PTE Syllabus 2023 for Reading, Listening, Speaking & Writing and Important Topics

PTE

Rahul Singha

Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

Updated on Aug 22, 2023 15:01 IST

PTE Exam Syllabus 2023: The PTE Academic assesses the Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening skills to ensure that they are capable of studying in an international environment and prove their English language proficiency. The PTE exam 2023 syllabus is primarily made up of three sections, the Speaking & Writing Section, the Reading Section and the Listening Section. Candidates who want to excel in their PTE Exam should be aware of the latest PTE syllabus 2023. Conducted by Pearson PLC Group, the PTE Academic exam is a computer-based English language test accepted by educational institutions for study worldwide, work or migration. Recently, the PTE exam has also been recognised for Canada's SDS study applications.

PTE Exam Syllabus 2023

PTE exam 2023 Syllabus: To perform well in the PTE Academic exam it is important to know the PTE syllabus like the back of your hand.

PTE Syllabus 2023 (Academic)

PTE Section PTE Exam Syllabus Total Questions/Duration
PTE Speaking & Writing Section Personal Introduction

Total Number of Questions: 28 - 36

Duration: 54 – 67 minutes

Read Aloud
Repeat Sentence
Describe Image
Re-Tell Lecture
Answer Short Questions
Summarize Written Text
Essay
PTE Reading Section Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks

Total Number of Questions: 13 - 18

Duration: 29 – 30 minutes

Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer
Re-order Paragraphs
Fill in the Blanks
Multiple Choice, Single Answer
PTE Listening Section Summarize Spoken Text

Total Number of Questions: 12 - 20

Duration: 30 – 43 minutes

 

Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
Fill in the Blanks
Highlight Correct Summary
 Multiple Choice, Single Answer
Select Missing Word
Highlight Incorrect Words
Write From Dictation

PTE Syllabus 2023 (General)

The International Certification (PTE General) is aimed at assessing the ability to communicate in English, rather than test-taking skills. The PTE General Syllabus consists of two parts: a written paper and a spoken test and assesses four skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing.

PTE Section (General) Skills measured / Total marks Total Questions/Duration
Written Section

listening, reading and writing skills 

Total score: 75

Total Number of Questions: 9 tasks

Duration: Varies

Spoken Interview

speaking skills

Total score: 25

Total Number of Questions: 4 sections

Duration: Varies

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PTE 2023 Syllabus - by Section

PTE Exam 2023 Syllabus: The Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic) assesses the Speaking & Writing, Reading and Listening skills, skills of the candidates to ensure that they are capable of studying in the international environment, with a good grasp of the universal language of English. By scoring well on this test, students can assure the admission committee as well as the visa officers that they are capable of understanding the globally accepted official language while studying in a foreign land.

A good score on the test also ensures that candidates would be able to represent their ideas, deliver presentations, work to gain international exposure, and basically function on the international front in front of foreign audiences. This helps the applicants ensure that they are ready to study amidst students from all over the world and international faculty members in the universal official language.

PTE Exam Syllabus 2023: Speaking & Writing Section: 54 - 67 minutes

Syllabus for PTE Speaking and Writing Section: As the name implies, this section tests the candidates on the basis of their two major skills of communication, which are spoken and written skills. The Speaking & Writing of the PTE section is approximately 54 – 67 minutes long in the PTE exam and the section contains seven different question types. The Speaking & Writing section is the longest section of the PTE test. The candidate will be tested on their speaking and writing skills, using English they might hear in an academic environment.

This section comprises seven small sections that test you on your promptness over speaking and writing the written test that you would get to read for the first time ever. The complete section is given on a time duration of 54 to 67 minutes and the time allotted to each segment is as follows:

PTE 2023 Syllabus: Speaking & Writing Section

Segment Number of Questions Time to answer (approx)
Personal Introduction    1 55 seconds: 25 seconds for prompt, 30 seconds to record
Read Aloud 6 - 7 30-40 seconds to prepare for reading out the text of 60 words
Repeat Sentence 10 - 12 15 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 15 seconds to record
Describe Image 3 - 4 25 seconds are granted to study the image as well as prepare your response on the same
Re-Tell Lecture 1 - 2 90 seconds for prompt length, 10 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to answer
Answer Short Question 5 - 6 20 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 10 seconds to answer
Summarize Written Text 1 - 2 10 minutes to answer to text prompt of 300 words
Essay Writing 1 - 2 20 minutes to answer to text prompt of 2-3 sentences
  Total Questions: 28 - 36 Time Allocation: 54 - 67 minutes

PTE Exam Syllabus 2023: Reading Section: 29 - 30 minutes

Syllabus of PTE Reading Section: This section tests the candidates on the basis of their ability to understand the written instructions in the language. The section further divided into 5 segments is 29 to 30 minutes long. Check out the segment-wise pattern for the time distribution of this section:

PTE 2023 Syllabus: Reading Section

Segment Number of Questions Task
Multiple Choice, Choose Single Answer 1 - 2 Read 300 words of text and choose one response relevant to the question
Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers 1 - 2 Read 300 words of text and choose more than one response relevant to the question
Re-Order Paragraphs 2 - 3 Read 150 words of text and arrange the paragraphs in the right order
Reading: Fill in the Blanks 5 - 6 Read 80 words of text and drag the words to fill the gaps
Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks 4 - 5 Read 300 words of text and drag the words to fill the gaps
  Total Questions: 13 - 18 Time Allocation: 29 - 30 minutes

PTE Exam Syllabus 2023: Listening Section: 30 - 43 minutes

Syllabus of PTE Listening Section: The listening section of the PTE Academic is stretched over 30 to 43 minutes of duration. This one is designed to determine the ability to understand spoken English by the candidate. Here, the student needs to ascertain that they carefully hear the audio file played and retain what they heard. This section is divided into 8 segments and the time given to each segment is as follows.

PTE exam 2023 Syllabus: Listening Section

Segment Number of Questions Task
Summarize Spoken Text 1 - 2 60-90 seconds to skim and proofread the text. 10 minutes for writing the 50-70 word summary
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer 1 - 2 40-90 seconds to listen to audio and choose more than one response relevant to the question
Fill in the Blanks 2 - 3 30-60 seconds to listen to a recording and fill in the gaps in the transcript
Highlight Correct Summary 1 - 2 30-90 seconds to listen and choose the summary that best suits the recording
Multiple Choice, Single Answer 1 - 2 30-60 seconds to listen to the audio and choose one response relevant to the question
Select Missing Word 1 - 2 20-70 seconds to listen to the audio and choose the missing word to complete the recording
Highlight Incorrect Words 2 - 3 15-50 seconds to listen to a recording and identify the words that differ in the transcript and audio
Write From Dictation 3 - 4 3-5 seconds to listen and type out the sentence
  Total Questions: 12 - 20 Time Allocation: 30 - 43 minutes

Read: PTE Listening Tips: Acing Highlight Incorrect Words

PTE Syllabus 2021

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PTE Exam Pattern 2023

PTE Pattern: Candidates should note that the PTE syllabus and the PTE exam pattern go hand-in-hand. The PTE exam pattern constitutes the PTE syllabus. The PTE Exam Pattern 2023 is as follows

PTE Pattern Highlights

PTE Format

Details

PTE Exam Pattern

An English language exam which has been developed to test the Speaking & Writing Skills (54 – 67 minutes), Reading skills (29 – 30 minutes) and Listening skills (30 – 43 minutes) of candidates wanting to study abroad in an English-speaking country. 

PTE Duration

2 hours and a Single test session

Medium

Computer-based with headset

Mode

Taken in a test centre / Home Edition

Test Type

Assesses real-life English

Test Layout

20 question types

The PTE test goes this way:

  1. Question: Time to Reading the Text Prompt: The time duration of each prompt you get varies depending on the length of the text. The length is measurable in words or sentences. You need to be active in this part.
  2. Prepare for Answer: Time granted to Relax and Think: You do not have to immediately answer the question. On average, you get 10 to 15 seconds to prepare for each segment. You should relax and think for a while about how to answer.
  3. Answer: Time for Action: This is the total time duration in which you have to perform. The answers are recorded when you speak, saved as text when you write and selected in options in multiple-choice questions. 

Refer to the segment-wise description boxes given along with each section explaining the PTE Exam Pattern and PTE Syllabus 2023 in detail:

  • Speaking and Writing
  • Reading
  • Listening

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Types of Questions Covered in the PTE Syllabus

The questions asked for the PTE Exam include the following

Reading:

  • Fill in the blanks
  • Multiple choice answers
  • Re-order paragraphs 

Listening:

  • Summarize
  • Multiple choice answers
  • Fill in the blanks
  • Write from dictation
  • Highlight incorrect words 

Speaking and Writing:

  • Personal introduction
  • Answer short questions
  • Re-tell lecture
  • Summarize
  • Read Aloud
  • Repeat sentence
  • Describe Image
  • Essay

PTE Exam Preparation

PTE Exam Preparation: Candidates looking to perform well in their PTE Academic Exam would be required to follow a solid PTE Preparation plan to achieve a good PTE score. Read on as we divulge in detail about PTE exam preparation 2023, PTE preparation online, PTE preparation material, and PTE exam preparation at home among other important topics revolving around PTE preparation.

Similar to other exam prep, you can choose to study on your own or join a PTE coaching centre for your PTE preparation. The decision lies entirely to you, as you need to see whether you have enough time and resources to opt for both or select either. Newer methods of studying are gaining popularity, like PTE preparation online. It includes both self-studying and coaching class methods. You join a virtual classroom and you learn in the comfort of your home. To choose the best method on how to prepare for the PTE test you first need to look at your criteria and decide accordingly. Candidates can also check out PTE Sample Papers

PTE Exam 2023 Syllabus: Speaking & Writing Section Tips

PTE Speaking & Writing Section Topics Test Tips Skills Assessed
Read Aloud

Stress on words that carry important information

Use punctuation to decide when to pause while reading

Reading and speaking
Repeat Sentence

Listen to the phrasing of the sentence

Note the stress and intonation pattern of sentences

Listening and speaking
Describe Image

Focus on the main information of the image

Organize your description of the image

Speaking
 Re-tell Lecture

Make good use of the image to predict the topic of the lecture

Make good use of the 40 seconds of speaking time

Listening and speaking
Answer Short Questions

DO NOT pause for too long

Avoid giving long answers

Listening and speaking
Summarize Written Text

Provide your response in the correct form

Practice complex and compound sentences 

Reading and writing
Essay

Analyze the task

Analyze the essay prompt

Writing

PTE Exam 2023 Syllabus: Reading Section Tips

PTE Reading Section Topics Test Tips Skills Assessed
Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks

Read before and after the blank to help you identify the correct word

Skim for overall meaning to help you choose the correct word

Reading and writing
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer

Read before and after the blank to help you identify the correct word

Note any repeated words in the option

Reading
Re-order Paragraphs

Read all the text boxes quickly before you start re-ordering them

It is important to find the topic sentence first

Reading
Fill in the Blanks

Use your knowledge of grammar to help you select the correct word

Think of commonly used words

Reading
Multiple Choice, Single Answer

Note the keywords in the prompt before you read the text

Evaluate response options 

Reading

PTE Exam 2023 Syllabus: Listening Section Tips

PTE Listening Section Topics Test Tips Skills Assessed
Summarize Spoken Text

Make sure you summarize the main point and include supporting details

remember to check grammar, spelling and punctuation

Listening and writing
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

Take notes of the main points and supporting details

Select for meaning not just to match the words you hear

Listening
Fill in the Blanks

Skim the text before the recording begins

Use your erasable note board booklet to write words you hear for the blanks

Listening and writing
Highlight Correct Summary Take notes and match them to the correct summary Listening and reading
Multiple Choice, Single Answer

Skim the question-and-answer options before you listen to understand the topic 

Focus on the kind of information you need

Listening
Select Missing Word Candidates are advised to listen carefully to the audio as it will only be played once Listening
Highlight Incorrect Words

Try to quickly read the transcript 

Follow the text with the cursor 

Listening and reading
Write from Dictation Type as many correct words you can remember into the box in the correct order Listening and writing

Related Reads

PTE prep tips: Listening Section

PTE prep tips: Reading Section
PTE Academic Writing Section Tips and Tricks PTE Speaking Section - Tips and Tricks

PTE Registration 2023

Candidates wanting to register for the PTE exam 2023 would be required to follow the steps mentioned below to successfully book their PTE exam slot. Candidates should note that for booking your PTE Academic online, you need a valid ID - a valid Indian passport. Candidates will also be required to show their valid ID on the day of the PTE exam or else they will not be allowed to enter the PTE Test centre.

PTE Test at Home

Launched by Pearson PLC Group - the conducting body of the PTE exam, PTE at Home testing is the PTE Academic Online Test that is being conducted from the safety of the homes of the PTE test takers. However, before you rush to book your PTE at Home testing, there are certain important factors that have to be kept in mind before you register for your online PTE at Home test. 

PTE Exam Dates 2023

The PTE exam is conducted throughout the year at designated PTE test centres across the country. The PTE exam dates 2023 might vary from centre to centre. Students must search for the seats available on the Pearson PTE Academic website. Simply select the test centres closest to you, and click next. The website would prompt you to the calendar with the available dates.

PTE Results and Score

PTE Results are usually available online within two working days from the test date. The PTE Academic results are issued online. And can be accessed from your PTE Academic student account. 

What is the validity of the PTE test scores?

The scores of your PTE Academic exam are valid for a period of two years.

How many times can I appear for the PTE Academic Exam?

There is no limit by Pearson as to how many times a candidate can give the PTE Exam 2023. Candidates can take the exam with a gap of 5 days. So, candidates can take the PTE Academic exam as many times as they want.

Check out the international colleges accepting PTE Score:

For those who get confused over which exam to take out of the 3 English language exams, check out the difference between them: IELTS vs TOEFL vs PTE.

PTE Syllabus FAQs

What is the syllabus for the PTE Academic test?

Candidates should note that the PTE Academic exam encompasses the Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening skills of the candidate. Candidates can find the detailed PTE Academic syllabus in the article above.

How difficult is the PTE Academic test?

Candidates who are well versed with the PTE Academic syllabus and the exam pattern and have prepared well for the exam would not find the PTE Academic exam difficult.

Is PTE Academic test required during the current pandemic?

A lot of universities are providing certain concessions to their admission requirements because of the pandemic. However, students are advised to check the official website of the university to know whether they have made certain exams optional or not.

How is the PTE Academic exam scored?

After the completion of your PTE Academic exam, candidates will receive their PTE Academic scores for each of the skill sections on a band range of 10 – 90. Along with that, they will also get an overall score.

Can you appear for the PTE Academic exam without studying?

Candidates are advised to appear for the PTE Academic exam after having been well prepared for the exam. Candidates are advised to visit the official PTE website or use our preparatory guide for authentic guidance. 

How many times can I appear for the PTE Academic test?

There is no cap to the number of times students can appear for the PTE Academic exam. However, they are required to keep a gap of five days between two PTE exam dates.

Is pen and paper allowed in PTE?

You are not allowed to take anything in the PTE Academic Exam Hall. This is because test centres provide you with everything necessary from computer equipment to notepad.

What is the need for a PTE Academic test?

The PTE Academic test is an English language proficiency test to understand the reading, writing, speaking, and listening capabilities of the test taker.

How can I prepare for PTE at home?

The Internet has definitely made the world small. Candidates can take the help of the internet to refer to information from the official PTE website that is both genuine and updated to the latest PTE syllabus. Candidates can also refer to our preparation guide and also use textbooks available online and offline and on the official PTE website.

Can a student cheat in the PTE exam?

Candidates are strictly advised against using any unfair means as this would lead to their paper being cancelled and they would also lose their registration money. Candidates could also be permanently banned from appearing for any future PTE Academic Exams.  

Which is the toughest section in PTE?

The toughest section in the PTE Academic exam would depend on the candidates’ expertise. Students are advised to have a holistic approach towards preparing for the PTE Academic exam, concentrating both on tough as well as easy sections.

Comments

(197)

P

Pema Gyeltshen

3 months ago

any test center at siliguri?

Reply to Pema Gyeltshen

R

Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

3 months ago

Hello Pema. PTE centres are available across all major cities in India. There are no PTE test centres in Siliguri. You are advised to book a PTE test centre in a city that is the nearest to you.

P

Pasang Tobgay

3 months ago

Any Exam center at siliguri west. if so can you share me the mobile number

Reply to Pasang Tobgay

R

Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

3 months ago

Hello Pasang. PTE centres are available across all major cities in India. There are no PTE test centres in Siliguri. You are advised to book a PTE test centre in a city that is the nearest to you. Continue writing your queries in the comments section of our articles. Will be happy to help.

P

Pasang Tobgay

3 months ago

Any exam center at Siliguri west bengal

Reply to Pasang Tobgay

R

Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

3 months ago

Hello Pasang. PTE centres are available across all major cities in India. There are no PTE test centres in Siliguri. You are advised to book a PTE test centre in a city that is the nearest to you.

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Shreecharan

6 months ago

does ielts is necessary for every universities in uk?

Reply to Shreecharan

R

Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

3 months ago

Hello Shreecharan. Most universities would require Indian students to provide English proficiency scores as part of the application process. IELTS is a popular English language test among several others. Candidates can know about alternative English scores here: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/ielt

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c

chanuka ian

6 months ago

is there acceptable for taking a work visa as a caregiver in the UK with pte? and what is the best between ielts and pte.

Reply to chanuka ian

R

Rahul SinghaStudy Abroad Expert

3 months ago

Hello Chanuka. We only assist students/ candidates who are planning to study abroad. We do not deal with work visa queries.

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