PTE Speaking & Writing

In the “Read aloud” task, a short text will appear on the screen in front of you.

You will have about 40 seconds to read the text before the microphone starts recording you. When the microphone begins recording, clearly read the text out loud.

The microphone will stop recording after 40 seconds (unless you remain silent, in which case it will stop after only 3 seconds).

In the “Repeat sentence” task, you will see the audio recorder box again.

After 3 seconds, a recording will start to play and you will hear somebody reading out a sentence. When the recording has finished, you must wait until the microphone turns red and then repeat the sentence exactly as you heard it.

You’ll have 15 seconds to repeat the sentence (unless you remain silent, in which case the microphone will stop recording after 3 seconds).

In the “Describe image” task, an image will appear in front of you. This image is might be a graph, picture, map, chart or table.

You will have 25 seconds to study the image before you give your response. Once the microphone starts recording, you must describe the image you see in as much detail as possible.

You will have 40 seconds to respond (unless you remain silent, in which case the microphone will stop recording after 3 seconds).

In the “Re-tell lecture” task, you will see the audio recorder box again. Next to it, there might be an image that relates to what you will hear.

After 3 seconds, a recording will start to play and you will hear somebody giving a lecture.When the lecture has finished, you must wait 10 seconds until the microphone turns red and then summarize what you heard in the lecture in your own words.

You’ll have 40 seconds to “re-tell” the lecture (unless you remain silent, in which case the microphone will stop recording after 3 seconds).

In the “Answer short question” task, you will see the audio recorder box on your screen. After 3 seconds, a recording will start to play and you will hear somebody asking you a question.

When the recording has finished, the microphone will immediately start recording your answer after only 1 second.

You’ll have 1o seconds to give your answer of one or a few words (unless you remain silent, in which case the microphone will stop recording after 3 seconds).To understand what essential skills are required to ace the PTE Speaking, check out our post on PTE Speaking Preparation.

In the “Summarize written text” task, you will see a short reading passage. Underneath, you will see a response box for you to input your answer.

After reading the passage, you must write a one-sentence summary of what you read. It should be between 50 and 75 words, with NO MORE than 75 words in total.

You will have 10 minutes to complete this task.

In the “Write essay” task, you will see a prompt appear in front of you.

The prompt will make a statement and then ask you to express how much you either agree or disagree with the statement. It will encourage you to support your points with reasons and examples from your own experience or observations. Underneath the prompt, there will be a response box for you to input your answer.

You will have 20 minutes to write a brief essay (200-300 words maximum) in response to the prompt

Some people work for the same organisation all their working lives. Others think that it is better to work for different organisations.

Argue which position you favour, giving your opinion, supported by evidence from your experience.

We all must work for a living wherever we live. Some people plan to work for the same organisation all their lives while others plan to work in a variety of organisations. This essay will discuss the merits of working with one company and argue that a variety of organisations provides an interesting and satisfying approach to work.

Working with the same company provides consistency and allows a person to develop strong skills and relationships. Working for the same company, it is possible to study and learn how to further our skills which can help both us and the business we work for grow. For example, any professional will work hard to improve their specialist skills to be better able to serve their clients, which allows for professional and personal growth.  Stable organisations can provide a base for growth and a rich and fulfilling career.

On the other hand, some of us like to travel and enjoy new experiences. Being able to transfer our skills to different work settings gives us a variety as we develop. For example, specialist teaching skills may be used in a variety of contexts and geographies, giving freedom and a chance for new experiences. Not working for one organisation for life may be less restricting for many people.

This essay has argued that although a single organisation may provide opportunities to specialise, it may be restricting. In my opinion, variety is one of life’s spices, and to develop specialist transferrable skills and work for different organisations is a way of planning a career.

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