PTE Speaking Read Aloud

PTE Speaking Read Aloud is the second task on the PTE Part 1: Speaking & Writing exam. There will be 6-7 questions of the Read Aloud task in your PTE exam and it assesses the speaking skills or fluency of the test takers. 

For the PTE Speaking & Writing section’s Read Aloud Task, you need to read a text prompt given on your screen - aloud into your microphone. You are generally given 30-40 seconds to prepare to read aloud the text presented on the screen. The Read Aloud task assesses your “Speaking” skills only and not the “Reading” skills as well. You get prep time (around 30-40s) to preview a text, then must read it naturally and clearly after a beep, mimicking conversational speech for better AI scoring, paying attention to punctuation for rhythm. Learn more about how to improve your PTE Speaking score. 

In 2026, the PTE Exam's Read Aloud task continues to be scored by an AI algorithm that prioritises smooth Oral Fluency (rhythm and phrasing) over perfect pronunciation. While it is a key task for Speaking, it may also affect scores for your reading, pronunciation and oral fluency. Now read the article below to learn everything about PTE Speaking Read Aloud task. 

How to Answer the Read Aloud Question in PTE?

The simple purpose of this task type is to read the text given on the screen aloud. But since you are given just a few seconds to prepare for speaking and start recording your response, it is important that you know the right trick of answering the PTE Speaking Read Aloud task before sitting in the exam. So, here are the tips to answer the Read Aloud task on PTE -

1. Since you can record your response only once, speak clearly and naturally - without making any mistakes - at least as much as possible!
2. Don’t rush as there are scores for your oral fluency as well. But don’t speak too slowly as you might miss finishing in time. 

You can also check the PTE Prep Tips for Speaking and Writing section for improving the overall section.  

PTE Read Aloud | Speaking Tips 

Your performance on PTE Speaking’s Read Aloud task depends on how naturally you manage pauses, pitch and tone to sound like a human speaker rather than a robot. Here are some tips that come handy to you or just revise your basic concepts of speaking naturally in English -

1. Breaks and Pauses: For commas, take a very short "micro-pause" (about 0.5 to 1 second) to separate ideas within a sentence. And for full stops, use a slightly longer pause (about 1 to 2 seconds) to signal the end of a thought before starting the next.
   • Also, if a sentence is long and lacks punctuation, pause briefly before connectors (e.g., and, but, although) to break the text into meaningful phrases.
   • Remember, never pause for more than 3 seconds. If the microphone detects 3 seconds of silence, it will automatically stop recording and you cannot restart it.
2. A flat monotone voice can lose the intent of the sentence. Here are the tip on how you can improve your tone for sentences of different types-
   • For questions, use a rising tone at the beginning of phrases and a falling tone at the end of a sentence.
   • Identify "content words" (nouns, main verbs, adjectives) and say them slightly louder or with more energy to convey meaning or bring the attention of the listener to the main keyword.
   • Adjust your pitch to match the text's mood (e.g., serious for academic findings and curious or high pitch for questions) to sound more engaged.
3. Go with a natural rate/flow of speaking, i.e. 120-160 words per minute, - neither too fast nor too slow.
4. Speak at a normal, conversational volume. Avoid whispering or shouting, as this can confuse the AI's sound processing.
5. If you mispronounce a word, do not stop to fix it. Correcting yourself is counted as a repetition/hesitation and will hurt your fluency more than a minor mispronunciation. This is indeed the important tip you need on speaking for scoring high on PTE Speaking Read Aloud. 

You may also like to check the PTE Exam Syllabus 2026 for complete preparation of the exam and not miss any topic. 

How much time is given to prepare an answer for the Read Aloud Task?

Generally, 30-40 seconds of time is given to prepare to read the given text on the screen. However, the exact time you get varies based on the length of the text prompt that you have to read from the screen. You will be able to see this time as the countdown for the “recording to start”. As soon as this preparation time is over, the recording on the microphone will begin with a short tone on your speakers. You must begin speaking what you see on the screen as soon as you hear this tone. This is because, if you start late, you won’t be able to finish reading and if you finish too early, before the recorder even starts, the starting content might not get recorded. It’s always safe to start speaking in 2-3 s after the recorder starts. The recording status changes to “recording complete” when the time given to you to answer the question is over. 

Also read- PTE Prep Tips for Beginners

PTE Read Aloud Sample Text Prompts

Check the sample Read Aloud prompts below to practice for this section of the PTE exam. Note that these texts are sourced from the “Pearson PTE Practice Test Plus - 2013, Pearson Longman”.

1. Market research is a vital part of the planning of any business. However experienced you or your staff may be in a particular field, if you are thinking of introducing a service to a new area, it is important to find out what the local population thinks about it first.
2. Not a lot is known about how the transportation of goods by water first began. Large cargo boats were being used in some parts of the world up to five thousand years ago. However, sea trade became more widespread when large sailing boats travelled between ports, carrying spices, perfumes and objects made by hand.
3. When the young artist was asked about his drawing, he explained that he had started by taking a photograph of himself sitting by a window at home. He then drew his face from the photograph and replaced the buildings which were outside the window with trees. This gave the picture a softer, more artistic background.
4. Humans need to use energy in order to exist. So it is unsurprising that the way people have been producing energy is largely responsible for current environmental problems. Pollution comes in many forms. but those that are most concerning, because of their impact on health. result from the combustion of fuels in power stations and cars.
5. Clearly, times are changing and while many people are saving for their retirement, many more still need to do so. Most countries have a range of pension schemes that are designed to provide individuals with an income once they stop working. People need to take advantage of these if they are to have sufficient money throughout their retirement years.

Source: Pearson

Check more such preparatory content in the PTE Exam Sample Papers 2026.

How is PTE Speaking Read Aloud Scored?

Pearson PTE Speaking’s Read Aloud task is scored based on three factors - content, pronunciation and oral fluency. Remember, all these three aspects are scored from 0-5 points. Now let us understand how the AI algorithm of Pearson scores your response for this task -

1. Content 

As for content, your “each replacement, omission or insertion of a word counts as one error” - Pearson. Your maximum score will depend upon the length of the question prompt. That means, the AI counts the number of correct words you say compared to the text on the screen.

Here is the best strategy - Read exactly what is written. If you make a mistake, do not self-correct, as the AI counts the correction as "added words," which penalizes your content and fluency scores simultaneously.

2. Pronunciation

Pronunciation focuses on the clarity of your speech and correct word stress. Here is the scoring scale that is followed for mapping your pronunciation in the read aloud task -

Source: Pearson

3. Oral Fluency

Fluency measures the rhythm and phrasing of your speech. It is often considered the most important factor for high scores in the PTE Speaking’s Read Aloud task. For getting high scores in Oral Fluency for the Read Aloud task of PTE, follow the speaking tips shared in this article above. Here is the scoring scale for mapping oral fluency of the test takers in Read Aloud task-

Source: Pearson

Done preparing for the PTE's Read Aloud task? Read more about the next task - PTE Repeat Sentence.  

This was all about PTE Speaking Read Aloud. For assistance in studying abroad, reach out for Shiksha’s Counselling Services for free.