The PTE Writing Section, along with PTE Speaking, covers the 1st part of the PTE test. It evaluates your ability to write essays, emails, and your responses in the English language.
PTE Academic and PTE Core Speaking have the same number of question types but have different tasks, prompt lengths, skills assessed, and time to answer.
Creating a time plan specifically for the PTE Writing test for creating your response will help you manage your time effectively for the PTE Writing section.
The solutions for the commonly encountered challenges in PTE Writing include managing word count effectively, adapting to time pressure, and using vocabulary precisely.
The official PTE website has both free and paid PTE Writing preparation materials, with the paid resources having different packages depending on your preferences and the depth of materials you desire to acquire.
What is the PTE Writing Section?
The PTE Writing Section is in Part 1 of the PTE test together with the Speaking section. PTE Academic lasts for 54-67 minutes while PTE Core takes approximately 50 minutes. It tests your ability to write using the English language, and it has question types where different language skills are combined.
What are the PTE Writing Question Types?
PTE Academic and PTE Core Writing both share the same number of question type but have varying tasks, prompt length, skills assessed, and time to answer.
What are the PTE Academic Writing Question Types?
The table that follows contains comprehensive information about PTE Academic Writing question structures and requirements.
| Question Type | Task | Prompt Length | Skills Assessed | Time to Answer |
| Summarize Written Text | You will write a one-sentence summary of the passage you will be reading. | Text up to 300 words | Reading and writing | 10 minutes |
| Write Essay | You will write a 200–300-word essay on a given topic. | 2–3 sentences | Writing | 20 minutes |
What are the PTE Core Writing Question Types?
The following table provides a complete overview of writing task categories and their specific characteristics.
| Question Type | Task | Prompt Length | Skills Assessed | Time to Answer |
| Summarize Written Text | You will write a one-sentence summary of the passage you will be reading. | Text up to 200 words | Reading and writing | 10 minutes |
| Write Email | You will write an essay about a given topic. | Text up to 100 words | Writing | 9 minutes |
What are Effective Time Management Techniques for PTE Writing?
Each question type has a distinct duration. Hence creating a time plan for response will help you manage your time effectively for the PTE Writing section.
To excel in the Summarize Written Text question type, follow this time allotment as you answer.
- 2-3 minutes: Read and analyze the passage
- 5-6 minutes: Draft your summary sentence
- 1-2 minutes: Review and refine
To manage your time effectively for the essay writing question type, use this time breakdown below.
- 3-4 minutes: Plan your response and outline key points
- 13-15 minutes: Write your essay
- 2-3 minutes: Proofread and make final corrections
To maximize your time for email writing question type, consider the following time allotment.
- 2-3 minutes: Structure your approach and organize main ideas
- 5-6 minutes: Compose your email content
- 1-2 minutes: Review and edit for improvements
What are Common PTE Writing Challenges and Their Solutions?
Avoid the commonly encountered challenges in PTE Writing by managing word count effectively, adapting to time pressure, and using vocabulary precisely.
- Manage Word Count Effectively: Organize your work in a way that you can share the main thoughts while cutting unessential information.
- Adapt to Time Pressure: Build confidence by doing several practice tests with the clock and create automatic ways of responding to the types of questions you frequently encounter.
- Use Vocabulary Precisely: Apply popular academic words by using them in the right way and don’t forget to keep your prep balanced to avoid using advanced vocabulary that might make you make mistakes.
Which Official PTE Writing Preparation Materials Should I Use?
The official PTE website has both free and paid PTE Writing preparation resources you can access for your review.
The following are the contents of Smart Prep.
- Guided practice tests
- Online courses
- Test tip documents
- Test format video
- Free Taster Test
The following are examples of paid practice websites
- Scored Practice Tests
- Bronze Package: 2 scored practice tests and a PTE Academic Question Bank
- Silver Package: 4 scored practice tests and a PTE Academic Question Bank
- Gold Package: 5 scored practice tests, a PTE Academic Question Bank, and the Official Guide to PTE Academic