PTE Core Cheat Sheet: All 20 Question Types

Everything on this page is for the week before your test and the morning of it. PTE Core has 20 question types across 3 parts, each with its own timing, word limit and scoring rule, and knowing which rule applies to the task in front of you is worth more on the day than any last-minute study.

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Key Takeaways

• PTE Core is 3 parts, about 2 hours, scored 10 to 90 overall plus 10 to 90 for each of the four skills.
• Part 1 Speaking and Writing 50 to 65 minutes · Part 2 Reading 27 to 37 minutes · Part 3 Listening 22 to 37 minutes.
• Negative marking applies only to the two Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers tasks. Everywhere else, guess.
• Several tasks score two skills, which makes them worth more per minute than single-skill tasks.
• PTE Core is not PTE Academic: there is no Write Essay, no Retell Lecture and no Highlight Correct Summary.

The whole test

Part	Name	Time	Question types
1	Speaking and Writing	50-65 min	8
2	Reading	27-37 min	5
3	Listening	22-37 min	7
Total		About 2 hours	20

Scores are reported 10 to 90 overall and 10 to 90 for each of Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing, and map directly onto CLB levels. Most test takers receive results within two business days, though it can take up to five.

Part 1: Speaking and Writing

Task	Prepare	Respond	Limit	Skills scored
Personal Introduction	25 sec	30 sec	—	Not scored
Read Aloud	30-40 sec	Depends on length	Text up to 60 words	Speaking, Reading
Repeat Sentence	—	40 sec	Audio 3-9 sec	Listening, Speaking
Describe Image	25 sec	40 sec	—	Speaking
Respond to a Situation	20 sec	40 sec	Text up to 60 words	Speaking
Answer Short Question	—	10 sec	Audio 3-9 sec	Listening, Speaking
Summarize Written Text	—	10 min	Text up to 200 words; write 25-50	Reading, Writing
Write Email	—	9 min	Prompt up to 100 words; write 80-120	Writing

Personal Introduction is not scored. Say something fluent and move on — it is not worth nerves.

Part 2: Reading

Task	Text length	Scoring	Guess?
Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks	Up to 200 words	Partial credit	Yes, always
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers	Up to 275 words	Minus 1 per incorrect option	No — only what you can evidence
Reorder Paragraphs	Up to 110 words	Partial credit on adjacent pairs	Yes, always attempt an order
Fill in the Blanks	Up to 80 words	Partial credit	Yes, always
Multiple Choice, Single Answer	Up to 110 words	No mark if wrong or blank	Yes, always

Part 3: Listening

Task	Audio	Respond	Limit	Scoring
Summarize Spoken Text	45-75 sec	8 min	Write 20-30 words	Listening, Writing
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers	50-90 sec	—	—	Minus 1 per incorrect
Fill in the Blanks	30-60 sec	—	Type the missing words	Partial credit
Multiple Choice, Single Answer	30-60 sec	—	—	No deduction
Select Missing Word	20-70 sec	—	—	No deduction
Highlight Incorrect Words	20-70 sec	—	—	Incorrect clicks count against you
Write from Dictation	3-5 sec	—	Type the sentence	Partial credit

Word limits, all in one place

Task	Limit
Summarize Written Text	25-50 words
Write Email	80-120 words
Summarize Spoken Text	20-30 words

These three are the only word limits in PTE Core, and all three are penalised if breached. Write toward the middle of each range.

Where guessing is free and where it is not

Rule	Tasks
Always answer — no deduction	Both Multiple Choice, Single Answer tasks; Select Missing Word; both Fill in the Blanks tasks; Reading and Writing Fill in the Blanks; Reorder Paragraphs; Write from Dictation
Only what you can evidence — deduction applies	Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers in Reading; Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers in Listening; Highlight Incorrect Words

Two tasks out of twenty carry the deduction, plus over-clicking on Highlight Incorrect Words. Everywhere else, a blank is the only guaranteed zero.

Highest-value move per task

Task	Move
Read Aloud	Use the preparation time to mark phrase breaks, not to read for meaning
Repeat Sentence	Repeat the rhythm even if you missed a word; fluency is scored
Describe Image	Open with what type of visual it is, then the biggest feature, then one detail
Respond to a Situation	Answer the situation directly in the first sentence; 20 seconds is short
Answer Short Question	One or two words is the right answer length
Summarize Written Text	One sentence, 25 to 50 words, main claim plus one qualification
Write Email	Number the prompt points and give each a paragraph
Reading and Writing FIB	Decide the part of speech before reading the options
Reading MC Multiple	Point to a line for every selection
Reorder Paragraphs	Find the box with no backward reference first
Reading FIB	Place the certain gaps first — the pool is shared
Reading MC Single	Answer the stem in your own words before reading options
Summarize Spoken Text	Four note lines: topic, claim, because, but
Listening MC Multiple	Read all options before the audio starts
Listening FIB	Mark each gap’s part of speech before playback
Listening MC Single	Listen for the stem, not for option wording
Select Missing Word	Full attention from the last connective onwards
Highlight Incorrect Words	Follow the text at the speaker’s pace, not yours
Write from Dictation	Shorthand during the audio, expand immediately after

PTE Core is not PTE Academic

Difference	Core	Academic
Write Email	Yes	No
Respond to a Situation	Yes, 20 sec prep	Yes, 10 sec prep
Write Essay	No	Yes
Retell Lecture	No	Yes
Summarize Group Discussion	No	Yes
Highlight Correct Summary	No	Yes
Summarize Written Text	25-50 words, text up to 200	5-75 words, text up to 300
Summarize Spoken Text	20-30 words, 8 min	50-70 words, 10 min

Practising the Academic word limits for a Core test produces answers twice the accepted length. Check which test your material is for.

CLB mapping (verified examples)

CLB	Listening	Reading	Speaking	Writing
7	60-70	60-68	68-75	69-78
6	50-59	51-59	59-67	60-68

PTE Core scores map directly onto CLB, and the ranges differ by skill — CLB 7 needs 60 in Listening but 69 in Writing. Check the requirement for your specific programme rather than assuming a single number.

The day before

Do	Do not
Re-read this page and the three word limits	Start a new grammar topic
Ten Write from Dictation sentences	Take a full mock test
One Write Email in nine minutes	Practise Academic-length summaries
Check ID, venue and reporting time	Study past midnight

On the day

1. Personal Introduction is not scored. Speak fluently for 30 seconds and forget it.
2. Speak for the whole response time on every speaking task. Silence scores nothing.
3. Fill every blank, choose every dropdown and attempt every order — except on the two Multiple Answers tasks.
4. On the two Multiple Answers tasks, select only what you can point to. Two right beats four with two wrong.
5. Check the three word limits before submitting each written task: 25 to 50, 80 to 120, 20 to 30.
6. On Write from Dictation, type what you have even if it is a fragment. Partial credit is real.

FAQ

How many question types are in PTE Core?

Twenty, across three parts: eight in Part 1 Speaking and Writing, five in Part 2 Reading, and seven in Part 3 Listening. One of the twenty, Personal Introduction, is not scored.

How long is the PTE Core test?

About two hours: 50 to 65 minutes for Part 1, 27 to 37 for Part 2 and 22 to 37 for Part 3. Most test takers receive their results within two business days, though it can take up to five.

Where does negative marking apply in PTE Core?

On the two Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers tasks — one in Reading, one in Listening — where each incorrect option deducts a mark. Incorrect clicks also count against you on Highlight Incorrect Words. On every other task guessing is free.

What are the word limits in PTE Core?

Three: Summarize Written Text is 25 to 50 words, Write Email is 80 to 120, and Summarize Spoken Text is 20 to 30. All three are penalised if breached, so write toward the middle of each range.

Is PTE Core scored the same as PTE Academic?

Both use a 10 to 90 scale overall and per skill, but the tasks differ. PTE Core has Write Email and no Write Essay, Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion or Highlight Correct Summary, and its two summary tasks have shorter word limits.

How do PTE Core scores relate to CLB?

They map directly, with different ranges per skill. CLB 7, for example, corresponds to 60 to 70 in Listening, 60 to 68 in Reading, 68 to 75 in Speaking and 69 to 78 in Writing — so the same CLB level requires a higher score in Writing than in Listening.

Related practice resources

• PTE Core study plan
• PTE Core practice test with answer key
• PTE Core Write Email practice

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