PTE Exam Pattern 2025, Format, Section-wise Pattern, Marking Scheme

Author

Team MetaApply

Published on January 11, 2025
pte exam pattern 2025

PTE Academic is an approved English proficiency test for candidates planning to study, work, or migrate to an English-speaking country. Given that it is still early in the year 2025, familiarising yourself with the PTE exam pattern is extremely important. The exam pattern for PTE 2025 has changed with dynamic features that meet the requirements of students and working professionals.

The changes proposed in the PTE Exam Pattern 2025 have been made to initially prepare international students to solve certain tasks that might resemble real-life situations in the academic environment and further – in the workplace. These changes are intended to present a more comprehensive assessment of the candidate’s English, guaranteeing them ready to face the challenges of learning or working in an English-speaking country making it one of the preferred exams to study abroad.

In the blog, we’ll explain the exam pattern, the recent changes that have been made, the format of each section, the syllabus, and guidelines for registration, preparation, and achieving the desired score. By the end of this guide, you will have enough knowledge regarding the PTE exam to improve your experience in this exam.

What is the PTE Exam?

PTE stands for Pearson Test of English, a test whose main purpose is to check the understanding of foreign candidates’ English. The most common cases where people use are when planning to study in other countries and for immigration. The PTE test determines how effectively a candidate comprehends written or spoken words and how well a candidate writes or speaks English.

PTE Exam Pattern 2025 Highlights

Students are advised to check out the PTE Exam Pattern 2025 details mentioned below:

Format Details
Exam Type PTE Academic Exam
Duration 2 hours 15 minutes
Exam Mode Taken in a test centre / Home Edition
Exam Medium Computer-based with headset
Test Layout 20 question types
PTE Academic Exam Fee 17,000 INR

PTE Exam Pattern 2025 – New Changes

This PTE test has undergone some changes over the years of its existence. Examinees will experience the revised pattern in 2025 for better adjustment to international language competency tests. Some of the changes include the type of test, the scoring method, and the registration process.

Key Updates:

Shorter Test Duration: The newly introduced PTE exam pattern 2025 suggests that this test should take only around two hours of the candidate’s time in total. This change aims to eliminate test-taker fatigue and increase the concentration of examinees.

Enhanced Question Types: Some new question types have been introduced to test the practical use of the language. These questions relate to communication skills that are relevant in everyday practice.

Integrated Skills Testing: The test has now shifted to combined skills, where the proficiency of a test-taker in both language comprehension and their capability to perform multiple language skills simultaneously are assessed.

PTE Academic Test Format

The PTE Academic test format is important to learn as it provides an exam overview making sure you have enough time for test prep. The PTE Academic Exam is divided into three main parts that revolve around four skills, such as Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening.

Section Different Question Type Exam Duration
Reading 5 question types 29-30 min
Speaking & Writing 7 question types 54-67 min
Listening 8 question types 30-43 min

 

PTE Exam Pattern 2025 – Section-wise

Refer to the segment-wise descriptions below for each section explaining the PTE Exam Pattern 2025 in detail:

Speaking and Writing

This section aims to assess the candidates’ abilities in spoken and written communication. It consists of six parts that challenge candidates to answer questions quickly when speaking and writing. This section is allocated 54 to 67 minutes, with the time distribution as follows:

Read Aloud: Test-takers read a text aloud.
Repeat Sentence: Repeat a sentence after hearing it.
Describe Image: Describe an image presented on the screen.
Re-tell Lecture: Summarise a lecture given in audio form.
Summarise Written Text: Summarise the main points of a text.

Topics Duration
Personal introduction 55 seconds: 25 seconds for prompt, 30 seconds to record
Read Aloud 30-40 seconds to prepare for reading out the text of 60 words
Repeat sentence 15 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 15 seconds to record
Describe image 25 seconds are granted to study the image as well as prepare your response on the same
Retell lecture 90 seconds for prompt length, 10 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to answer
Answer short question 20 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 10 seconds to answer
Summarise written text 10 minutes to answer to text prompt of 300 words
Write Essay 20 minutes to answer to text prompt of 2-3 sentences
Total Time Allocations Time Allocation: 54 – 67 minutes

 

Reading Section

This section examines candidates based on how well they comprehend written instructions in the language. It is divided into five segments, taking approximately 29 to 30 minutes. The tasks include:

Multiple-choice questions: Answer questions about a specific text.
Re-order Paragraphs: Order paragraphs that have been rearranged.
Fill in the Blanks: Complete words in sentences where some are missing.

Topics Words
Fill in the blanks – reading & writing Read 300 words of text
Multiple choice, multiple answers Read 300 words of text
Re-order paragraph Read 150 words of text
Fill in the blanks – reading Read 80 words of text
Multiple-choice, single answer Read 300 words of text

 

Listening

This section takes 30 to 43 minutes and assesses how well the candidate comprehends spoken English. Candidates listen to audio files and understand the content. This section is divided into eight parts, with tasks such as:

Summarise Spoken Text: Explain the content of a spoken piece.
Multiple-Choice Questions: Listen and answer questions.
Fill in the Blanks: Complete spoken texts with missing words.
Highlight Incorrect Words: Identify words that do not match the audio.

Topics Duration
Summarise spoken text 60-90 seconds
Multiple choice, multiple answers 40-90 seconds
Fill in the blanks 30-60 seconds
Highlight correct summary 30-90 seconds
Multiple-choice, single answer 30-60 seconds
Select missing word 20-70 seconds
Highlight incorrect word 15-50 seconds
Write from Dictation 3-5 seconds

 

PTE Registration 2025

Candidates wishing to take the PTE exam in 2025 must follow the steps below to ensure successful PTE exam booking:

Step 1: Visit the official website at mypte.pearsonpte.com.
Step 2: Create an account.
Step 3: Enter personal and academic details.
Step 4: Choose a suitable test date and centre.
Step 5: Confirm the booking.
Step 6: Pay the exam fee using a credit or debit card.
Step 7: Check the registration confirmation via the registered email address.

PTE Scoring Pattern 2025

The PTE test scoring is done through a machine, with a total score range from 10 to 90. Each section (Speaking & Writing, Reading, and Listening) is rated individually, and the total score is the sum of these sections. Tasks are marked in two ways:

Correct or Incorrect: Full marks for correct answers; no marks for incorrect answers.
Partial Credit: Tasks are scored based on the degree of correctness, with partial credit for partially correct answers.

PTE Score Validity

PTE scores are valid for two years from the date of the results. Candidates can forward their PTE scorecards to various institutions within this period.

What is a Good PTE Score?

There is no universally “good” PTE score, as it depends on the requirements of the universities or organisations. Generally, scores between 50 and 63 are considered satisfactory, while scores between 65 and 75 are usually required for admission to prestigious institutions.

PTE Results and Score

Result Timeline: PTE scores are typically released within two days of the test.

Accessing Scores: Candidates can view their scores online via their PTE accounts and forward them to institutions as needed.

Conclusion

The PTE exam pattern 2025 introduces changes that aim to improve the candidate’s exam experience. With this guide, candidates can confidently prepare for the PTE test, knowing the format, content, registration process, and more to complete their study abroad dream.

Interested in Study Abroad?

MetaApply can help - fill the form

Please fill this field!
Please fill this field!
Please fill this field!
Please fill this field!
Please fill this field!
Please fill this field!
Please fill this field!

Frequently Asked Questions

PTE stands for the Pearson Test of English.

The changes in the 2025 PTE exam pattern include a shorter duration, improved evaluation methods, and integrated skill assessment.

Start by creating a PTE account, choose a test centre and date, enter identification details, and pay the exam fee

Related Blogs

Chat on WhatsApp
Enquire