PTE Academic has 22 task types across Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening. Many guides still say 20 — they haven't been updated since Respond to a Situation and Summarize Group Discussion were added. Here's the complete current list, with timings and, crucially, which tasks count towards two scores at once.
The single most useful thing on this page: PTE is an integrated test. 8 of the 22 tasks feed two section scores at once — Write From Dictation lifts your Listening and your Writing; Summarize Written Text lifts your Reading and your Writing. If you're short on time, practise those first. They're marked feeds 2 scores below.
And one task is stranger than that: Answer Short Question is spoken, but it scores your Listening — not your Speaking at all. It's marked scores a different skill. Every mapping below is taken from the "Communicative skills scored" column of Pearson's own Test Taker Score Guide, not from what practice sites repeat.
A short factual question; answer in one word or a short phrase. All-or-nothing scoring — its only trait is vocabulary, so there is no pronunciation or fluency mark.
A passage with gaps; pick the right word for each from a dropdown. One point per blank. Despite the name, Pearson scores this one under Reading only — it adds nothing to your Writing.
If you only have a few weeks, the maths is simple:
Double-scoring tasks first. Twelve tasks lift two sections at once. Read Aloud and Write From Dictation are the classic examples — cheap to practise, and they move two numbers.
Learn the Form rules cold. Summarize Written Text (one sentence, 5–75 words) and Summarize Spoken Text (50–70 words) hand out zeros for length mistakes, not English mistakes. That's free marks you're throwing away.
Respect negative marking. On the multiple-answer tasks and Highlight Incorrect Words, a wrong pick costs you. Only click what you're sure of.
Never leave single-answer questions blank — no penalty means a guess is free.
Practise every one of the 22
Free practice on every task type, with feedback that explains what went wrong — in English or your language.
The PTE Master is an independent practice platform, not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson. "PTE Academic" is a trademark of its owner. Task names, timings and scoring reflect the current PTE Academic test — always confirm the official format on Pearson's website before test day. Last updated: 17 July 2026.