PTE Academic
PTE Academic is a computer-based English test used for university admission and for study and skilled-migration visas in countries including Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada. It takes around two hours, is fully computer-scored, and reports a single overall score from 10 to 90 alongside separate scores for speaking, writing, reading and listening. Many tasks are integrated, meaning one answer counts towards two skill scores at once.
Who takes PTE Academic?
- Applying to a university or college that accepts PTE Academic
- Applying for a student visa or skilled-migration visa
- You need a score reported quickly — results typically arrive within days
PTE Academic exam structure
Speaking & Writing
Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Answer Short Question, Summarize Group Discussion, Respond to a Situation, Summarize Written Text and Write Essay.
Reading
Fill in the Blanks (both the drag-and-drop and the dropdown versions), Re-order Paragraphs, and Multiple Choice with single and multiple answers.
Listening
Summarize Spoken Text, Multiple Choice, Fill in the Blanks, Highlight Correct Summary, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words and Write from Dictation.
Every PTE Academic task type
Each guide covers the format, the timing, exactly how it is scored, and the mistakes that quietly cost marks.
Speaking
Reading
PTE Academic prediction questions
Because Pearson assembles every PTE Academic paper from a finite question pool, questions genuinely repeat — most heavily in Write from Dictation, Repeat Sentence, Read Aloud and the fill-in-the-blanks tasks. PTE Monster tracks the Academic pool continuously: every question sits in a tier — All, Core (seen in recent real exams) or Predictions (most likely to appear next) — and the ranking is refreshed as new exams are reported, never frozen into a monthly file.
Starting with the Predictions tier is the highest-leverage preparation there is: you rehearse the sentences, passages and prompts most likely to meet you on exam day, under real exam timing, with every answer AI-scored instantly.
PTE Academic — frequently asked questions
What is a good PTE Academic score?
PTE Academic is scored from 10 to 90. Most universities ask for somewhere between 58 and 65 overall, competitive programs often ask for 65 to 79, and skilled-migration points systems typically reward 65 and above, with the top band starting at 79. Always check the exact requirement of the institution or visa stream you are applying to.
How long is the PTE Academic exam?
About two hours, taken in one sitting at a test centre or online, covering speaking and writing, reading, and listening.
Is PTE Academic accepted in Canada?
Yes. PTE Academic is accepted by Canadian universities and colleges and is approved for Canadian study permit applications. For economic immigration to Canada, however, the exam accepted by IRCC is PTE Core, not PTE Academic.
What is the difference between PTE Academic and PTE Core?
PTE Academic is the academic exam used for university admission and study visas, and it includes tasks like Write Essay and Retell Lecture. PTE Core tests general rather than academic English, includes tasks like Write Email, and is the version approved by IRCC for Canadian economic immigration.
How is PTE Academic scored?
Entirely by computer, against the Global Scale of English. You receive an overall score from 10 to 90 plus individual scores for speaking, writing, reading and listening. Because many tasks are integrated, a single answer — Read Aloud, for example — can count towards two skill scores at once.
Useful PTE Academic resources
- PTE Academic practiceEvery task type with repeated real exam questions, prediction tiers and instant AI scoring.
- PTE Academic mock testsFull, sectional and mini tests under real exam timing, each finishing with an AI score report.
- PTE Academic AI scoringHow speech, writing and objective answers are graded — and what the score report shows.
- PTE Academic repeated questionsWhich Academic tasks repeat questions most, and how to practise the high-frequency ones first.
- PTE Academic for AustraliaHow PTE Academic is used for Australian study and skilled-migration visas, and the scores you need.
- PTE Academic in IndiaBooking, coaching versus online practice, and prediction-ranked preparation from India — priced in rupees.
Practise PTE Academic with real exam questions
Ranked by how likely they are to appear, scored by AI in seconds.
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