PTE Academic Speaking: Every Task Type & How to Score High

Personal Introduction (unscored)

You record a short introduction about yourself. It is not scored and is not sent to institutions, so use it purely to warm up your voice and check your microphone level.

Read Aloud

A short text (up to about 60 words) appears; you have a brief preparation time, then read it aloud. It scores both reading and speaking, making it one of the highest-value tasks in the test.

• Use the preparation time to silently read the text and spot hard words.
• Chunk the sentence into meaningful phrases and pause only at commas and full stops.
• Keep a constant pace — do not speed up at easy words or freeze at hard ones.
• If you misread a word, carry on; do not go back and repeat it.

Repeat Sentence

You hear a sentence once and must repeat it exactly. It heavily feeds both listening and speaking, so it is worth real practice.

• Listen for meaning, not individual words — understanding the idea helps you reconstruct it.
• Try to capture the first and last few words; partial repeats still earn marks.
• Repeat with the same rhythm and intonation you heard.
• Start speaking as soon as the tone sounds; do not over-think.

Describe Image

An image — a bar chart, line graph, pie chart, map, or picture — appears, and you describe it in 25–40 seconds of speaking. A simple template keeps you fluent and on time.

1. 1Open with one line naming what the image shows.
2. 2State the most obvious high and low points or the main trend.
3. 3Add one or two specific details or comparisons.
4. 4Close with a short concluding sentence so you never run out of words.

Re-tell Lecture

You listen to a short lecture (up to 90 seconds), then summarise it aloud in your own words. It is integrated, scoring both listening and speaking.

• Take quick notes: the topic, 2–3 key points, and any examples or conclusion.
• Use a light template: 'The lecture was about… The speaker explained… For example… In conclusion…'
• Prioritise fluency and including key words from the lecture over perfect detail.

Answer Short Question

You hear a simple general-knowledge question and answer with a single word or short phrase. These are quick points — answer confidently and move on.

Summarize Group Discussion

You listen to several speakers discussing a topic and then summarise the main points of the discussion aloud. Track who argues what and capture the overall conclusion.

• Note each speaker's stance or contribution as you listen.
• Summarise the shared theme and the key differing viewpoints, not every detail.
• Stay fluent and structured — open, give the main points, close.

Respond to a Situation

You hear a realistic everyday scenario and give an appropriate spoken response, as if you were really in that situation. Be polite, relevant, and complete.

• Acknowledge the situation, then give a clear, suitable response.
• Use natural, courteous language appropriate to the context.
• Keep speaking for the full time — develop your response with a reason or detail.

Your speaking practice plan

1. 1Record yourself daily and listen back for pauses and unclear sounds.
2. 2Drill Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence — they give double scoring value.
3. 3Build one reusable template each for Describe Image and Re-tell Lecture.
4. 4Practise in full-length mocks so you get used to speaking under the timer.