# PTE Academic format (2026): all 22 task types explained > PTE Academic has 22 task types across three parts since August 2025. Every task, the two new ones, the timing, and how each is scored. - **Author**: Testmigo - **Published**: 2026-09-19 - **Category**: Test format & prep - **URL**: https://testmigo.com/blog/pte-academic-22-task-types --- ## The short answer For tests taken after 7 August 2025, PTE Academic has 22 task types in three parts: Speaking & Writing, Reading, and Listening. A test has 65-75 questions and takes about two hours, up to a maximum of 2 hours 15 minutes. Two tasks were added in 2025: Respond to a Situation and Summarize Group Discussion, both in the Speaking & Writing part. ## All 22 task types | Part | Time | Task types | | --- | --- | --- | | Speaking & Writing | About 76-84 min | Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Answer Short Question, Summarize Group Discussion, Respond to a Situation, Summarize Written Text, Write Essay | | Reading | About 23-30 min | Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, Reorder Paragraph, Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice Single Answer | | Listening | About 31-39 min | Summarize Spoken Text, Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, Fill in the Blanks, Highlight Correct Summary, Multiple Choice Single Answer, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words, Write from Dictation | *From Pearson's PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide (July 2025).* ## The two new tasks - Respond to a Situation: you read or hear a short everyday situation and respond as you would in real life, speaking into the microphone. - Summarize Group Discussion: you listen to a discussion between three people and give a spoken summary of the main points. Both tasks test speaking with longer, less scripted answers than Read Aloud or Repeat Sentence, so they reward practice under real timing. They apply to PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI; PTE Core wasn't changed. ## How PTE is scored Your overall score and each skill score run from 10 to 90, and the overall score isn't a simple average of the skills. Every task is scored by AI. For seven tasks, human experts also review the content of your answer: Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Respond to a Situation, Summarize Group Discussion, Summarize Written Text, Write Essay and Summarize Spoken Text; Write Essay is also reviewed for development, structure and coherence, and range of language. Pronunciation and fluency are scored by AI, and human experts only step in for responses the machine can't score reliably, such as very quiet or unclear recordings. Testmigo's [PTE mocks](/pte) cover all 22 task types under real timing and show which ones are costing you the most points. For visa targets, see [PTE scores for Australian visas](/blog/pte-score-australia-pr). ## Common questions ### How many task types are in PTE Academic? 22 for tests taken after 7 August 2025, across Speaking & Writing, Reading and Listening. ### What are the new PTE tasks? Respond to a Situation and Summarize Group Discussion, both in the Speaking & Writing part. ### How long is the PTE Academic test? About two hours, with a maximum of 2 hours 15 minutes, for 65-75 questions. ### Is PTE scored by humans or AI? Every task is scored by AI. Human experts also review the content of seven tasks, and step in for responses the machine can't score reliably, such as unclear recordings. **Sources** - [Pearson: PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide, July 2025 (PDF, checked 19 September 2026)](https://www.pearsonpte.com/ctf-assets/yqwtwibiobs4/WUcBAMkYCC9Dj5vs2HfVA/941d88d07ba7c2a5007f7ce1b18eedbf/Score_Guide__Test_Taker__-_PTE_Academic_-_July_2025__web_.pdf) - [Pearson: PTE updates 2025](https://www.pearsonpte.com/pte-updates-2025/) ## Related guides - [PTE and IELTS scores for Australian visas (2026): the component-based levels](https://testmigo.com/blog/pte-score-australia-pr) - [APEUni vs Testmigo for PTE (2026): which should you use?](https://testmigo.com/blog/apeuni-vs-testmigo) - [Gurully vs Testmigo (2026): an honest comparison for PTE and IELTS](https://testmigo.com/blog/gurully-vs-testmigo) [Practise with a free PTE Academic mock](https://testmigo.com/pte) --- - [More Test format & prep articles](https://testmigo.com/blog/category/test-format-prep) - [All articles](https://testmigo.com/blog)