eight question types totalling 15 to 22 items. Listening also draws points from Repeat Sentence, Retell Lecture, Answer Short Question and Summarize Group Discussion in Part 1, which is why weak listening drags the speaking score down as well.
Key Topics to Master:
- Summarize Spoken Text, one item, integrated Listening and Writing
- Write from Dictation, 3 to 4 items, integrated Listening and Writing
- Highlight Incorrect Words, 2 to 3 items with a point deducted per wrong selection
- Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, 2 to 3 items with negative marking
- Highlight Correct Summary and Multiple Choice Single Answer, correct or incorrect only
- Select Missing Word, 1 to 2 items
- Fill in the Blanks (Type In), 2 to 3 items, one point per correct word spelled correctly
- International accents, since Pearson states clips feature a variety of English speakers and play only once
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Read the PTE Academic Test Taker Handbook end to end, especially the Test Day and Retaking sections
- 2Read the PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide tables that list item counts and scoring rules per question type
- 3Take one free Guided Practice Test in Smart Prep to see the interface without a score attached
- 4Write down the exact score you need, taken from your university page or the Department of Home Affairs table, skill by skill
- 5Set up a myPTE account and check test center availability for your target date so you know the booking lead time
- 1Drill Repeat Sentence daily; it is 10 to 12 of the 65 to 75 questions and feeds Speaking and Listening at once
- 2Shadow 3 to 9 second sentences until you can hold the whole string, not just the opening clause
- 3Record 10 Read Aloud passages a day at conversational volume and compare stress placement against the Pronunciation descriptors
- 4Practise reading 60-word texts inside the 30 to 40 second window without dropping function words
- 5Log every item where you hesitated, since Oral Fluency penalizes unnatural pausing
- 1Build a 40-second Describe Image routine that names the chart type, the axis labels, the extremes and one trend
- 2Practise the 25-second preparation window with a stopwatch rather than open-ended thinking time
- 3Take structured notes on 90-second lectures and rebuild them into a 40-second retelling
- 4Remember that both types are double-scored for Content by a human expert, so generic filler earns nothing
- 5Practise Answer Short Question sets to sharpen the 10-second single-word or short-phrase response
- 1Practise Summarize Group Discussion with three-speaker audio up to 3 minutes and a 2-minute spoken summary
- 2Practise attributing points to individual speakers rather than merging them into one voice
- 3Practise Respond to a Situation with 60-word prompts, 10 seconds to think and 40 seconds to speak
- 4Work on register: apologising, requesting and declining in a way that matches the situation described
- 5Take a second Guided Practice Test to check that the new types no longer surprise you
- 1Write five essays at 200 to 300 words inside 20 minutes, then check each against the 120-word Form floor
- 2Write ten Summarize Written Text responses as a single sentence of at most 75 words in 10 minutes each
- 3Write ten Summarize Spoken Text responses landing between 50 and 70 words, never below 40 or above 100
- 4Choose one spelling convention and apply it across every written response
- 5Read Pearson's Content descriptors and cut any sentence that would read as pre-prepared material
- 1Complete full Reading sets of 15 to 20 items inside 23 to 30 minutes
- 2Practise both Fill in the Blanks formats, which together are 9 to 11 of the Reading items
- 3Drill Reorder Paragraph scoring on adjacent pairs, since a single misplaced sentence can cost two points
- 4Stop over-selecting on Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, where each wrong option costs a point
- 5Build a collocation list from the blanks you miss rather than a general vocabulary list
- 1Complete full Listening sets of 15 to 22 items inside 31 to 39 minutes
- 2Drill Write from Dictation until you can hold a full sentence and spell every word, at 3 to 4 items per test
- 3Practise Highlight Incorrect Words with a strict rule of selecting only what you actually heard change
- 4Use the 5 to 7 second preview before each clip to skim the question and options
- 5Train on varied accents, since clips play once and cannot be replayed
- 1Buy and take one official Scored Practice Test, priced at $35.99 USD on Pearson's preparation page
- 2Compare the four communicative skills scores against your target, skill by skill
- 3Identify which question types feed your two weakest skills and reallocate practice time accordingly
- 4Recheck timing: if you ran short in Part 1, the loss is almost always in the two writing items
- 5Book the real test only once you have a diagnostic within 5 points of the score you need
- 1Spend 60 percent of practice time on the single lowest communicative skill from the diagnostic
- 2Rebuild any item type where you scored zero for Form or Content, since those wipe out the whole response
- 3Practise the Personal Introduction so the recorded 30 seconds does not unsettle the start of the test
- 4Rehearse note-taking layout for the erasable whiteboard so it is automatic on test day
- 5Run one full mock in a single sitting with no break to build the two-hour tolerance
- 1Take a second official Scored Practice Test under exact test conditions
- 2Confirm that the name, date of birth, citizenship and gender in your booking match your passport exactly
- 3Check your passport expiry date; Pearson refuses expired passports and photocopies, including certified copies
- 4Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before the appointment, since late arrival forfeits the fee
- 5Stop learning new templates and rehearse only the routines you already execute inside the time limits
Ready to pass PTE Academic?
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Best Study Resources
Smart Prep in myPTE
Official free portalPearson's hub for every official preparation asset, including the free video courses, Guided Practice Tests and the Study Plan tool.
Free with a myPTE account
Official Scored Practice Test
Official practice testReplicates the test format and timing and returns a score, which makes it the only practice product that gives a defensible prediction of your real result.
$35.99 USD per test on Pearson's preparation page
PTE Academic Question Bank
Official question bankHundreds of questions across every question type, with sample answers for the open-ended Speaking and Writing items.
Sold alone or inside Pearson's Essential package, listed at $91.97 USD and discounted to $59.99 USD
PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide
Official PDFThe definitive document for item counts per question type, partial credit rules, negative marking, trait descriptors and the PTE to IELTS concordance table.
Free download from pearsonpte.com/ScoreGuide
PTE Academic Test Taker Handbook
Official PDFCovers booking, payment, reschedule and cancellation windows, test day rules, ID requirements, the retake policy and the rescore process.
Free download from pearsonpte.com
The Official Guide to PTE Academic
Official bookPearson's own preparation book with strategies for every question type plus digital practice questions, sample answers and videos.
Sold by Pearson as print or eBook
Guided Practice Tests
Official free practiceFull-length untimed walkthroughs that show sample Speaking and Writing answers and mark Reading and Listening as correct or incorrect, without producing a score.
Free
PTE free video courses
Official free videoFour skill-specific courses from Pearson covering Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening with test tips and practice activities.
Free
APEUni
Third-party app and websiteLarge community-sourced question bank organised by PTE question type, useful for volume drilling on Repeat Sentence and Write from Dictation.
Free tier with paid AI scoring
E2 Test Prep
Third-party courseVideo-led PTE course with method walkthroughs for each question type and mock tests marked against PTE-style criteria.
Paid subscription
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Treating Repeat Sentence as a minor warm-up item
Repeat Sentence is 10 to 12 of the 65 to 75 questions, the biggest single block in the test, and it feeds both Speaking and Listening. Drill it daily until you can hold a nine-second string, not just the first clause.
Selecting every plausible option on Multiple Choice Multiple Answers
Pearson deducts one point for each incorrect option chosen in both the Reading and Listening versions. Select only what you can defend; the item bottoms out at its minimum score if wrong picks cancel your right ones.
Over-clicking on Highlight Incorrect Words
The same deduction rule applies: one point for each correct word, minus one for each incorrect word. Mark only the words you actually heard differ from the transcript.
Writing an essay below the Form floor
An essay under 120 words scores zero for Form, which zeroes the whole response. Pearson's target band is 200 to 300 words in 20 minutes, so build a structure you can hit reliably rather than one you hope to reach.
Missing the word band on Summarize Spoken Text
Land between 50 and 70 words. Below 50 or above 70 loses points, and below 40 or above 100 scores zero on all five traits, including Grammar, Vocabulary and Spelling.
Writing Summarize Written Text as a paragraph
Pearson asks for one sentence of no more than 75 words within the 10-minute limit. A second full stop breaks the Form requirement, so practise single-sentence compression with subordinate clauses.
Leaning on memorized templates
Pearson scores Content zero for responses that fail to deal with the prompt because of significant pre-prepared or memorized material. Keep only a skeletal frame and fill it with details from the actual prompt.
Mixing British and American spelling
Pearson accepts United States, United Kingdom, Australian and Canadian conventions, but requires one convention used consistently. Pick one before test day and apply it in every typed response.
Planning the session around a break
There are no scheduled breaks. An unscheduled break is allowed but the test clock keeps running and you cannot reach your locker, so rehearse full two-hour sittings in advance.
Skipping a hard item expecting to come back
You cannot return to a previous question to amend an answer. Give every item something before moving on, because a blank is a permanent zero rather than a deferred decision.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment. Pearson refuses late arrivals entry and you lose the full test fee.
- 2
Bring your original, valid, non-expired passport. Photocopies are refused even when certified, and a name mismatch with your booking costs you the test and the fee.
- 3
Check that the name, date of birth, citizenship and gender in your myPTE booking match the passport exactly before test day, not on the morning.
- 4
Expect check-in to capture a photograph, your signature, a palm vein scan and a recorded spoken personal introduction. Contact Pearson before booking if a hand injury prevents the palm vein scan.
- 5
Store phones, watches, wallets, hats, coats, books and jewellery thicker than half a centimetre in the locker. You cannot reach the locker again until the test is finished.
- 6
You are given an erasable whiteboard and two pens. Do not write on them before the test starts, and raise your hand for a replacement if you run out of space.
- 7
Keep the headset on for the entire session. Other candidates in the same room speak into their microphones at the same time.
- 8
Speak at normal conversational volume. Pearson designs the capture for conversational flow, and raising your voice does not improve the Pronunciation or Oral Fluency rating.
- 9
Take notes on the first play of every audio and video clip. Nothing can be replayed, and there is no second pass through any question.
- 10
Raise your hand the moment you hit a hardware, audio or software problem rather than trying to work around it, because no score adjustment is made afterwards for events during the test.
- 11
Do not leave the room before the test finishes. Leaving early forfeits both the fee and your scores.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Foundation or pathway program student
Pre-degree and pathway programs at colleges and universities, where a PTE Score Report satisfies the English condition of an offer. Pearson does not publish salary data for PTE score holders.
No salary applies. Pearson's published guidance for foundation courses is an overall PTE Academic score of 36 to 50.
Undergraduate applicant abroad
Bachelor's admission at institutions among the 4,000-plus universities and colleges Pearson lists as accepting PTE Academic, including virtually all universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
No salary applies. Pearson's published guidance for undergraduate degrees is an overall PTE Academic score of 51 to 60.
Postgraduate applicant
Master's and doctoral admission, where departments frequently set a higher writing sub-score than the overall figure. Check the department page rather than the central admissions page.
No salary applies. Pearson's published guidance for postgraduate degrees is an overall PTE Academic score of 57 to 67.
Australian skilled migration applicant
General skilled migration and other visa streams that require an English test. The department does not accept fully online, remote-proctored English tests, which is one reason PTE Academic remains test-center only.
No salary applies. Competent English under the Department of Home Affairs requires at least 47 listening, 48 reading, 51 writing and 54 speaking for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.
UK Skilled Worker visa applicant
Skilled Worker, Start-up, Innovator and Minister of Religion visas need the UKVI version. Content, format and scoring are identical; only the reference number on the report differs.
No salary applies. The requirement is a PTE Academic UKVI Score Report carrying a SELT Unique Reference Number, which the standard PTE Academic test does not produce.
Internationally educated nurse seeking United States registration
PTE Academic is accepted by United States state Boards of Nursing and by the Health Resources and Services Administration for professional registration, so a single sitting can cover both a licensure file and a university application.
No salary is published by Pearson. The minimum score is set by each state Board of Nursing rather than by Pearson.
Prerequisites & Requirements
- There are no education, employment or nationality prerequisites. Anyone can book PTE Academic.
- A valid, non-expired passport is required for PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI. Pearson lists country-specific alternative identification at pearsonpte.com/acceptable-id for people without a passport.
- Candidates under 18 must have a completed Parental Consent Form approved before testing. Once approved, the form covers all tests taken until the candidate turns 18. Pearson does not publish a minimum age.
- A myPTE account with personal details entered in Roman characters and matched exactly to the identification document.
- Full payment in the currency specified for your country. Voucher payments cover the test fee only and are not refundable.
- Accommodation requests must be submitted at least six weeks before the chosen test date, with medical evidence, and must be confirmed by Pearson before you book.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does PTE Academic cost?
Pearson does not publish a single global fee. The price is set per country and shown through the price finder on the PTE Academic page and the test centers and fees page, and it is charged in the currency specified for that country. Pearson also runs voucher resellers in some markets, including Nigeria and China. Separate published fees exist for post-test services: a rescore costs $160 USD and a technical review costs $50 USD.
Is there a pass mark for PTE Academic?
No. Pearson reports a scaled score from 10 to 90 and sets no pass threshold. The receiving institution or government decides what counts as a pass. Pearson's own guidance is 36 to 50 for foundation courses, 51 to 60 for undergraduate degrees and 57 to 67 for postgraduate degrees, but those are indicative rather than binding on any university.
How does the 10 to 90 score scale work?
PTE Academic scores are placed on the Global Scale of English, a granular scale running from 10 to 90. You receive one overall score plus four communicative skills scores for Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing, all on the same 10 to 90 range. Pearson states explicitly that the overall score is not an average of the four skills scores; it is calculated from performance across the entire test, with score points weighted by the complexity of each question.
How soon do results arrive?
Results are typically available within two business days, and Pearson aims to release every result within five business days. There is no unofficial score shown at the test center. You receive an email when the Score Report is ready, then view it in the My Activity area of your myPTE account and download it as a PDF.
How soon can I retake PTE Academic, and is there a limit?
There is no fixed waiting period in days, but you can only book a new test once you have received the scores from your previous test, which is usually two business days. You may hold only one booked appointment at a time, tests can be booked up to six months ahead, and you may take the test up to 12 times within any rolling 12-month window. Pearson will consider additional attempts through an exception form.
What happens if I do not get the score I need?
Nothing is recorded as a failure, because there is no pass mark. Your Score Report shows the overall score and four skills scores, and the linked Skills Profile breaks performance into eight language skill areas with targeted recommendations drawn from the Global Scale of English learning objectives. Use the weakest skill to decide where to spend practice time, then rebook once the scores are released.
Do PTE Academic scores expire, and is there any recertification or continuing education?
A Score Report is valid for two years from the test date, and there is no recertification path or continuing education credit; the only way to refresh an expired score is to take the test again. Two nuances matter. Some institutions apply a shorter or longer validity window than two years, so check before you apply. The Australian Department of Home Affairs will accept scores assigned up to three years after the test date.
What identification do I need on test day?
A valid, non-expired passport is the standard requirement for both PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI. The name, date of birth, citizenship and gender printed on it must match your booking exactly. Photocopies are refused even when certified, and presenting the wrong document means you lose the appointment and the fee. If you do not hold a passport, Pearson lists country-specific alternatives at pearsonpte.com/acceptable-id. If your passport is with an embassy for a visa application, you must request it back for test day.
Can I take PTE Academic at home with online proctoring?
No. Pearson states that PTE Academic must be taken at an authorized test center on a supplied computer and cannot be taken at home. The rule is reinforced on the visa side: the Australian Department of Home Affairs does not accept English tests delivered completely online or remote-proctored for visa purposes, and lists IELTS Online, CELPIP Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and others as unaccepted.
What am I allowed to bring into the test room?
Almost nothing. Phones, electronic devices, watches, wallets, purses, hats, coats, books, notes, food and drink are all barred, along with jewellery thicker than about half a centimetre. No calculator is needed or permitted, because PTE Academic contains no numerical reasoning. The test center supplies an erasable whiteboard and two pens, which must stay in the room and be returned at the end. Comfort aids including tissues, unwrapped cough drops, a support pillow, eyeglasses, hearing aids, neck braces and an attached insulin pump can be brought in after the Test Administrator checks them, with no advance request.
Are accommodations available for disability or medical needs?
Yes, with evidence and advance notice. Pearson currently offers a separate room, wheelchair access, additional equipment such as a lamp or magnifying glass, an adjustable workstation, adjustable monitor brightness, a 10-minute break, and 25 percent extra time. Extra time, a break or a separate room requires a letter from a licensed medical practitioner on official letterhead, dated and signed, written when you were aged 12 or older and written in English. The request form should be submitted at least six weeks before your chosen test date.
Do wrong answers cost marks?
On three question types, yes. Reading Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, Listening Multiple Choice Multiple Answers and Highlight Incorrect Words each award one point per correct selection and deduct one point per incorrect selection, with the item floored at its minimum score. Every other question type is either correct or incorrect with no penalty, or uses partial credit without deductions. So blanket selection is actively harmful on those three types and harmless everywhere else.
Who actually marks the test, a machine or a person?
Both, in defined roles. Written responses are scored by the Intelligent Essay Assessor, powered by Pearson's Knowledge Analysis Technologies engine using Latent Semantic Analysis, and spoken responses are scored by the Versant engine. Human expert scorers train those engines by rating responses, resolve anomalies the machine cannot score reliably such as unclear audio, and carry out a mandatory review of Content on seven question types including Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Write Essay and Summarize Spoken Text. Pronunciation and Oral Fluency remain machine-rated.
Can I challenge my score?
You can request a rescore, which is a paid service costing $160 USD. Only spoken responses and open-ended written responses are rescored, and Pearson warns that a change is unlikely and that the score may move down as well as up. A separate technical review, costing $50 USD, checks for technical faults in your audio recordings but cannot change the score by itself. Beyond that, an appeal is available only where you believe Pearson failed to follow its own internal procedures.
How does PTE Academic compare to IELTS Academic?
Pearson's July 2025 concordance research maps PTE overall 47 to 54 onto IELTS 6.0, 55 to 62 onto IELTS 6.5, 63 to 70 onto IELTS 7.0, 71 to 78 onto IELTS 7.5 and 79 to 85 onto IELTS 8.0. The operational differences matter more than the numbers: PTE Academic is a single two-hour computer session with no human examiner and results in about two days, while IELTS splits the speaking test out and takes longer to report. Australia's Department of Home Affairs treats them as equivalent at the Competent English level, requiring IELTS 6 in each component or PTE 47, 48, 51 and 54 in listening, reading, writing and speaking.
What is the difference between PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI?
The test content, format and scoring are identical. The only difference is that the UKVI Score Report carries a SELT Unique Reference Number that the UK Home Office uses to verify your result. You need the UKVI version for UK work visas that require a four-skills test, including Skilled Worker, Start-up, Innovator and Minister of Religion, and for study pathways below degree level or at institutions that are not Higher Education Institutions. Standard PTE Academic covers study applications to UK universities.
What is the difference between PTE Academic and PTE Core?
They are separate tests with separate question banks. Pearson states that PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI use 20 question types on its scoring overview page and 22 in its Test Taker Score Guide, while PTE Core uses 19. Both report on the same 10 to 90 scale. PTE Academic targets academic English for university study and the Australian and New Zealand visa routes. PTE Home is different again: it is a two-skill speaking and listening test reported as a pass or fail rather than a score.
Can I reschedule or cancel, and what does it cost?
You can reschedule free of charge when more than 14 full calendar days remain, up to a maximum of six reschedules on a single appointment. Inside 14 days the reschedule button disappears and you must cancel and rebook. Cancelling at least 14 full calendar days ahead gives a full refund, cancelling between 13 and 8 days gives 50 percent, and there is no refund with fewer than 7 days left. For illness or family emergency you can submit a Request Emergency Reschedule form with evidence, though acceptance is at Pearson's discretion.
Is there a break during the test?
No scheduled break exists in the two-hour format. You can ask the Test Administrator for an unscheduled break, but Pearson advises against it because the test clock keeps running, you cannot access your locker or personal items, you cannot speak to other candidates and you cannot leave the building. A 10-minute break is available only as an approved accommodation requested at least six weeks in advance with medical evidence.
Can I go back and change an earlier answer?
No. Pearson's Test Taker Handbook states that you cannot go back to previous questions to amend your answers. Audio and video clips also play only once and cannot be replayed. Together these two rules mean the test rewards a decisive first pass: answer every item with something before you click Next, take notes during the single playback, and do not bank on reviewing anything later.
Success Stories
“E2Language methods worked perfectly. Repeat Sentence and Read Aloud practice were game-changers for my speaking score.”
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Australian PR Applicant
“Coming from IELTS, I preferred PTE's format. Results in 2 days let me apply to universities with confidence.”
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“APEUni app for daily practice plus mock tests. The enabling skills - grammar and pronunciation - matter more than people think.”
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Nursing Registration
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