Finding the PTE Listening Format confusing? You’re not alone. Many test-takers struggle simply because they aren’t familiar with how the section works. This guide breaks down the PTE Listening format simply and clearly. You’ll learn what to expect and how each task is structured.
Understanding the PTE Listening format is the first step toward improving your score. Let’s dive in and make it easier for you to succeed.
PTE Listening Format
Below is the PTE listening module that you must check to do a targeted practice.
Summarise Spoken Text
In this task, you’ll listen to an audio recording and write a summary based on what you hear. For PTE Academic, your summary should be 50–70 words and must be completed within 10 minutes.
For PTE Core, you’ll write a shorter summary of 20–30 words in 8 minutes. You are allowed to cut, copy, and paste text while writing your response.
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Prompt Length |
Skills Assessed |
No. of Questions |
|
60-90 Seconds for PTE Academic & 45-75 Seconds for PTE Core |
Listening & Reading |
1-2 |
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
In the PTE Listening – Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer task, you’ll listen to a recording and then answer a question based on it. There will be more than one correct option, so you’ll need to select multiple responses from the given choices.
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Prompt Length |
Skills Assessed |
No. of Questions |
|
40-90 Seconds for PTE Academic & 50-90 Seconds for PTE Core |
Listening |
1-2 |
Fill in the Blanks
In this task, you’ll be given a transcript of an audio recording with some words missing. Your job is to listen carefully and fill in the blanks by typing the missing words into the correct spots.
|
Prompt Length |
Skills Assessed |
No. of Questions |
|
30-60 Seconds |
Listening & Writing |
2-3 |
Highlight Correct Summary
In the PTE Listening – Highlight Correct Summary task, you’ll listen to a recording and choose the summary that best matches its content. This task is only included in the PTE Academic exam.
|
Prompt Length |
Skills Assessed |
No. of Questions |
|
30-60 Seconds |
Listening & Writing |
1-2 |
Multiple Choice, Single Answer
In this task, you’ll listen to a recording and then answer a multiple-choice question based on it. You need to select only one correct answer from the given options.
|
Prompt Length |
Skills Assessed |
No. of Questions |
|
30-90 Seconds |
Listening |
1-2 |
Select Missing Word
In the PTE Listening – Missing Words task, the last word or group of words in the recording will be replaced by a beep sound. Your task is to select the most appropriate option that completes the recording accurately.
|
Prompt Length |
Skills Assessed |
No. of Questions |
|
20-70 Seconds |
Listening |
1-2 |
Highlight Incorrect Words
In the PTE Listening – Highlight Incorrect Words task, you’ll be given a transcript of the audio recording that contains errors. To complete this task, you need to listen to the audio and identify the words in the transcript that do not match what the speaker actually said.
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Prompt Length |
Skills Assessed |
No. of Questions |
|
15-50 Seconds |
Listening & Writing |
2-3 (PTE Academic) & 1-2 (PTE Core) |
Write from Dictation
In the PTE Listening – Write from Dictation task, you’ll listen to an audio recording and then type your response in the box at the bottom of the screen.
|
Prompt Length |
Skills Assessed |
No. of Questions |
|
3-5 Seconds |
Listening & Writing |
3-4 |
PTE Listening Score Chart
Know everything about PTE listening marks distribution and target your preparation accordingly.
Tips for PTE Listening Section
- Understand the format: The first step to excelling in the PTE Listening section is to familiarize yourself with the test format. There are different question types like Multiple Choice, Fill in the Blanks, and Write from Dictation. Understanding how each question works is key to efficiently managing time and focus. Practice with different types to avoid surprises on test day.
- Practice listening regularly: Expressing yourself to spoken English is crucial for improving your listening skills. Try listening to podcasts, TED talks, news broadcasts, and audiobooks. Diverse audio sources will help you adapt to various speech patterns, accents, and speeds, all of which you may encounter in the PTE test.
- Focus on keywords: While listening, it’s crucial to identify and focus on keywords—essential names, numbers, dates, or concepts. These are often the key to answering questions correctly. Don’t get distracted by unnecessary details. Focus on the core message and main ideas.
- Take notes: During your practice sessions, take brief notes while listening. Write down names, places, or figures that seem essential. In PTE Listening, there’s often a need to recall specific details, so note-taking will help you retrieve the information you need to answer questions. Your notes should be quick, focusing on capturing the essence rather than complete sentences.
- Don’t get stuck on one question: Time management is critical to PTE Listening. Don’t waste time if you struggle with one particular question. Move on to the next one. You can always come back to it later if time allows. Ensuring you answer as many questions as possible is better than focusing too long on one question.
- Be aware of distractors: Some PTE Listening questions include distractors—answers that seem correct but are misleading. Be careful of details that might sound right initially but are contradicted later in the audio. Distractors are designed to test your listening precision, so stay alert to the presented information.
- Improve listening to different accents: PTE Listening features various accents. The speakers may be from other countries, which means the accent can affect how words are pronounced. Regularly practice listening to a variety of accents to improve your comprehension. Listen to different dialects of English, such as British, American, Australian, and Indian English, to get used to their pronunciations and rhythms.
- Listen for tone and intonation: Understanding tone, intonation, and emotions is crucial in PTE Listening. Tone can give you clues about the speaker’s attitude or intentions. For example, a sarcastic tone or a questioning intonation can change the meaning of a statement. These subtle details often help answer questions correctly, especially in tasks like Multiple Choice.
- Enhance concentration: Listening for an extended period can be tiring, especially in a high-stakes environment like the PTE test. Build your concentration by practicing long listening exercises. The better you can focus, the easier it will be to catch essential details, which is vital when answering PTE Listening questions. Avoid distractions during your practice sessions to simulate the test environment.
- Review practice tests: After practicing, always go over your results. Analyze your mistakes and understand why specific answers were incorrect. This reflection will help you improve. Identify common patterns in your mistakes to target areas that need improvement, whether recognizing distractors or better understanding the content.
- Time yourself during practice: Getting used to the PTE test’s time constraints is essential. Practice under timed conditions to simulate the actual exam. This will help you manage your time more efficiently and avoid feeling rushed. Knowing how much time you have for each task will improve your response time during the actual test.
- Master dictation tasks: The dictation task, particularly “Write from dictation,” can be challenging. In this task, you must listen carefully and type the exact sentence you hear. Pay attention to pronunciation and grammar. Practice typing quickly and accurately while listening to ensure you don’t miss any keywords or details.
- Understand the context: In many listening tasks, understanding the context in which the information is presented can help you answer questions accurately. Whether it’s a conversation between two people or a lecture, understanding the scenario will help you deduce the correct answers. For example, knowing the subject discussed in a lecture will help you focus on the most relevant information.
- Check your answers: Always review them before submitting them if time permits. It’s easy to overlook small mistakes like spelling errors or missing words. Double-check your responses, especially in tasks that require accuracy, such as Fill in the Blanks or Write from Dictation.
Ready to take your PTE Listening practice to the next level? With Gurully, you can do much more than understand the format—you can practice the entire Listening section, tackle individual question types, and take section-wise tests to focus on specific skills. Try Gurully’s full-length mock tests and experience real-time exam simulation that mirrors the actual PTE environment.
Conclusion:
Understanding the PTE Listening Section and knowing what each task involves is the first step toward improving your score. From Summarise Spoken Text to Write from Dictation, each task evaluates specific listening and writing skills, and consistent, focused practice makes all the difference.
You can improve your accuracy and confidence with the right approach, time management, and familiarity with the exam format. Gurully offers everything you need—task-wise practice, sectional tests, and full-length mock exams with real-time exam simulation—to help you prepare effectively and perform at your best.
Start your Listening practice on Gurully today and take a confident step toward your target score.
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