PTE Speaking is in Part 1 of the PTE test PTE Writing. It is the longest section of the test and appears PTE Academic, PTE Core, PTE Home A1, PTE Home A2, and PTE Home B1.
PTE Speaking Academic and Core has 6 question types, PTE Home A1 and A2 contains 3 question types, while PTE Home B1 has 4 question types.
Avoid common pitfalls in PTE Speaking avoiding reading too rapidly, mastering technical pronunciation, and respecting punctuation guidance.
Advance preparation techniques for PTE Speaking include practicing complex academic material, developing precise vocabulary, and refining strategic timing.
PTE offers free preparation materials named Smart Prep and have paid preparation resources such as Scored Practice Tests and three learning packages.
What is the PTE Speaking Test Format and Duration?
PTE Speaking appears in the 1st part of the test along with PTE Writing. It is the longest section of the test and appears in all test formats which include PTE Academic, PTE Core, PTE Home A1, PTE Home A2, and PTE Home B1. PTE Academic lasts for 54-67 minutes while PTE Core is approximately 50 minutes long.
What are the PTE Speaking Question Types?
The PTE Speaking question types vary across test types. PTE Academic and Core has 6 question types, PTE Home A1 and A2 contains 3 question types, while PTE Home B1 has 4 question types.
What are the PTE Academic Speaking Question Types?
The following table demonstrates the complete range of PTE Academic Speaking question formats and their characteristics.
| Question Type | Task | Prompt Length | Skills Assessed | Time to Answer |
| Personal Introduction | There are no scores for this part as you will be introducing yourself. | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Read Aloud | You will see a text appearing on the screen that you need to read aloud. | Text up to 60 words | Reading and speaking | Varies by item, depending on the length of text. |
| Repeat Sentence | You will listen to a recording of a sentence, then repeat it. | 3–9 seconds | Listening and speaking | 15 seconds |
| Describe Image | You will see an image on the screen, then describe the image in detail. | Not applicable | Speaking | 40 seconds |
| Re-tell Lecture | You will be listening to a lecture, then re-tell it in your own words. | Up to 90 seconds | Listening and speaking | 40 seconds |
| Answer Short Questions | You should answer the given question with a single word or a few words only. | 3–9 seconds | Listening and speaking | 10 seconds |
What Are the PTE Core Speaking Question Types?
Essential information about speaking task variations and assessment criteria is displayed in the table that follows.
| Question Type | Task | Prompt Length | Skills Assessed | Time to Answer |
| Personal Introduction | There are no scores for this part as you will be introducing yourself. | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Read Aloud | You will see a text appearing on the screen that you need to read aloud. | Text up to 60 words | Reading and speaking | Varies by item, depending on the length of text. |
| Repeat Sentence | You will listen to a recording of a sentence, then repeat it. | 3–9 seconds | Listening and speaking | 40 seconds |
| Describe Image | You will see an image on the screen, then describe the image in detail. | Not applicable | Speaking | 40 seconds |
| Respond to a Situation | You will listen to and read a description of a situation, then answer a question about it. | Text up to 60 words | Speaking | 40 seconds |
| Answer Short Question | You should answer the given question with a single word or a few words only. | 3–9 seconds | Listening and speaking | 10 seconds |
What are the PTE Home Speaking Question Types?
What are the PTE Home A1 SpeakingQuestion Types?
Specific data about prompt lengths, task types, and skill evaluations for PTE Home A1 Speaking is listed below.
| Question Type | Task |
| Repeat Sentence | You will hear a short sentence, then repeat the sentence exactly as you heard it. There are 22 ‘repeat sentence’ questions. |
| Describe Image | You will see an image and need to describe it. There are 5 ‘describe image’ questions. |
| Conversation: Listen and Answer | You will hear a short conversation, then a question about the conversation. There are 5 ‘listen and answer’ questions. |
What are the PTE Home A2 SpeakingQuestion Types?
The table presented below illustrates the fundamental components of PTE Home A2 Speaking assessment structure.
| Question Type | Task |
| Repeat Sentence | You will hear a short sentence, then repeat the sentence exactly as you heard it. There are 22 ‘repeat sentence’ questions. |
| Describe Image | You will see an image and need to describe it. There are 5 ‘describe image’ questions. |
| Retell Story | You will listen to a story and will be asked to retell it. |
What are the PTE Home B1 SpeakingQuestion Types?
Complete details about PTE Home B1 speaking question categories and their respective evaluation methods appear in the following table.
| Question Type | Task |
| Repeat Sentence | You will hear a short sentence, then repeat the sentence exactly as you heard it. There are 22 ‘repeat sentence’ questions. |
| Describe Image | You will see an image and need to describe it. You’ll be asked 4 or 5 ‘describe image’ questions. |
| Retell Story | You will listen to a story and will be asked to retell it. |
| Story: Listen and Answer | You will be asked 3 questions after listening to a story. There are 4 or 5 ‘Story: Listen and answer’ questions. |
What Are Common Pitfalls to Avoid in PTE Speaking?
To avoid the common pitfalls in PTE Speaking, consider avoiding reading too rapidly, mastering technical pronunciation, and respecting punctuation guidance.
- Avoid Reading Too Rapidly: Maintain clear articulation over speed, as rushing through content often leads to unclear delivery and reduced comprehension for listeners.
- Master Technical Pronunciation: Practice unfamiliar and technical terms repeatedly to ensure confident delivery during actual testing situations.
- Respect Punctuation Guidance: Use punctuation marks as natural pause indicators to create proper rhythm and flow in your spoken responses.
What Are Advanced Preparation Techniques for PTE Speaking?
Advance preparation techniques for PTE Speaking include practicing complex academic material, developing precise vocabulary, and refining strategic timing.
- Practice Complex Academic Material: Work with increasingly sophisticated content to build confidence handling challenging vocabulary and concepts during the actual test.
- Develop Precise Vocabulary: Build a sophisticated word bank that allows for accurate and nuanced expression in academic contexts.
- Refine Strategic Timing: Develop efficient time management techniques that maximize your response quality within the given time constraints.
Which Official PTE Speaking Preparation Materials Should I Use?
Smart Prep is offered by PTE as free material, consisting of guided practice tests, online courses. test tip documents, test format video, and a free Taster Test
For more advanced practice materials, PTE has available paid preparation resources listed below.
- Scored Practice Tests
- Bronze Package: 2 scored practice tests and PTE Academic Question Bank
- Silver Package: 4 scored practice tests and PTE Academic Question Bank
- Gold Package: 5 scored practice tests, a PTE Academic Question Bank, and Official Guide to PTE Academic