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) |
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| 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 |
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| Repeat sentence | 10-12 | Partial credit | Listening and speaking
Oral fluency, pronunciation Content |
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| Describe image | 6-7 | Partial credit | Speaking
Oral fluency, pronunciation Content |
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| Re-tell lecture | 3-4 | Partial credit | Listening and speaking
Oral fluency, pronunciation |
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| Answer short question | 10-12 | Correct/ incorrect | Listening and speaking
Vocabulary |
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| Summarize written text | 20-30 minutes | 2-3 | Partial credit | Reading and writing
Grammar, vocabulary Content, form |
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| Write essay | 20-40 minutes | 1-2 | Partial credit | Writing
Grammar, vocabulary, spelling, written discourse Content; development, structure and coherence; form, general linguistic range |
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Part 2 Reading (approximately 32–41 minutes) |
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| 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) |
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| 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 |
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| 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
