A single reference for every PTE Academic task's word limit, prep time and answer/record time — grouped by section. Speaking tasks are individually timed; most Reading and Listening tasks share a section timer instead. Cross-linked to each task's full guide.
Read this before the tables so the "section-timed" note makes sense.
Because of that split, a "word limit" and a "time limit" mean different things depending on the task. Spoken tasks give you a fixed number of seconds to record; written tasks give you minutes to type within a word range; and click/drag tasks (multiple choice, re-order, fill in the blanks) have no per-item timer at all — the clock runs on the whole section.
The values below reflect the current PTE Academic format (22 task types since the August 2025 update). Where Pearson does not publish an exact figure, or where it varies by item, we say so rather than invent a number.
Every Speaking task is individually timed. Recording usually starts automatically after a short tone — there is no "submit" button for audio.
| Task | Prep time | Record time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read Aloud | ~30–40 sec | ~40 sec | Prep varies with text length; a progress bar counts down. |
| Repeat Sentence | None | ~15 sec | Audio is ~3–9 sec; recording starts right after the beep. |
| Describe Image | 25 sec | 40 sec | One fixed prep/record window for all image types. |
| Re-tell Lecture | ~10 sec | 40 sec | Lecture audio is ~60–90 sec before prep begins. |
| Answer Short Question | None | ~10 sec | Short audio question; a word or short phrase is enough. |
| Summarize Group Discussion | 10 sec | 2 min | Newer task; you hear a multi-speaker discussion first, then summarise it aloud — up to two full minutes to speak. |
| Respond to a Situation | ~10 sec | 40 sec | Newer task; ~10 sec to read the prompt and hear it, then prep, then record. |
There is no word limit on spoken tasks — most are scored on content, fluency and pronunciation within the record window (Answer Short Question is the exception: it is scored only on whether your answer is right). Filling most of the time with relevant, clear speech matters more than a set word count. See our Speaking score fix guide if your Speaking is lagging your other sections.
Both Writing tasks live in the Speaking & Writing part and have their own timer per item.
| Task | Word limit | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summarize Written Text | 5–75 words | 10 min | Must be one single sentence. A second sentence, or under 5 or over 75 words, scores 0 for Form, so the whole response earns no points. |
| Write Essay | 200–300 words | 20 min | Argumentative essay; 120–199 or 301–380 words drops Form from 2 to 1, and under 120 or over 380 scores 0 for Form, so the whole essay earns no points. Aim ~250–280. |
Word count is shown live on screen for both. The single-sentence rule on Summarize Written Text is the most common silent score-killer — no full stops in the middle, no bullet points.
No individual timer. The whole Reading part shares one clock (roughly ~30 minutes for the section), so you pace yourself across all items.
| Task | Word limit | Per-item timer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| R&W: Fill in the Blanks (dropdowns) | — | Section-timed | Pick from dropdowns; scores Reading only despite the name. |
| Reading: Fill in the Blanks (drag & drop) | — | Section-timed | Drag words into gaps. |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | — | Section-timed | More than one correct option; negative marking applies. |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | — | Section-timed | One correct option. |
| Re-order Paragraphs | — | Section-timed | Drag text boxes into logical order. |
Because the Reading section is shared-timed, the skill is budgeting — don't sink five minutes into one re-order. Our timed drills mimic the shared clock.
The Listening part is mostly section-timed; only Summarize Spoken Text has its own individual timer — every other Listening task shares the section clock, so budget it yourself
| Task | Word limit | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summarize Spoken Text | 50–70 words | 10 min | Individually timed; can be multiple sentences. 40–49 or 71–100 words drops Form from 2 to 1, and under 40 or over 100 scores 0 for Form, so the whole summary earns no points. Audio ~60–90 sec. |
| Listening MC, Multiple Answers | — | Section-timed | Negative marking; audio plays once. |
| Listening MC, Single Answer | — | Section-timed | One correct option. |
| Listening: Fill in the Blanks | — | Section-timed | Type the missing words while/after the audio plays. |
| Select Missing Word | — | Section-timed | Choose the word/phrase that completes the audio. |
| Highlight Correct Summary | — | Section-timed | Pick the paragraph that best matches the audio. |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | — | Section-timed | Click words in the transcript that differ from the audio. |
| Write From Dictation | — | Section-timed | Type the sentence exactly; short audio plays once. |
Only Summarize Spoken Text has a visible 10-minute per-item timer here. Everything else runs on the section clock — but each audio clip plays a single time, so the real constraint is attention, not seconds. Try Write From Dictation practice to build that recall.
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For how these tasks feed your four section scores (and which ones count double), see the 22 task types hub. Planning around Australia? Check the PTE score for Australia PR thresholds.
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