Pearson
PTE Academic
Pearson Test of English Academic
A computer-based, AI-scored academic English test taken at Pearson test centres, used for university admission worldwide, for Australian and New Zealand work and migration visas, and for some professional registration.
Full program: 5 decks, 1,690 cards.
What's on the exam
PTE Academic test format (Pearson), updated for tests taken after 7 August 2025; PTE Academic Score Guide (2026)
Speaking & Writing
~55%Personal Introduction (unscored) · Read Aloud · Repeat Sentence · Describe Image · Retell Lecture · Answer Short Question · Summarize Group Discussion · Respond to a Situation · Summarize Written Text · Write Essay
Reading
~20%Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) · Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers · Reorder Paragraph · Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) · Multiple Choice, Single Answer
Listening
~25%Summarize Spoken Text · Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers · Fill in the Blanks (Type In) · Highlight Correct Summary · Multiple Choice, Single Answer · Select Missing Word · Highlight Incorrect Words · Write from Dictation
Frequently asked questions
How much does the PTE Academic cost?
Fees vary. Fees vary by country (commonly ~$200–300); set by the local test center.
How long is the PTE Academic and how many questions does it have?
65–75 questions across 22 question types (Speaking & Writing 9, Reading 5, Listening 8), per the post-7 August 2025 format — About 2 hours (Speaking & Writing ~76–84 min; Reading ~23–30 min; Listening ~31–39 min; forms are balanced for total length).
What do you need to pass the PTE Academic?
No pass/fail — overall and four communicative-skill scores (Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing) on a 10–90 scale aligned to the Global Scale of English; the overall is not an average of the skill scores; institutions and governments set their own requirements.
Can you retake the PTE Academic?
Retakes allowed once the previous test's scores have been released.
What is the best way to study for the PTE Academic?
Start from the official outline and your primary study materials: the exam is weighted by domain (Speaking & Writing ~55%, Reading ~20%, Listening ~25%). Once you've learned the material, spaced-repetition flashcards organized by those domains are an efficient way to retain it and refresh it before test day.
Ready to prepare?
Our PTE Academic program is organized by this outline's domains and scheduled by spaced repetition, with a path from first card to test day.
Flashcards are a memory tool. Learn the material first, then use NoReread to retain it and refresh what you already know. It doesn't replace studying the subject.