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Free PTE Core Write Email Practice

Lume Test

Published on: September 4, 2026

Write Email is the task that separates PTE Core from PTE Academic — Academic does not have it. You get a prompt of up to 100 words describing a situation, and 9 minutes to write an email of 80 to 120 words. It scores Writing only.

The prompt always names who you are writing to, why, and two or three points to cover. Covering all of them is the whole task.

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Key Takeaways

Write Email: prompt up to 100 words, response 80 to 120 words, 9 minutes, scores Writing.
The prompt lists points you must address — missing one costs content marks directly.
Register is decided by the recipient: a manager, a colleague and a company get three different openings.
Write 100 to 110 words. Under 80 or over 120 is penalised.
Write Email appears twice in Part 1 of PTE Core, so the 9 minutes applies to each.

How the task works

Element	Detail
Prompt length	Up to 100 words
Your response	80-120 words
Time	9 minutes
Skill scored	Writing
Part of the test	Part 1, Speaking and Writing
Not in PTE Academic	Correct — this task is Core only

The five-part email structure

Part	Content	Words
Greeting	Dear [name] / Dear Sir or Madam / Hi [first name]	2-4
Purpose	One sentence saying why you are writing	12-18
Body	One short paragraph per point in the prompt	55-75
Action	What you want the recipient to do	12-18
Sign-off	Kind regards / Best wishes plus your name	3-4

Register: match the recipient

Recipient	Greeting	Purpose sentence	Sign-off
A manager or someone senior	Dear Ms. Okonjo,	I am writing to request…	Kind regards,
A company or unnamed person	Dear Sir or Madam,	I am writing regarding…	Yours faithfully,
A colleague you know	Hi Dana,	I wanted to let you know…	Best wishes,
A neighbour or acquaintance	Dear Mr. Feldt,	I am writing to ask…	Kind regards,
A friend	Hi Priya,	Just a quick note about…	Best,

Mixing registers is the most visible error: “Dear Sir or Madam” followed by “Anyway, let me know” reads as two different writers.

Prompt 1: requesting time off

You need to take three days of leave next month for a family event. Write an email to your manager, Ms. Adeyemi. In your email:

— say which dates you need
— explain briefly why
— say how your work will be covered

Model answer (104 words)

Dear Ms. Adeyemi,

I am writing to request three days of leave from Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 March.

My sister is getting married on the Thursday and the venue is a full day’s travel from here, so I will need the day either side.

I have already spoken to Joachim, who is happy to cover the scheduling desk for those three days, and I will finish the March supplier report before I leave rather than after.

Could you confirm whether these dates are acceptable? If they cause a problem I can look at the following week instead.

Kind regards,
Teodor Vasquez

Prompt point	Where it is covered
Which dates	Paragraph 1 — specific, with days of the week
Why	Paragraph 2 — brief, one sentence
How work will be covered	Paragraph 3 — a named person and a specific deliverable
Action requested	Paragraph 4 — confirmation, plus a fallback

Prompt 2: complaining about a service

You ordered a desk online and it arrived damaged. Write an email to the retailer’s customer service department. In your email:

— give the order details
— describe the problem
— say what you want them to do

Model answer (101 words)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing regarding order 88-4127, a Halvorsen writing desk delivered on 3 September.

The desk arrived with a deep scratch across the top surface and one leg was cracked at the joint. The outer packaging was intact, so the damage appears to have occurred before dispatch rather than in transit.

I would like a replacement desk rather than a repair, and I would prefer not to be charged for return collection given that the item was damaged on arrival.

Please confirm what arrangements you will make. I have photographs available if they are required.

Yours faithfully,
Marta Olsen

Prompt 3: informing colleagues of a change

Your team is moving to a different floor next week. Write an email to your team. In your email:

— say when the move will happen
— explain what they need to do
— say who to contact with questions

Model answer (98 words)

Hi all,

A quick note about the office move. We are relocating from the second floor to the fifth on Thursday 14 March, and the lift will be reserved for us from eight until noon.

Please pack your desk contents into the crates in the loading bay and label them with your name by 7:45 that morning. Anything unlabelled will not be moved.

Monitors and docking stations stay where they are — Facilities are handling those separately.

If anything is unclear, Owen in Facilities is the person to ask rather than me.

Best wishes,
Dana

Prompt 4: applying or enquiring

You have seen an advertisement for an evening course at a local college. Write an email to the college. In your email:

— say which course you are interested in
— ask about the schedule and cost
— explain your current level of experience

Model answer (106 words)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to enquire about the evening ceramics course advertised in the autumn programme.

Could you tell me which evening the course runs on, how many weeks it lasts, and what the total cost is including the materials fee? I would also like to know whether places are still available for the term starting in October.

I have no formal training in ceramics but I have taken two weekend workshops, so I am not starting from nothing. I would be grateful to know whether the course assumes any prior experience.

Thank you for your help.

Yours faithfully,
Nadia Farouk

The nine-minute plan

Minutes	Task
0-1	Read the prompt. Circle the recipient and number the points you must cover
1-2	Decide register and write the greeting and purpose sentence
2-6	One short paragraph per point, in the order the prompt lists them
6-7	Action sentence and sign-off
7-8	Count the words. Under 80, add a detail; over 120, cut an adjective clause
8-9	Check verb tenses, articles and that every prompt point is addressed

Useful sentence frames

Function	Frames
State purpose	I am writing to request / regarding / to enquire about…
Give background	As you may know… / Following our conversation on…
Explain a problem	The difficulty is that… / Unfortunately… / The item arrived with…
Offer a solution	I have arranged for… / I would be happy to…
Make a request	Could you confirm whether… / I would be grateful if you could…
Offer flexibility	If that is not possible, I could… / Alternatively…
Close	Please let me know… / I look forward to hearing from you.

What loses marks

Error	Effect	Fix
Missing one prompt point	Content score drops directly	Number the points and tick them off
Under 80 or over 120 words	Penalised on length	Aim for 100-110
Mixed register	Appropriacy	Choose from the register table and stay in it
No greeting or sign-off	Form	Both are required, every time
One long paragraph	Organisation	One paragraph per point
Vague content	Content	Use specific dates, names and figures — invented is fine
Copying the prompt wording	Adds nothing and eats the word budget	Paraphrase the situation in your own words

Practice routine

Take one prompt. Set a timer for nine minutes and write without stopping.
Count the words before you read your email back. If you are outside 80 to 120, that is the first thing to fix.
Check each prompt point against a paragraph. A point with no paragraph is a lost mark, whatever else the email does well.
Rewrite the same prompt the next day for a different recipient — a manager instead of a company — and note what changes.
Once a week, write two emails back to back with no break. Part 1 of the real test gives you two.

FAQ

How many words should a PTE Core Write Email answer be?

Between 80 and 120, with 100 to 110 as the practical target. Falling outside the range is penalised, so counting your words before you re-read is the first check.

How long do I get for Write Email?

Nine minutes per email. PTE Core includes two Write Email tasks in Part 1, so the nine minutes applies to each one separately.

Is Write Email in PTE Academic too?

No. Write Email is a PTE Core task, and it is one of the clearest differences between the two tests. PTE Academic has Write Essay and Summarize Written Text instead.

Which skill does Write Email score?

Writing only. It does not contribute to your Reading, Listening or Speaking scores, which is different from tasks such as Read Aloud that score two skills.

Do I have to cover every point in the prompt?

Yes. The prompt lists two or three points and each one needs to be addressed, normally in its own short paragraph. Missing a point costs content marks even when the email reads well.

Can I invent details such as names and dates?

Yes, and you should. Specific dates, names and figures make the email concrete and cost nothing — nobody is checking whether your sister is getting married in March.

Related practice resources