All You Need to Know About the PTE Speaking Section

More than 1 million people prepare for the Pearson Test of English (PTE) exam to test their language skills in speaking, reading, writing and listening. They aim to achieve more than 65 marks out of 90 because it can help them get a work or study visa for top countries like Canada, Australia and many more. So, they work hard to master skills for every section. However, preparing for the PTE speaking section can be challenging for most. Now, you might be thinking, why so? Read this article and know the PTE exam pattern, scoring criteria and tips for the best preparation of the speaking section.

Understanding the PTE Speaking Section

The speaking section plays a crucial role in the PTE exam. It evaluates the English language speaking skills of the test takers. In the PTE exam, this task is taken along with the writing section, and aspirants have 54 to 67 minutes to complete it. Note that the PTE speaking section consists of 15-20 different questions of 8 different types. It makes this section more challenging. Thus, let us know about the questions below. It will help you make a master plan to ace the exam.

• Read Aloud- Read the text loudly that appears on the screen.
• Repeat Sentence- Listen to the audio and repeat the complete sentence.
• Describe Image- Describe the image that appears on the monitor.
• Re-tell the Lecture- Listen to the lecture played and re-tell the lecture in your own words.
• Answer Short Question- Read the different words that appear on the screen and answer them in one word.
• Summarise Group Discussion- Listen to an audio recording and summarise that in your own words. It is the new task added in the speaking section.
• Respond to A Situation- Listen or read a real-life scenario and provide a spoken response.

This was all about the PTE exam pattern of the speaking section. Now, let us move to the next part and understand its scoring criteria. It will help you to make strong strategies to master the speaking section and achieve the highest marks.

PTE Speaking- Scoring Criteria

The speaking section of the PTE exam carries 10-90 marks. These are granted on the basis of the performance of the test takers. However, examiners look mainly for four areas to determine the scores for the PTE speaking section. Let us know about them below. It will help you to master those areas and achieve your dream scores.

Oral Fluency

Firstly, examiners look for the oral fluency of the test takers. So, you must practice speaking at an equal and regular pace. That means you should not be too fast or too slow. Also, it will help you to maintain fluency and increase your chances of getting a high score.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation of the words matters a lot while speaking. Test takers should be loud and clear while answering the questions in the speaking section of the PTE exam. It will help you showcase your confidence while speaking, and it will ultimately impress the examiner.

Grammar

People from non-English-speaking nations struggle to use correct grammar. They get confused in using correct tenses, punctuation and more. So, you must work to improve your grammar to boost your chances of getting a higher PTE score.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is the range of words, idioms and phrases used by test takers while answering the questions in the speaking section of the PTE exam. You must learn new words and practice using idioms and phrases daily. It will improve your English vocabulary and prepare you well for the speaking section.

Test takers must focus on developing the above skills to ace the PTE speaking section, but now, the question is, how? Let's find the answer in this section of the article.

Tips to Excel in the PTE Speaking Section

PTE aspirants follow several methods to prepare for the speaking section. However, some of the best ones are mentioned below. You must know and follow them in your exam preparation and secure the highest marks.

• Understand the exam pattern for the speaking section.
• Practice to keep a simple flow while speaking.
• Try to avoid pauses.
• Maintain a regular flow.
• Avoid repetition of words or sentences.
• Ensure your microphone works properly.
• Practice managing time.
• Use connecting words to maintain connectivity between different sentences.
• Practice speaking tongue twisters to improve pronunciation.
• Solve mock test papers for the best exam preparation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a good score in the PTE exam is the key to unlocking several life-changing opportunities. Every year, test takers prepare well to achieve a minimum of 65+ score. However, tasks in the speaking section of the exam pattern bother them. So, they join PTE teaching classes. Experts guide them to the PTE exam syllabus and help them follow several practices to master it. Hence, it helps the test takers to follow the best practice to prepare for the exam and achieve their dream scores to secure a work or study visa to fly abroad.

I am Prashant Tiwari, a PTE expert specializing in pte coaching online, helping students achieve top scores through proven strategies, personalized guidance, and AI-powered practice.