# PTE Academic task types

All 22 PTE Academic task types: what each one asks for, how Pearson scores it, worked examples, and the mistakes that cost the most points. Every timing and scoring rule is from Pearson's own pages.

## The three parts at a glance

PTE Academic is one sitting of about two hours, in three parts: Speaking & Writing, Reading, then Listening. It uses 22 task types in total, and a single task can feed more than one skill score, which is why Repeat Sentence counts for both listening and speaking. Every timing and count here is from Pearson's own task pages and the July 2025 Score Guide, checked 28 September 2026.

- **Task types:** 22
- **Part 1, Speaking & Writing:** 9 task types, 76-84 min
- **Part 2, Reading:** 5 task types, 23-30 min
- **Part 3, Listening:** 8 task types, 31-39 min
- **Score scale:** 10-90, overall and per skill
- **Tasks that deduct marks:** 3

Your score report is not organized this way. It reports four skills, and tasks cross between the parts to feed them: Summarize Spoken Text sits in Part 3 and scores your writing. Each of the four has its own page, with the tasks that decide it and one item you can try:

- [PTE Speaking](/pte/speaking) -- 6 task types, all in Part 1
- [PTE Writing](/pte/writing) -- 4 task types, in Parts 1 and 3
- [PTE Reading](/pte/reading) -- 8 task types, in Parts 1, 2 and 3
- [PTE Listening](/pte/listening) -- 12 task types, in Parts 1 and 3

## Every PTE task type in one table

All 22 side by side: how many of each you get, the timing, the skills each one scores, and how the marks are awarded. Pearson publishes these one task at a time, across a dozen pages and a PDF.

| Task | Items per test | Timing | Skills scored | Scoring |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Read Aloud](/pte/task-types/read-aloud) | 6-7 | Preparation: 30-40 seconds to read and prepare; Response time: Varies with the length of the text | Speaking | Content, oral fluency, pronunciation |
| [Repeat Sentence](/pte/task-types/repeat-sentence) | 10-12 | Prompt length: 3-9 seconds, played once; Response time: 15 seconds | Listening and speaking | Content, oral fluency, pronunciation |
| [Describe Image](/pte/task-types/describe-image) | 5-6 | Preparation: 25 seconds to study the image; Response time: 40 seconds | Speaking | Content, oral fluency, pronunciation |
| [Re-tell Lecture](/pte/task-types/re-tell-lecture) | 2-3 | Prompt length: Up to 90 seconds; Preparation: 10 seconds; Response time: 40 seconds | Listening and speaking | [How it's scored](/pte/task-types/re-tell-lecture#how-its-scored) |
| [Summarize Written Text](/pte/task-types/summarize-written-text) | 2 | Prompt length: Text up to 300 words; Time: 10 minutes per item; Response: One single sentence, 5-75 words | Reading and writing | Content, form, grammar, vocabulary |
| [Write Essay](/pte/task-types/write-essay) | 1 | Prompt length: 2-3 sentences; Time: 20 minutes | Writing | Content, form, development, structure and coherence, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, general linguistic range |
| [Answer Short Question](/pte/task-types/answer-short-question) | 5-6 | Prompt length: 3-9 seconds; Response time: 10 seconds | Listening | Correct or incorrect, 1 point for a correct response |
| [Respond to a Situation](/pte/task-types/respond-to-a-situation) | 2-3 | Prompt length: Text up to 60 words; Preparation: 10 seconds; Response time: 40 seconds | Speaking | [How it's scored](/pte/task-types/respond-to-a-situation#how-its-scored) |
| [Summarize Group Discussion](/pte/task-types/summarize-group-discussion) | 2-3 | Prompt length: Up to 3 minutes; Preparation: 10 seconds; Response time: 2 minutes | Listening and speaking | [How it's scored](/pte/task-types/summarize-group-discussion#how-its-scored) |
| [Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks](/pte/task-types/reading-writing-fill-in-the-blanks) | 5-6 | Prompt length: Text up to 300 words | Reading | Partial credit, one point per correct blank |
| [Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers](/pte/task-types/reading-multiple-choice-multiple-answers) | 2-3 | Prompt length: Text up to 350 words | Reading | +1 per correct option, -1 per incorrect option |
| [Re-order Paragraphs](/pte/task-types/reorder-paragraphs) | 2-3 | Prompt length: Text up to 150 words | Reading | Partial credit for correctly ordered pairs |
| [Reading: Fill in the Blanks](/pte/task-types/reading-fill-in-the-blanks) | 4-5 | Prompt length: Text up to 80 words | Reading | Partial credit, one point per correct blank |
| [Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer](/pte/task-types/reading-multiple-choice-single-answer) | 2-3 | Prompt length: Text up to 300 words | Reading | Correct or incorrect, no penalty for a wrong answer |
| [Summarize Spoken Text](/pte/task-types/summarize-spoken-text) | 1 | Prompt length: 60-90 seconds; Response: 50-70 words | Listening and writing | Content, form, grammar, vocabulary, spelling |
| [Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers](/pte/task-types/listening-multiple-choice-multiple-answers) | 2-3 | Prompt length: 80-120 seconds | Listening | +1 per correct option, -1 per incorrect option |
| [Listening: Fill in the Blanks](/pte/task-types/listening-fill-in-the-blanks) | 2-3 | Prompt length: 30-60 seconds | Listening | 1 point per correct word spelled correctly |
| [Highlight Correct Summary](/pte/task-types/highlight-correct-summary) | 2-3 | Prompt length: 30-90 seconds | Listening and reading | Correct or incorrect, no penalty |
| [Listening: Multiple Choice, Single Answer](/pte/task-types/listening-multiple-choice-single-answer) | 2-3 | Prompt length: 30-90 seconds | Listening | Correct or incorrect, no penalty |
| [Select Missing Word](/pte/task-types/select-missing-word) | 1-2 | Prompt length: 20-70 seconds | Listening | Correct or incorrect, no penalty |
| [Highlight Incorrect Words](/pte/task-types/highlight-incorrect-words) | 2-3 | Prompt length: 15-50 seconds | Listening and reading | +1 per correct word, -1 per incorrect word |
| [Write from Dictation](/pte/task-types/write-from-dictation) | 3-4 | Prompt length: 3-5 seconds | Listening and writing | 1 point per correct word spelled correctly |

*Compiled by Testmigo from Pearson's task pages and the July 2025 Test Taker Score Guide, checked 28 September 2026. Cite the row, not the page: each task links to its own scoring rules.*

## The three tasks that deduct marks

Most PTE tasks give partial credit and take nothing away for a wrong answer. 3 do deduct, and on those a guess can cost you a mark you already earned:

- [Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers](/pte/task-types/reading-multiple-choice-multiple-answers) -- +1 per correct option, -1 per incorrect option
- [Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers](/pte/task-types/listening-multiple-choice-multiple-answers) -- +1 per correct option, -1 per incorrect option
- [Highlight Incorrect Words](/pte/task-types/highlight-incorrect-words) -- +1 per correct word, -1 per incorrect word

> The item score is floored at zero, so a wrong tick cannot take you below nothing on that item. It can still cancel a correct answer beside it, which is why these three reward certainty rather than coverage.

## How to practice a task type

A task type is a habit, not a fact to memorize. The same three steps work for any row in the table:

1. Read how the task is scored before you drill it. Half the marks lost on PTE go to rules, not to English: a memorized opening on Describe Image, a second sentence in Summarize Written Text, a guess on a task that deducts.
2. Drill five of the same type in a row, untimed, and write down why each one lost marks. Types fail for their own reasons.
3. Repeat the set under the real timing, then sit a full mock so the task sits back in context. Testmigo's [free PTE mock](/pte) ranks the task types costing you the most, and the [PTE score calculator](/pte/score-calculator) turns a target into the visa band it reaches.

## Common questions

### How many task types are in PTE Academic?

22: 9 in Speaking & Writing, 5 in Reading and 8 in Listening. Respond to a Situation and Summarize Group Discussion were added in August 2025.

### Which PTE tasks have negative marking?

Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, Highlight Incorrect Words. On those, each wrong option takes back a point, with the item floored at zero. Every other task type either gives partial credit or is marked right or wrong with no deduction.

### Can one task affect more than one skill score?

Yes, and most do. Repeat Sentence feeds listening and speaking; Summarize Written Text feeds reading and writing. That is why a weak skill score rarely traces back to a single task type.

### Do I have to practice all 22?

No. Sit one full mock, read which task types cost you the most, and drill those. The table above tells you what each one is worth before you spend an evening on it.

**Sources**
- [Pearson: PTE Academic Speaking & Writing task types (checked 28 September 2026)](https://www.pearsonpte.com/pte-academic/test-format/speaking-writing)
- [Pearson: PTE Academic Reading task types (checked 28 September 2026)](https://www.pearsonpte.com/pte-academic/test-format/reading)
- [Pearson: PTE Academic Listening task types (checked 28 September 2026)](https://www.pearsonpte.com/pte-academic/test-format/listening)
- [Pearson: PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide, July 2025 (PDF)](https://www.pearsonpte.com/ctf-assets/yqwtwibiobs4/WUcBAMkYCC9Dj5vs2HfVA/941d88d07ba7c2a5007f7ce1b18eedbf/Score_Guide__Test_Taker__-_PTE_Academic_-_July_2025__web_.pdf)

- [Read Aloud](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/read-aloud)

- [Repeat Sentence](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/repeat-sentence)

- [Describe Image](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/describe-image)

- [Re-tell Lecture](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/re-tell-lecture)

- [Summarize Written Text](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/summarize-written-text)

- [Write Essay](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/write-essay)

- [Answer Short Question](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/answer-short-question)

- [Respond to a Situation](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/respond-to-a-situation)

- [Summarize Group Discussion](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/summarize-group-discussion)

- [Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/reading-writing-fill-in-the-blanks)

- [Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/reading-multiple-choice-multiple-answers)

- [Re-order Paragraphs](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/reorder-paragraphs)

- [Reading: Fill in the Blanks](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/reading-fill-in-the-blanks)

- [Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/reading-multiple-choice-single-answer)

- [Summarize Spoken Text](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/summarize-spoken-text)

- [Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/listening-multiple-choice-multiple-answers)

- [Listening: Fill in the Blanks](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/listening-fill-in-the-blanks)

- [Highlight Correct Summary](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/highlight-correct-summary)

- [Listening: Multiple Choice, Single Answer](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/listening-multiple-choice-single-answer)

- [Select Missing Word](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/select-missing-word)

- [Highlight Incorrect Words](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/highlight-incorrect-words)

- [Write from Dictation](https://testmigo.com/pte/task-types/write-from-dictation)