PTE Answer Short Question
In PTE Answer Short Question you hear a simple general-knowledge question and answer it in one or a few words. It is scored on whether your answer is correct and intelligible, and it contributes to both Speaking and Listening. This is the one speaking task where content is genuinely right or wrong — a fluent wrong answer scores nothing.
- Timing
- The question plays once. You have about 10 seconds to answer.
- Contributes to
- Speaking and Listening scores
How PTE Answer Short Question is scored
- Content (correct word)
- Pronunciation
How to score higher in Answer Short Question
- 1
Answer with the single word or short phrase, not a sentence. 'A fork' is a complete answer; 'I think that it would be a fork' wastes your window.
- 2
Answer immediately. The recording window is short and silence at the start eats it.
- 3
Say the word clearly and slightly slowly — the score depends on the word being recognised.
- 4
The questions test everyday vocabulary, not specialist knowledge: everyday objects, jobs, places, weather, basic academic terms.
- 5
If you are unsure, guess with a plausible word. There is no penalty for a wrong guess and silence guarantees zero.
Repeated Answer Short Question items
Answer Short Question runs on a limited pool of general-knowledge prompts, which makes it the quickest repeated bank in the exam to cover: each item is a few seconds of audio and a one-word answer you either know or now will.
Sweep the prediction-ranked list in short sessions — even a few minutes a day compounds fast — and answer aloud in a full confident word, since the task still feeds your Speaking and Listening scores.
How PTE Monster’s prediction tiers rank the bankCommon mistakes in Answer Short Question
- Answering in a full sentence and running out of recording time.
- Mumbling the key word, so the correct answer is not recognised.
- Staying silent because you did not know the answer.
Answer Short Question — frequently asked questions
How long is the answer in PTE Answer Short Question?
One word or a very short phrase is enough, and you have roughly 10 seconds to give it. Full sentences are unnecessary and risk running out of time.
Does Answer Short Question test general knowledge?
Only everyday general knowledge — common objects, jobs, places, weather and basic academic vocabulary. It does not test specialist or technical subject knowledge.
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