PTE Academic 2026: the complete, current exam guide

What it tests

What is assessed

• Content — how accurately the words are read
• Pronunciation
• Oral fluency

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Racing through the text to “sound fluent” and swallowing word endings
• Stopping to self-correct a single word — the restart hurts fluency more than the error
• Ignoring punctuation, so the reading has no natural phrasing

PTE Junction strategy

• Use the prep time to chunk the text into meaning groups (3–6 words) and mark where you will breathe.
• Keep a steady, conversational pace — consistency beats speed.
• If you mispronounce a word, keep going. Never go back.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Content — correct word sequences
• Pronunciation
• Oral fluency

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Trying to memorise individual words instead of meaning chunks
• Going silent after forgetting the second half
• Speaking in a flat, robotic rhythm that sounds nothing like the audio

PTE Junction strategy

• Listen for 2–3 meaning chunks, not 12 separate words.
• Copy the speaker’s rhythm and intonation — shadowing practice builds this fast.
• If you lose part of the sentence, keep speaking fluently with what you remember.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Content — a complete, logical description
• Pronunciation
• Oral fluency

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Reciting a memorised template that says nothing specific about the image
• Listing every number instead of the key trends and comparisons
• Running out of time before giving an overall conclusion

PTE Junction strategy

• Use a simple 5-step structure: what it shows → main feature → detail → detail → conclusion.
• Name real values and comparisons from the image — generic filler is easy for content scoring to spot.
• Aim to finish just before 40 seconds with a clear concluding sentence.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Content — accuracy of the main points
• Pronunciation
• Oral fluency

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Writing full sentences in your notes and missing the next idea
• Opening with a long memorised introduction that uses up your 40 seconds
• Repeating random keywords without connecting them

PTE Junction strategy

• Note-take in keywords and arrows: topic → point 1 → point 2 → implication.
• Say what the lecture was about in one sentence, then cover 2–3 main points in your own words.
• Link ideas with simple connectors: “because”, “as a result”, “however”.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Whether the answer is appropriate (vocabulary & comprehension)

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Answering in a full sentence and running out of time
• Hesitating while thinking of a “better” word

PTE Junction strategy

• Answer with the single best word or short phrase — nothing more is needed.
• Build everyday academic vocabulary (shapes, time, science, places, professions).

What it tests

What is assessed

• Content — main points, speakers’ views and how they relate, paraphrased
• Pronunciation
• Oral fluency

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Summarising only the first speaker because notes collapsed after 60 seconds
• Not showing agreement / disagreement between speakers
• Using a memorised script that doesn’t reflect this discussion

PTE Junction strategy

• Use a 3-column note grid — one column per speaker — with the topic across the top.
• Structure: topic → speaker A’s view → B’s view (agree/disagree) → C’s view → overall conclusion.
• Use relationship language: “builds on”, “challenges”, “agrees with”, “raises a concern about”.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Content — relevance and appropriateness of the response
• Pronunciation
• Oral fluency

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Describing the situation instead of responding to the person in it
• Forgetting to address every part of the prompt (e.g. apologise AND suggest a solution)
• Using an over-formal or over-casual tone for the context

PTE Junction strategy

• Identify: who am I speaking to, what is the problem, what do I need to achieve?
• Respond in role: greet → state the issue → give a reason → propose a solution → polite close.
• Match the tone — a friend, a lecturer and a landlord need different language.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Content
• Form — one sentence, 5–75 words
• Grammar
• Vocabulary

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Writing two sentences, or a sentence joined by commas that isn’t grammatical
• Copying the first line of the passage instead of summarising the whole text
• Going outside the 5–75 word range

PTE Junction strategy

• Find the main idea + 2 supporting points, then join them with “while”, “because”, “and”, “which”.
• Paraphrase key phrases rather than stitching copied fragments together.
• Check: one full stop, one main clause, word count in range, spelling.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Content
• Development, structure & coherence
• Form — word count
• General linguistic range
• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Spelling

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Filling the essay with memorised template sentences that don’t answer the question
• Going far over 300 words and introducing more errors
• No clear position, or body paragraphs that don’t support it

PTE Junction strategy

• Spend 2–3 minutes planning: position + two reasons + one example each.
• Four paragraphs: introduction with position, two body paragraphs, conclusion.
• Keep 2 minutes to proofread spelling, agreement and articles.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Reading — correct word for each blank

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Choosing a word that “sounds right” without checking grammar around the gap
• Ignoring collocations (e.g. “conduct research”, not “make research”)
• Spending too long on one blank and rushing the rest of the section

PTE Junction strategy

• Check grammar first (part of speech, singular/plural, tense), then meaning, then collocation.
• Read the full sentence — clues often come after the gap.
• Build a personal collocation list from every practice set you get wrong.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Reading — correct options selected

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Selecting three or four options “to be safe” — wrong choices are penalised
• Spending five minutes on one question in a timed section

PTE Junction strategy

• Only select options you can prove from the text. One confident answer is often the smart choice.
• Set a personal time cap and move on.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Reading — correctly ordered adjacent pairs

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Treating it as all-or-nothing and panicking when unsure of the full order
• Ignoring pronouns and articles that link sentences

PTE Junction strategy

• Find the independent opening sentence (introduces the topic, no “this/these/however”).
• Link pairs using pronouns, articles (“a” → “the”), time markers and connectors.
• Lock in the pairs you are sure of — partial credit rewards correct pairs.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Reading — correct word in each blank

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Filling blanks in order instead of starting with the easiest
• Using a word twice or forgetting a blank

PTE Junction strategy

• Fill the blanks you are most confident about first to shrink the options.
• Use part-of-speech elimination: noun gap → cross out verbs and adjectives.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Reading — correct option

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Over-investing time in a single-answer task

PTE Junction strategy

• Read the question first, scan for the relevant part, eliminate two options, decide and move on.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Content
• Form — 50–70 words
• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Spelling

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Writing under 50 or over 70 words
• Listing keywords without grammatical sentences
• Spelling errors in key terms

PTE Junction strategy

• Note the topic, 2–3 main points and the conclusion.
• Write 2–3 connected sentences, then check word count and spelling.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Listening — correct options selected

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Selecting extra options without evidence

PTE Junction strategy

• Preview options before the audio; select only what you clearly heard.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Listening — each correctly spelled word

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Misspelling a word you heard correctly
• Losing your place in the transcript

PTE Junction strategy

• Follow the transcript with your cursor; type the first letters quickly, then complete spelling after the audio.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Listening & reading — correct summary

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Choosing the option with the most matching keywords rather than the correct overall meaning

PTE Junction strategy

• Note the main idea in 5 words, then eliminate options that are too narrow, wrong, or add new information.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Listening — correct option

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Deciding before the audio ends

PTE Junction strategy

• Preview the question, listen to the end, then eliminate.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Listening — correct option

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Losing focus near the end, where the key context is

PTE Junction strategy

• Track the direction of the argument — the missing words usually complete its logic.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Listening & reading — correctly identified words

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Clicking words “just in case” — wrong clicks are penalised
• Falling behind the speaker

PTE Junction strategy

• Keep your cursor moving word by word with the audio; click only clear differences.

What it tests

What is assessed

• Listening & writing — each correct word

Scoring (Pearson)

Common mistakes

• Missing plural “s” and past-tense “-ed” endings
• Spelling errors in common academic words
• Panicking after missing one word

PTE Junction strategy

• Type the first letter of each word as you hear it, then complete the words immediately.
• Check grammar: subject–verb agreement, plurals and articles usually reveal the missing word.
• Practise with high-frequency academic vocabulary until spelling is automatic.