The Speaking test can be challenging for many students since it requires quick reflexes to process information and respond fluently.
If you are familiar with the cue cards and interviews in the IELTS Speaking test, you may be overwhelmed with diverse question types in the PTE Speaking section.
Thus, you need a good amount of practice and effective study tactics to conquer this section.
Stay calm if you are unsure where to start!
This guide will equip you with everything you need to reach your highest potential in the PTE Speaking section.
(Read our Vietnamese version here)
Key Takeaways
- The PTE Speaking test can be 24-37 minutes long, including five different question types.
- Below is detailed information about each question type in the PTE Speaking section, including tasks, skills assessed, test methods, and test tips.
- You can access our self-study PTE Magic Practice App with actual online mock tests.
See more: These PTE mock tests can get you 79+!
What is the PTE speaking test module?
Speaking & Writing is the first section of the PTE test. Speaking tasks assess your listening and speaking skills in an academic environment.
You must speak into a microphone to give your answers in Speaking tasks.
You hear a short tone, and the recording begins. You need to organize your ideas and deliver your answers fluidly and logically. Once the recording ends, you proceed to the next question.
AI will measure your Speaking scores through the following skills:
- Speaking with a purpose (to repeat, inform, or explain) and easily-understandable pronunciation.
- Providing information, examples, and explanations with accurate intonations, stress, and pronunciations, to support an opinion.
- Using correct words and phrases, reading a text aloud, and speaking naturally.
- Creating a logical oral presentation and speaking under a time limit.
- Developing complicated ideas within a spoken dialogue, using appropriate grammar, and delivering a fluent speech.
PTE Academic accepts regional and national English pronunciation variations as long as they are easy to understand for most native speakers.
Effective speaking in both daily and exam contexts necessitates attention to the five factors below:
- Organization
- The needs of the listener
- Cohesion and fluency
- Control of language
- Appropriate stress patterns and intonation
Related: PTE format with new updates you must know about
PTE speaking format
The PTE Speaking & Writing last 54–67 minutes, and the Speaking part can be 24-37 minutes long.
This part includes five different question types.
| Question types | Number of items | Prompt length | Skills assessed | Time to answer | Score |
| Personal Introduction | 1 | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not score |
| Read Aloud | 6 – 7 | Text up to 60 words | Reading and speaking | Varies by item, depending on the text length. | Partial Credit |
| Repeat Sentence | 10 – 12 | 3–9 seconds | Listening and speaking | 15 seconds | Partial Credit |
| Describe Image | 3 – 4 | Not applicable | Speaking | 40 seconds | Partial Credit |
| Re-tell Lecture | 1 – 2 | Up to 90 seconds | Listening and speaking | 40 seconds | Partial Credit |
| Answer Short Question | 5 – 6 | 3–9 seconds | Listening and speaking | 10 seconds | Correct/
Incorrect |
Main parts of the PTE speaking test
Here is detailed information about each question type in the PTE Speaking section including tasks, skills assessed, test methods, and test tips.
Personal Introduction
The Personal Introduction in PTE has no score but helps you familiarize yourself with the test technology and prepare for upcoming speaking tasks.
Time limit:
- 25 seconds to read the prompt and prepare your response.
- 30 seconds to record your response. Once you hear a beep sound, you should begin speaking about yourself.
Speak clearly without any rush on this task. You can record your response only once. You should finish your introduction before the progress bar hits the endpoint and the word ‘Recording’ switches to ‘Completed.’
Your response will be sent to your chosen institutions and universities, together with your score report.
Read Aloud
Skills Assessed
PTE Read Aloud is a long-answer speaking task.
This task assesses your ability to read a short paragraph aloud using correct pronunciation and intonation. It measures speaking and reading skills.
Tasks
You must read aloud the content displayed on the screen.
How to answer
The recording status box shows a countdown until the microphone opens. You will have 30–40 seconds to read the text and prepare your response.
Once hearing a short tone, you should immediately begin speaking. The system will fail to record your voice if you begin speaking before the microphone is on.
Stop speaking before the progress bar hits the bottom.
Tips for Read Aloud
- Speak smoothly and clearly.
- Use a rising tone at the beginning and a falling tone at the end to make the sentences sound realistic.
- If you realize you’ve mispronounced, don’t stop or repeat it! Keep speaking to ensure fluency.
- Record and listen to your voice multiple times. It helps you enhance your oral fluency, accuracy, and complexity.
- Practice reading new passages with a timer and carefully track your speaking speed.
Repeat sentence
Skills Assessed
PTE repeat sentence is a short-answer speaking task.
This task assesses your ability to understand and remember a sentence and repeat it precisely with the correct pronunciation. It evaluates both your speaking and listening skills.
Tasks
You must repeat the sentence exactly as heard in the audio clip.
How to Answer
The audio starts playing automatically. Once the audio stops, the microphone opens, and the recording status box displays “Recording.” You should immediately speak into the microphone and repeat the sentences verbatim.
Tips for Repeat sentence
- Listen with closed eyes and memorize the sentence.
- There is no beep sound when the clip ends. Thus, you should speak immediately.
- If you can’t recall the entire sentence, concentrate on the keywords and repeat them.
Describe image
Skills Assessed
This PTE describe image task tests your ability to observe, collect information, and use descriptive language.
Tasks
You must describe an image appearing on the screen. The image types can be a graph, a chart, a picture, a map, or a table.
How to Answer
You will have 25 seconds to analyze the image and prepare your response. Once hearing the tone, start speaking immediately.
Tips for Describe Image
- Using templates to answer can score better. A good response includes both the main points and supporting details.
- Start your speech with words like illustrate, depict, elucidate, etc.
- Identify the image types. For example, line graphs feature a ‘timeline’, or pie charts contain ‘slices’.
- Use the following prepositions of position while describing on the left/right side, next to, above, at the top, below/bottom, foreground, background, and others.
- Finish your speech within 30-35 seconds, and ensure all sentences are complete.
Re-tell lecture
Skills Assessed
This PTE retell lecture is a long-answer speaking task.
This task assesses your ability to deliver a speech on content from a lecture. It evaluates both speaking and listening skills.
Tasks
You must listen to a lecture and re-tell it e in your own words.
How to Answer
The lecture will begin automatically. An image related to the lecture will be shown for better understanding.
Once the lecture ends, you will have 10 seconds to prepare your response.
The recording status box shows a countdown until the microphone opens. Start speaking immediately once hearing a short tone.
Tips for Re-rell Lecture
- Take note of the keywords to grasp the lecture’s context.
- You do not need to recall full names. Instead, use titles such as Dr states or the professor says.
- Try to remember the best 3 to 5 sentences of the lecture.
Answer Short Question
Skills Assessed
The PTE answer short question section is a short-answer speaking task with a short single response.
This task assesses your ability to comprehend a question in the recording and respond concisely and accurately. It evaluates both speaking and listening skills.
Tasks
You must respond to the question in a single or few words. The question will usually be relevant to our daily lives.
How to Answer
The audio starts giving questions automatically along with an image.
When the audio ends, the microphone opens, and the recording status box displays “Recording.” You should immediately speak into the microphone.
Tips for Answer Short Questions
- Remember to include articles before some words.
- If you do not know how to answer, repeat the words in the question.
You’ve mastered the PTE Speaking format. We will move to how to improve speaking in PTE.
PTE speaking tips to increase your scores
As English is not your native language, it is unavoidable to make mistakes in pronunciation, stress, and intonation.
Therefore, we give tips and tricks to help you crack your PTE Speaking section:
- Study the speaking topics thoroughly. Always go outside your syllabus.
- Keep your simple while speaking.
- Try to mimic native English speakers with different accents.
- Complete the whole sentence in one go. Avoid taking unnecessary pauses.
- Practice concentration by doing speaking tasks in a medium-noise environment because you will have to hear other test takers in the exam room.
- Do not practice with your music earphones. Invest in high-quality headphones with microphones.
- Double-check your microphone before the test.
- Once again, remember fluency is the key to the PTE Speaking section. So, practice makes perfect.
Finally, stay calm and unleash your confidence to pass your PTE Speaking section with flying colors.
Related: PTE exam preparation tips and tricks from high-scorers!
PTE speaking practice mock test & samples
Have you already been equipped with all tips? It’s time to practice!
PTE MAGIC offers students plenty of PTE-speaking mock tests with sample answers. At PTE MAGIC, you can access our self-study PTE Magic Practice App with real online mock tests.
The best part is that real-time advanced AI will score your tests with detailed reports. Try it today!
Conclusion
PTE Speaking is now a piece of cake. All you need to do is use effective strategies and put your efforts into practice on the right platform allowing you to test your tactics.
