PTE Academic Exam Pattern 2026: Latest Test Pattern, Syllabus, and Sample Papers

The pattern of PTE exam consists of 3 sections: Speaking & Writing, Reading, and Listening. The new PTE exam pattern was updated on August 7, 2026, with key changes in the Speaking & Writing section and scoring.

Key changes include the addition of 2 new question types: “Summarize Group Discussion” and “Respond to a Situation”, each with 2-3 questions. The total number of questions has been reduced to 52-64 from the earlier 70-82, while the exam duration remains 2 hours. The content part of your answers will now be scored by both AI and human experts. In case of conflict, a second human will make the final decision. Essay writing will also receive an expert review on structure, clarity, and language use.

PTE Academic is accepted by over 3,900 universities in English-speaking countries like the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Universities use the PTE academic syllabus and test scores to determine eligibility for undergraduate and graduate programs.

In this article, we will discuss the Pearson PTE exam pattern, the PTE Academic test pattern, the PTE test syllabus, and sample papers.

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PTE Academic Speaking & Writing

The PTE academic test pattern for Speaking & Writing starts with a personal introduction (not scored) and includes 10 types of questions, including 2 new ones: Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation. The total questions are 28-36.

Personal Introduction

Applicants will be given 25 seconds to prepare for their brief introduction. After which, they’ll have 30 seconds to record a self-introduction. The microphone will open only once for recording, which means you’ll have only one attempt to record your introduction. 

The introduction segment is not scored with the other sections, but the introduction will be sent to the institution you select.  

Read Aloud

In this segment, the applicants need to read a text aloud, which has approximately 60 words.  You are given 30-40 seconds of preparation time. You’ll have to start reading after you hear a tone.

Applicants will have to finish reading before the progress bar ends. You get to record one recording only. The major testing areas are pronunciation, intonation, and fluency. 

Repeat Sentence

This question aims to test listening and speaking skills. You will listen to a recording of 3-9 seconds, after which you get 15 seconds to answer the questions from the recording. 

The applicant can start speaking once the microphone shows as “recording”. You will need to speak all the words that the speaker uses, in the same order.

Describe Image

This question examines speaking skills by describing an image. This section has 6-7 questions from the image shown. Applicants are given 25 seconds to study the image and prepare their response. 

Applicants can use the Erasable Noteboard Booklet to note important features of the image and short notes. After you hear a short tone, start speaking your answer. You will have 40 seconds to answer, complete speaking before the progress bar ends.

Re-tell Lecture

The section tests your listening and speaking skills. There are 3-4 questions in this test. You will be given a prompt of up to 90 seconds and will have 40 seconds to answer. Once the audio finishes, you have 10 seconds to prepare.

Audio will be played along with an image related to the audio. You can use the Erasable Noteboard Booklet to take notes while listening to the audio. To answer the questions, cover the situation in the audio, characters, aspects, actions, and developments. 

Answer Short Question

This section assesses listening and speaking skills. There are around 10-12 questions in this test. Applicants are given a prompt of 3-9 seconds and have 10 seconds to answer the question. 

To answer this question, applicants’ answers must be simple, clear, and in a single or a few words. This test aims to examine the vocabulary of the applicant. 

Summarise Written Text

This section is the first writing question where the applicants will have to summarize a text. You will receive a text of 300 words and will have only 10 minutes to answer. You will also get 2-3 combination tasks in this section. 

Students can use the Erasable Noteboard Booklet to take notes of the important factors from the given text. You need to include the main points of the text in a full, single sentence of not more than 75 words.

Essay

This section is the last question in the Speaking and Writing part. Applicants will receive 2-3 sentences of text and have 20 minutes to answer. You need to write a 200-300-word argumentative essay on the given topic. 

Time management is important for this task as you will need to plan, write, and proofread your essay.

Must Read: PTE New Updates

Check out PTE Speaking & Writing sample papers 2026 for practice.

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PTE Academic Reading

The PTE paper pattern for Reading contains 5 question types, totaling 13-18 questions, taking 29-30 minutes.

Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks

This section aims to test your reading and writing skills. It is an integrated skills question type where you will be shown a text prompt of around 80 words with five blank spaces. You need to select the correct answer from the drop-down list to fill in the blank spaces. 

Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

This section tests the applicant's reading skills. In this section, a text of 300 words will be given, out of which you’ll have to answer the question by selecting the correct answer from a list of options. 

Re-order Paragraphs

This section is a test of reading skills, to reorder paragraphs. A text of around 50 words will be shown with some text boxes on the screen in a random order. To complete this section, applicants will have to read and arrange the paragraphs in the correct order.  

Applicants will have to click or drag and drop the arrow on the screen to order the paragraphs according to them. 

Reading Fill in the Blanks

In this section, applicants will receive 4-5 questions to fill in the blanks. A text of around 80 words will appear with 3-5 missing words. You need to select the correct answer from the 6-8 given words to fill the blanks. 

Applicants need to keep in mind that not all the words given to fill in the blanks will be used. Only those that are correct will be selected by the applicant.

Multiple-choice, Single Answer

In this section, applicants’ reading skills are tested. A text of around 300 words will be shown. Applicants will be given multiple choice, out of which one will be correct. Here, you need to read the given text carefully and answer the questions with one response.

Refer to PTE Reading sample papers 2026 for practice.

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PTE Academic Listening

The PTE pattern for academic Listening section has 8 question types with 12-20 questions. Audio/video clips play once automatically.

Summarize Spoken Text

You will listen to an audio recording and write a summary of 50–70 words about it. You have 10 minutes to complete the task. The audio will play automatically and can only be heard once. Use the word counter to stay between 50 and 70 words. You can also use the cut, copy, and paste buttons while writing. 

Multiple Choice Questions

You will listen to an audio recording and answer a multiple-choice question. More than one answer may be correct. The audio will play automatically and can only be heard once. Read all the options carefully and select every answer you think is correct. If you want to change an answer, click on it again to deselect it.

Fill in the Blanks

You will see a transcript with some missing words. Listen to the audio and fill in the blanks with the correct words. The audio will play automatically and can only be heard once. Click on a blank to type the missing word, or press the Tab key to move to the next blank.

Highlight Correct Summary

In the Highlight Correct Summary task, you need to listen to an audio recording and select the summary that best matches the information you hear. The recording starts automatically and can be played only once. This task assesses your ability to understand the main ideas and key details of spoken English.

After the recording ends, choose the correct summary from the given options. Only one answer is correct. Click on an option to select it, and it will be highlighted in yellow. It is recommended to listen carefully first and make notes on the erasable noteboard before reading the summaries and selecting your answer.

Multiple Choice Single Answer

In the Multiple Choice, Single Answer task, you need to listen to an audio recording and answer a question based on what you hear. The recording starts automatically and can be played only once. This task assesses your ability to understand the main idea, specific details, and overall meaning of the recording.

After listening, choose the correct answer from the given options. Although there are several choices, only one answer is correct. Click on an option to select it, and click again to deselect it or choose a different option. Listening carefully and taking notes can help you identify the correct response.

Select Missing Word

In the Select Missing Word task, the last word or group of words in the audio recording is replaced with a beep sound. You need to listen carefully and choose the option that best completes the recording. The audio starts automatically and can be played only once.

After listening, select the most appropriate answer from the given options. Only one option is correct. Click on an option to choose it, and click again to deselect it or select a different answer. Focus on understanding the overall meaning and context of the recording to identify the missing word or phrase.

Highlight Incorrect Words

In the Highlight Incorrect Words task, you will see a transcript of the audio recording on the screen. Some words in the transcript are different from the words spoken in the recording. Your task is to identify and select the words that do not match what the speaker says. The audio starts automatically and can be played only once.

As you listen and read, click on any incorrect word. The selected word will be highlighted. If you make a mistake or change your mind, simply click on the word again to deselect it. To perform well in this task, focus on following the audio carefully and comparing it with the written text.

Write from Dictation

In the Write from Dictation task, you will hear a short sentence and need to type it exactly as you hear it in the response box. The audio starts automatically and can be played only once. This task tests both your listening and writing skills.

While listening, you can take notes on the erasable noteboard provided. After the recording ends, type the sentence as accurately as possible, paying close attention to spelling, word order, and punctuation. Make sure to review your answer before submitting it.

PTE Listening sample papers 2026 are available for practice.