# PTE Respond to a Situation: scoring, examples and practice

Respond to a Situation is one of the two tasks added to PTE Academic in August 2025. You read a situation of up to 60 words, prepare for 10 seconds, and speak for 40 seconds.

## The short answer

Respond to a Situation gives you a short everyday scenario of up to 60 words, 10 seconds to think, and 40 seconds to reply as you would in real life. It is one of the two tasks Pearson added in August 2025, with 2 to 3 in a test, scored for Speaking. Content is scored by AI with a human expert review, so what you say has to fit the situation, not a template.

## Key facts

- **Items per test:** 2-3
- **Prompt length:** Text up to 60 words
- **Preparation:** 10 seconds
- **Response time:** 40 seconds
- **Skills scored:** Speaking

*Respond to a Situation timing: 10 seconds to prepare after reading the situation, then 40 seconds to speak.*

| Stage | Time |
| --- | --- |
| Prepare | 10 sec |
| You speak | 40 sec |

*The situation is text of up to 60 words, so you read and plan in the same 10 seconds.*

Timings and scoring rules come from Pearson's task pages and the July 2025 Score Guide, checked 28 September 2026.

## How it's scored

Content asks whether your response deals with the situation described: the right speech act, addressed to the right person, with a reason or a solution where the situation calls for one. Oral fluency and pronunciation are scored on top, as in the other speaking tasks.

This is one of the seven task types where a human expert reviews the content before the score is final. A memorized answer that ignores the specifics counts as an irrelevant response and scores zero for content.

> Respond as a person, not as an essay. "I'm sorry, I can't make Thursday, could we move it to Friday?" beats "There are several factors to consider in this situation."

## Respond to a Situation examples

Worked examples written for this page. Answer each one before you open the model response: memorizing a response is scored as an irrelevant answer in the real test.

**Example 1 -- apologize and offer a fix**

> You borrowed a classmate's lecture notes and spilled coffee on them. Two pages are unreadable. You meet her the next morning outside the lecture hall.

Prompt: Read the situation. You have 10 seconds to think, then 40 seconds to reply.

10 seconds to prepare, then 40 seconds to speak.

Model response: "I'm really sorry, I spilled coffee on your notes last night and two pages are ruined. I've printed a clean copy from the course site, and I can go through them with you at lunch if anything is missing."

Why it scores: It names what happened, apologizes, and offers a concrete fix. The content score wants the situation dealt with, not just acknowledged.

**Example 2 -- decline and propose an alternative**

> Your manager asks you to come in on Saturday to cover a colleague's shift. You already have a family commitment that day, and you want to stay on good terms.

Prompt: Read the situation, then reply as you would in person.

10 seconds to prepare, then 40 seconds to speak.

Model response: "Thanks for asking me. I can't do Saturday, I've got a family commitment that day. I could come in early on Monday, or work late on Friday if that helps cover it."

Why it scores: A clear no, a brief reason, and two alternatives. Refusing without an alternative leaves the situation unresolved, which costs content.

**Example 3 -- ask for what you need**

> You booked a study room for this afternoon, but the library has closed that floor for repairs. You have an exam tomorrow. You are at the front desk.

Prompt: Read the situation, then say what you would say to the librarian.

10 seconds to prepare, then 40 seconds to speak.

Model response: "Hi, I booked room three for this afternoon but it's closed. I have an exam tomorrow, so is there another room free, or could I use the quiet floor until it reopens?"

Why it scores: It states the problem, why it matters, and asks a specific question. Filling 40 seconds with politeness alone scores lower than a clear request.

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## Common mistakes

| What costs marks | Do this instead |
| --- | --- |
| Using a memorized opening for every situation. | Start from the situation's own words. Pre-prepared material is scored as irrelevant. |
| Describing the situation back instead of responding to it. | Speak to the person in the scenario. You are role-playing, not summarizing. |
| Stopping after ten seconds. | Add the reason and the alternative. Those two moves fill 40 seconds naturally. |
| Being too formal. | These are everyday situations. Natural spoken English scores better than written formality. |

**Know the score you are aiming at** Put a target into the PTE score calculator to see the visa band it reaches, the points it is worth, and how far off you are. [Open the PTE score calculator](/pte/score-calculator)

## How to practice

1. Practice three moves: acknowledge, explain, offer. They fit almost every situation.
2. Record yourself and check you spoke to the person, not about them.
3. Use situations from your own week: a late delivery, a swapped shift, a missed class.
4. Time the 10-second preparation. It is enough for one decision, not a script.

## Common questions

### What is Respond to a Situation in PTE?

A task added in August 2025 where you read an everyday scenario of up to 60 words and speak your reply for 40 seconds, after 10 seconds of preparation.

### How many Respond to a Situation questions are there?

2 to 3 in a test.

### Is Respond to a Situation in PTE Core?

The August 2025 changes applied to PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI. PTE Core and PTE Home were unchanged.

**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 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)

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