Glossary term

Erasable Noteboard

The erasable noteboard is the booklet and pen provided at every PTE test centre for taking notes during the test. It can be used from the moment any audio starts, is essential on Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion, Summarize Spoken Text and the listening multiple-choice items, and is the reason those tasks are about note structure rather than memory.

Updated 23 September 2026

In plain language

You get a wipe-clean booklet. Use it for structure, three words a line, on every task with audio, and ask for a fresh one if it fills.

Where you meet it

Not applicable. Notes are not collected or scored; they exist only to help your response.

What to write

Structure, not transcript. On a lecture: the topic in three words at the top, then one line per main point with a detail beside it. On a group discussion: a column per speaker with their position and one reason, and arrows between columns where one speaker answered another. On a listening multiple-choice item: the option letters down the left, with a tick or a cross as the speaker addresses each. On listening blanks: the first three letters of each gap word as it passes.

A full page is the sign of transcription, which means the second half of the audio was missed. Three to five short lines is the target on most tasks.

Speaking and writing from notes

Notes are for glancing at, not reading. On the speaking tasks, look at the next point and say a whole sentence about it while looking away from the page; reading notes aloud produces the staccato delivery and pauses that the fluency descriptors penalise. On the writing tasks, tick each note line against a sentence before Next, because a missing line is a missing aspect under the Content descriptors.

If the booklet fills, raise a hand for a replacement rather than writing smaller. Erase between items only if you need the space; there is no requirement to.

The numbers that matter

Provided	At the test centre, with an erasable pen
Usable	Throughout the test, from the start of any audio
Essential on	Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion, Summarize Spoken Text, Listening Multiple Choice
Useful on	Listening Fill in the Blanks, Highlight Correct Summary, Describe Image planning
Not useful on	Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Answer Short Question, the reading items

Worked example

Two sets of notes for one lecture

Learner A writes sentences for the first forty seconds and has nothing from the last fifty. Learner B writes “clouds — 3 ingredients / vapour / cooling — air rises / nuclei — dust salt / no nuclei no cloud”, five lines across the whole lecture, and speaks from them in order. B’s retelling has every main point and the conclusion; A’s stops halfway.

What it shows: The noteboard rewards the learner who writes less and listens more.

Tasks where it applies

Frequently asked questions

Can I take notes during PTE?

Yes. An erasable noteboard and pen are provided at the centre and can be used throughout the test, including during audio. Notes are not collected or scored.

Which PTE tasks should I take notes on?

Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion, Summarize Spoken Text and the listening multiple-choice items, where the audio is long and the response depends on structure. Short notes also help on Listening Fill in the Blanks and Highlight Correct Summary. Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence and Answer Short Question are better without.

What if my noteboard runs out of space?

Raise a hand and ask the invigilator for a replacement. Do not write smaller or erase in the middle of an item.