PTE Listening Test Format And Question Types
The PTE Academic listening test evaluates your ability to understand spoken English through various tasks.
These tasks test skills like comprehension and attention to detail in academic and everyday contexts.
Knowing the PTE listening format helps you prepare effectively and perform with confidence.
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The Summarize spoken text is the first part of the listening section.
In this task, you will listen to a 60-90-second audio recording and then write a summary of 50 – 70 words based on what you heard.
Your summary should capture the main ideas and key details conveyed in the recording.
The audio begins automatically, and you can only listen to it once.
You have 10 minutes to write and refine your response.
Your performance is scored based on 5 factors: content, form, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling.
This task assesses your ability to interpret and evaluate an audio recording.
You will listen to a 40-90-second recording and answer a question about its content or tone by choosing more than 1 correct response from the provided options.
Click on the option you want to choose, and click on it again to deselect.
Scoring for this PTE listening module involves partial credit.
You earn points for each correct response you make, but choosing wrong answers will lower your score.
This requires careful consideration to avoid unnecessary deductions.
In this part, you will hear a recorded audio lasting 30-60 seconds and see a transcript with several missing words.
Then, you need to type the correct word in each blank space based on what you hear.
Each correctly filled blank earns 1 point, provided the spelling is accurate.
There is no negative marking, so it’s important to fill in all the blanks.
You will encounter 2-3 of these tasks in the exam, and it’s recommended to spend no more than 2 minutes on each.
Before the recording begins, it’s best to skim the text to understand the context quickly.
While listening, jot down the words you hear for the blanks on your erasable noteboard.
It helps you stay focused and ensure accuracy when filling in the gaps.
Like other tasks, you’ll listen to an audio recording of 30-90 seconds.
Afterward, several paragraphs will be presented, and your job is to select the one that best summarizes the recording.
Once the audio finishes, you should carefully review the options.
Avoid trying to read and listen at the same time, as this can lead to missing crucial information.
Instead, prioritize listening, take notes, and compare the summaries to the details you wrote down.
Your answers are either correct or incorrect, and partial credit is not provided.
After listening to a 30-90 second audio recording, you need to identify the most accurate response from a set of options.
Unlike the ‘Multiple choice – multiple answer’ task, this task requires selecting just one correct option from the given choices.
It’s crucial to pay attention throughout the audio, as the correct response often hinges on subtle points.
Click on the option that you think is correct to answer.
If you change your mind, you can deselect it or choose another option.
Only the highlighted option will be submitted as your response.
Besides, your response is either correct or incorrect, with no partial credit given.
In the Select missing word task, the recording ends with only one chance to listen.
The audio lasts 20-70 seconds and plays automatically, with only one chance to listen.
There are multiple options, but only one is correct.
Like other tasks, you need to click on your choice to answer, which will be highlighted.
The PTE listening marks distribution in this part is simple.
Your answer is marked correct or incorrect, with no partial credit.
Practicing this task will help improve your ability to follow the speaker’s logic and predict endings effectively.
A transcript of the recording appears on-screen in this, but some words are incorrect.
When you listen to the audio, identify and click on the words in the transcript that differ from what the speaker says.
The audio lasts 15-50 seconds, with only one chance to listen.
You should pay close attention to the details, as you need to select each incorrect word carefully.
Click on any word you think is wrong, and it will be highlighted.
Each correct answer earns 1 point, while each incorrect selection deducts 1 point.
To maximize your score, avoid guessing and only choose words you’re confident are incorrect.
If all the words are correctly identified, you’ll get full points.
This task requires you to listen to a short sentence and type it exactly as you hear it.
The sentence typically lasts between 3 to 5 seconds. Like other tasks, you will only hear the audio once.
While listening, you can jot down quick notes on the noteboard provided.
When the sentence plays, type it into the responses box.
It’s necessary to focus on getting every word correct, including spelling and punctuation.
The score depends on how accurately you transcribe the sentence.
If all the words are correct and spelled properly, you’ll get full points.
For every error, whether it’s a missing word, an extra word, or a spelling mistake, points are deducted.
Understanding and familiarizing yourself with the 8 PTE listening question types are the first steps to preparing for the PTE listening section.
You can improve your listening skills by watching English podcasts, news, and conversations.
It’s best to focus on note-taking for tasks like ‘Write from dictation.’
Also, manage time well to complete all tasks efficiently.
Finally, practice regularly and stay consistent to build confidence and improve your performance.
In summary, the PTE listening section tests your ability to understand spoken English through 8 question types.
It evaluates skills like comprehension, note-taking, and attention to detail.
By understanding the format and practicing regularly, you can effectively prepare for this crucial part of the exam.
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