PTE Scoring Structure
Before preparing for the PTE Academic test, it’s important to know how the scoring works. Getting a score of 79+ in each section is challenging, but understanding the scoring system is crucial for success. We should focus on tasks that carry more marks. PTE Academic uses a machine-based scoring system, and results are usually available within 1 to 5 business days, with no manual correction involved.
In PTE, the scoring is different from IELTS. Unlike IELTS, where each section gets its own score, PTE shares marks between all sections. For example, in IELTS, reading scores only count for the reading section, but in PTE, the marks are distributed among all modules. Let’s take a closer look at this below.
To achieve a score of 79+, it’s not necessary to focus on practicing all tasks equally. Understanding the scoring structure is crucial because some tasks hold more weight than others. Although we must attempt all the tasks, some, like Multiple Choice Questions, Highlight Correct Summary, and Select Missing Words, carry fewer marks. Spending less time on these sections allows us to allocate more time to tasks that are worth more marks, increasing our chances of reaching the desired score.
PTE Academic has two different scoring methods.
In the reading and listening sections of PTE Academic, MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) and FIBs (Fill in the Blanks) are scored based on correct or incorrect answers. Moreover, certain questions, like MCQs with multiple answers and HIW (Highlight Incorrect Words), can have negative marking. For instance, if the correct answers for a multiple-choice multiple-answers question are A and B, but we mistakenly select A, B, and C, we will receive 1 mark for each correct answer (A and B) and -1 mark for the wrong answer (C). Ultimately, we will get 2 – 1 = 1 mark for that particular question. Similarly, if the correct answers are A and B, but we choose C and D, we won’t get -2 marks; instead, we will receive zero marks because the minimum score for each question is zero.
Partial Scoring in PTE Academic: Understanding How It Works
Your marks in PTE are determined by various factors such as keywords, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, content, fluency, and pronunciation. In the speaking section, you can score a maximum of 5 marks each for content, fluency, and pronunciation. The marks for content will go down from 5 to 0 depending on how relevant your answer is. So, if your content is not related, you’ll get zero marks for it. On the other hand, if your fluency is excellent, you’ll receive the full 5 marks for it.
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Let’s dive into more details about the scoring in the speaking section.
Scoring in PTE Speaking Section
Speaking is scored separately, not connected to other sections.
| Tasks | Speaking | Reading | Listening |
| Read Aloud | 22.2 | 22.1 | |
| Repeat Sentence | 32.1 | 19.7 | |
| Describe Image | 22.2 | ||
| Re-tell Lecture | 11.1 | 9.9 | |
| Answer Short Questions | 2.4 | 6.6 | |
| Total | 90 | 22.1 | 36.2 |
The following tasks are part of the speaking section:
Read Aloud
In the speaking section, fluency and pronunciation are given the same weightage as in the reading section. If we speak fluently and have 50% pronunciation accuracy, we can score more than 79 marks even if the content is not crucial. However, for the reading and listening sections, maintaining both content and pronunciation is essential to score well.
Repeat sentence
In PTE, the speaking section carries 32 marks, while the listening section is worth around 20 marks. This task holds the highest marks in the entire PTE test.
Describe image
Since it is scored only for speaking section, to get more marks, we just need to focus on improving our fluency.
Retell Lecture
In the speaking section, you can score 11 marks, and in the listening section, you can earn 9.9 marks. For tasks like describing an image and retelling a lecture, following a template helps avoid fumbling while speaking. You can use any template, but make sure to include relevant phrases from the provided inputs. You can find the templates I’ve shared in the speaking section.
Answer short Questions
You can score only 2.4 marks in the speaking section and 6.6 marks in the listening section. These marks depend entirely on your general knowledge, and you can find many questions online. For ASQ (Answer Short Questions), if you don’t know the answer, simply repeat the question as it evaluates your listening skills, not your general knowledge.
Scoring in PTE Writing Section
| Tasks | Writing | Reading |
| Summarize Written Text | 10.4 | 10.3 |
| Essay | 11.2 | |
| Reading Section | 22.3 | |
| Listening Section | 46.1 | |
| Total | 90 | 10.3 |
Even though the writing section has only two tasks worth 20 marks, the tasks in the reading and listening sections offer more marks. Summarize written text contributes 10 marks to the reading section.
Scoring in PTE Reading Section
| Tasks | Reading | Writing |
| Fill in the Blanks (drag and drop) | 14.8 | |
| Fill in the Blanks (drop-down) | 22.1 | 22.3 |
| Re-order Paragraphs | 5.8 | |
| Multiple Choice – Single Answer | 1.5 | |
| Multiple Choice – Multiple Answers | 3 | |
| Speaking Section | 22.1 | |
| Writing Section | 10.3 | |
| Listening Section | 10.4 | |
| Total | 90 | 22.3 |
Fill in the blanks (drag and drop) – This task is scored exclusively in the reading section.
Fill in the blanks (drop-down) – The task carries nearly equal marks for both reading and writing sections.
Reorder paragraph is only scored in the reading section.
MCQ single and multiple – We can focus more on the other tasks and give less importance to these two tasks. As the reading section takes time, we should limit ourselves to a maximum of 2 minutes for each question in these two tasks and concentrate on the others. The majority of the marks will come from the other three sections.
Scoring in PTE Listening Section
The last section is listening, with more tasks. But we can prioritize by spending less time on sections with fewer marks.
| Tasks | Listening | Writing | Reading |
| Summarize Spoken Text | 13.1 | 11.9 | |
| Multiple Choice – Multiple Answers | 2.6 | ||
| Fill in the Blanks | 6.6 | 7.4 | |
| Highlight Correct Summary | 1.3 | 1.5 | |
| Multiple Choice – Single Answer | 1.3 | ||
| Select Missing Word | 1.3 | ||
| Highlight Incorrect Words | 7.9 | 8.9 | |
| Write From Dictation | 19.7 | 26.8 | |
| Speaking Section | 36.2 | ||
| Total | 90 | 46.1 | 10.4 |
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For writing, summarize spoken text, fill in the blanks, and write from dictation are important. In reading, Highlight incorrect words is crucial. The other sections have fewer marks, so we should allocate time accordingly based on the provided time.
Spend less time on highlight correct summary (HCS) as it has fewer marks (1.3 for listening, 1.5 for reading). Allocate at least 4 minutes for write from dictation (WFD) since it has more marks for listening and writing. Focus on completing tasks quickly for the less important ones and devote more time to others with higher marks.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, knowing how PTE is scored is important for achieving a good score. Focus on tasks with more marks, manage time wisely, and practice fluency for better results.
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