What is PTE Academic?
PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English Academic) is a computer-based English test run by Pearson. You take it at an official test centre, wearing a headset with a microphone. In Australia it's widely used for university admission, professional registration and visa applications.
The whole test takes about 2 hours 15 minutes in one sitting, and it has three parts:
| Part | Time | Task types |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking & Writing | 76–84 minutes | 9 |
| Reading | 23–30 minutes | 5 |
| Listening | 31–39 minutes | 8 |
Scores run from 10 to 90. You get an overall score plus a score for each skill: listening, reading, speaking and writing. Results usually arrive within a couple of days.
Unofficial practice. These questions were written by us to match the style of PTE tasks. They are not real exam questions, and any score shown is a rough guide only. For an official estimate, use Pearson's scored practice tests.
Practise by section
- SpeakingRead Aloud, Describe Image, Respond to a Situation and the other speaking tasks
- WritingWrite Essay and Summarize Written Text, with a word counter that knows the limits
- ReadingFill in the blanks, multiple choice and reorder paragraphs
- ListeningWrite from Dictation, Highlight Correct Summary and more
Full mock tests
- Full testMock test 1All 22 task types, official orderStart
- Full testMock test 2New questions on every taskStart
- Full testMock test 3Includes the 2025 speaking tasksStart
Short on time? Try the quick 15-minute practice test.
How PTE is marked
PTE is marked mostly by computer, with human experts reviewing some speaking and writing answers before scores are confirmed. A few things surprise new test takers:
- Many tasks count towards more than one skill. Write from Dictation, for example, affects both your listening and writing scores.
- Some tasks take marks away for wrong answers. In "choose more than one answer" questions and Highlight Incorrect Words, each wrong choice costs a point, so don't guess wildly.
- Length rules are strict. An essay under 120 or over 380 words scores zero. Check yours with our PTE word counter.
- Spelling must be consistent. Australian, British, American and Canadian spelling are all accepted, but mix them and you lose marks. Our spelling consistency checker catches this.
- Fluency matters as much as accuracy in speaking. Long pauses, restarts and repeated words lower your score, even if every word is correct.
What changed in August 2025?
Pearson updated PTE Academic on 7 August 2025. Two new speaking tasks were added, Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation, and the test became about 15 minutes longer. Australia's Department of Home Affairs also introduced new PTE score tables for tests taken from that date. If you're comparing scores or using old study materials, read our guide to PTE score requirements for Australia and make sure your practice covers the current test format.
Where to book
Book only through Pearson's official website, pearsonpte.com, where you'll find test centres and prices. We're an independent site and don't sell tests.