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. 12 of the 22 tasks feed a second section score — Read Aloud lifts your Reading, Write From Dictation lifts your Writing, and so on. If you're short on time, practise the double-scoring tasks first. They're marked feeds 2 scores below.
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.