PTE Pattern

PTE Format Details

An English language exam that has been developed to test the Speaking & Writing skills
PTE Exam Pattern (54 – 67 minutes), Reading skills (29 – 30 minutes), and Listening skills (30 – 43
minutes) of candidates wanting to study abroad in an English-speaking country.

Duration 2 Hours and a Single test session

Medium Computer-based with headset

Mode Taken in a test centre / Home Edition

Test Type Assesses real-life English

Test Layout 20 question types

PTE Pattern - by Sections

Refer to the segment-wise description boxes given along with each section explaining the PTE Exam Pattern 2024 in detail:

Speaking and Writing — 54 - 67 minutes

As the name implies, this section tests the candidates based on their 2 major skills of communication, which are spoken and
written skills. This section comprises six small sections that test you on your promptness over speaking and writing the written test
that you would get to read for the first time. The complete section is given a time duration of 54 - 67 minutes and the time allotted
to each segment is as follows:

PTE Questions
PTE Speaking and Writing per task (w.e.f
Duration per task
Section Question Topics November 16,
2021)

55 seconds: 25 seconds for prompt, 30 seconds to

Personal introduction 1
record

30-40 seconds to prepare for reading out the text of 60

Read Aloud 6-7
words

15 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 15 seconds to

Repeat sentence 10 - 12
record

25 seconds are granted to study the image as well as

Describe image 3-4
prepare your response on the same

90 seconds for prompt length, 10 seconds to prepare and

Retell lecture 1-2
40 seconds to answer

20 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 10 seconds to

Answer short question 5-6
answer

Summarize written text 1-2 10 minutes to answer to text prompt of 300 words

Write Essay 1-2 20 minutes to answer to text prompt of 2-3 sentences

Total Questions 28 - 36 Time Allocation: 54 - 67 minutes

Reading Section — 29 - 30 mins
PTE Reading Format: This section tests the candidates on the basis of their ability to understand the written instructions in the
language. The section further divided into 5 segments is 29 to 30 minutes long. Check out the segment-wise pattern for the time
distribution of this section:

PTE Reading Section Question PTE Questions per

Duration per task
Topics task

Fill in the blanks –reading &

5-6 Read 300 words of text
writing

Multiple choice, multiple answers 1-2 Read 300 words of text

Re-order paragraph 2-3 Read 150 words of text

Fill in the blanks –reading 4-5 Read 80 words of text

Multiple-choice, single answer 1-2 Read 300 words of text

Time Allocation - 29 - 30
Total Questions 13 - 18
minutes
Listening 30 - 43 minutes
PTE Listening Format: The listening section of the PTE Academic is stretched over 30 to 43 minutes of duration. This one is
designed to determine the ability to understand spoken English by the candidate. Here, the student needs to ascertain that they
carefully hear the audio file played and retain what they heard. This section is divided into 8 segments and the time given to each
segment is as follows.

PTE Listening
PTE Questions per task (w.e.f Duration per
Section Question
November 16, 2021) task
Topics

60-90 seconds
to retain 50-70
Summarize spoken
1-2 words, 10
text
minutes to
write

Multiple choice, 40-90 seconds

1-2
multiple answers for prompt

Fill in the blanks 2-3 30-60 seconds

Highlight correct
1-2 30-90 seconds
summary

Multiple-choice,
1-2 30-60 seconds
single answer

Select missing word 1-2 20-70 seconds

Highlight incorrect
2-3 15-50 seconds
word

Write from Dictation 3-4 3-5 seconds

Time
Total Questions 12 - 20 Allocation: 30
- 43 minutes