PTE Academic item scoring overview-How PTE is scored

 

PTE ACADEMIC SCORING
 PTE Academic Item Scoring guide: An Overview

All items in PTE Academic are machine scored. Scoring for some item types is based on correctness alone, while others are based on correctness, formal aspects and the quality of the response.

Formal aspects refer to the form of the response: for example, whether it is over or under the word limit for a particular item type. The quality of the response is represented in the enabling skills. For example, in the item type Re-tell lecture the response is scored on skills such as oral fluency and pronunciation.

Scores for item types assessing speaking and writing skills are generated by automated scoring systems. There are two types of scoring:

Correct or incorrect

Some item types are scored as either correct or incorrect. If responses are correct, a score of 1 score point will be given, but if they are incorrect, no score points are awarded.

Partial credit

Other item types are scored as correct, partially correct or incorrect. If responses to these items are correct, the maximum score points available for each item type will be received, but if they are partly correct, some score points will be given, but less than the maximum available for the item type. If responses are incorrect, no score points will be received.

The tables that follow give an overview of how the 20 item types in the three parts of PTE Academic are scored. They also show timings, the number of items in any given test, the communicative skills, enabling skills and other elements scored.

Part 1 Speaking and Writing (approx 77–93 minutes)

Item type Time allowed Number of items Scoring Communicative skills, enabling skills and other traits scored
Read Aloud 30-35 minutes 6-7 Partial credit Reading and speaking

Oral fluency, pronunciation

Content

Repeat sentence 10-12 Partial credit Listening and speaking

Oral fluency, pronunciation

Content

Describe image 6-7 Partial credit Speaking

Oral fluency, pronunciation

Content

Re-tell lecture 3-4 Partial credit Listening and speaking

Oral fluency, pronunciation

Answer short question 10-12 Correct/ incorrect Listening and speaking

Vocabulary

Summarize written text 20-30 minutes 2-3 Partial credit Reading and writing

Grammar, vocabulary

Content, form

Write essay 20-40 minutes 1-2 Partial credit Writing

Grammar, vocabulary, spelling, written discourse

Content; development, structure and coherence; form, general linguistic range

Part 2 Reading (approximately 32–41 minutes)

Item type Time allowed Number of items Scoring Communicative skills, enabling skills and other traits scored
Multiple-choice, choose single answer 32-41 minutes 2-3 Correct/ incorrect Reading
Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers 2-3 Partial credit (for each correct response. Points deducted for incorrect options chosen) Reading
Re-order paragraphs 2-3 Partial credit (for each correctly ordered, adjacent pair) Reading
Reading: Fill in the blanks 4-5 Partial credit (for each correctly completed blank) Reading
Reading and writing: Fill in the blanks 5-6 Partial credit (for each correctly completed blank) Reading and writing

Part 3 Listening (approx 45–57 minutes)

Item type Time allowed Number of items Scoring Communicative skills, enabling skills and other traits scored
Summarize spoken text 20-30 minutes 2-3 Partial credit Listening and writing

Grammar, vocabulary, spelling

Content, form

Multiple–choice, choose multiple answers 23-28 minutes 2-3 Partial credit (for each correct response. Points deducted for incorrect options chosen) Listening
Fill in the blanks 2-3 Partial credit (each correct word spelled correctly) Listening and writing
Highlight correct summary 2-3 Correct/ incorrect Listening and reading
Multiple-choice, choose single answer 2-3 Correct/ incorrect Listening
Select missing word 2-3 Correct/ incorrect Listening
Highlight incorrect words 2-3 Partial credit (for each word. Points deducted for incorrect options chosen) Listening and reading
Write from dictation 3-4 Partial credit (for each word spelled correctly) Listening and writing

Please note: The minimum and maximum timings indicated for the sections of each part of the test do not add up to the total timings stated. This is because different versions of the test are balanced for total length. No test taker will get the maximum or minimum times indicated.

PTE Practice Links:

PTE Exam Preparation and Links For offline practice

PTE Academic enabling skills score guide

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