Read Aloud
6–7 items · credits Speaking + Reading
Prep 30–40 seconds · recording stops after 3 seconds of silence
PTE Core task library
Practise every PTE Core question type by skill.
Practise the PTE Core task set by skill — including the Core-specific writing and speaking tasks, such as Write Email and Respond to a Situation, that do not appear in PTE Academic.
Part 1 · 50–65 min
Speaking and Writing
A per-item timer on every task: Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Respond to a Situation and Answer Short Question, then Summarize Written Text and Write Email.
Repeat Sentence
10–12 items · credits Speaking + Listening
Audio 3–9 seconds · 15 seconds
Describe Image
3–4 items · credits Speaking
Prep 25 seconds · 40 seconds
Answer Short Question
5–6 items · credits Listening + Speaking
Audio 3–9 seconds · 10 seconds — one word or a few words
Respond to a Situation Core
2–4 items · credits Speaking
Prep 20 seconds · 40 seconds
Summarize Written Text Core
1–2 items · credits Reading + Writing
10 minutes
Write Email
2–3 items · credits Writing
9 minutes
Part 2 · 27–37 min
Reading
Five task types on one shared clock. No returning to an item once you click Next.
Reading Multiple Choice (Single)
1–2 items
Shared Reading clock
Reading Multiple Choice (Multiple)
1–2 items
Shared Reading clock
Re-order Paragraphs
2–3 items
Shared Reading clock
Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop)
4–5 items
Shared Reading clock
Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)
5–6 items · credits Reading + Writing
Shared Reading clock
Part 3 · 22–37 min
Listening
Summarize Spoken Text on its own eight-minute timer, then six task types on a shared clock, ending with Write From Dictation.
Summarize Spoken Text Core
1–2 items · credits Listening + Writing
8 minutes, on its own timer
Listening Multiple Choice (Multiple)
1–2 items
Audio 80–120 seconds · Shared Listening clock
Listening Multiple Choice (Single)
1–2 items
Audio 30–90 seconds · Shared Listening clock
Select Missing Word
1–2 items
Audio 20–70 seconds · Shared Listening clock
Listening Fill in the Blanks
2–3 items · credits Listening + Writing
Audio 30–60 seconds · Shared Listening clock
Highlight Incorrect Words
1–2 items · credits Listening + Reading
Audio 15–50 seconds · Shared Listening clock
Write From Dictation
3–4 items · credits Listening + Writing
Audio 3–5 seconds · Shared Listening clock
Where the marks are
IRCC converts each skill separately and the lowest skill sets your level, so the tasks that feed that skill are the plan. Two tasks feed two skills each and have the most items.
- Repeat Sentence10–12
- Read Aloud6–7
- Answer Short Question5–6
- Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)5–6
- Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop)4–5
- Describe Image3–4
- Respond to a Situation Core2–4
- Write From Dictation3–4
- Write Email2–3
- Re-order Paragraphs2–3
Item count is only half the weight: points per item differ, and in Core several tasks count towards Writing as well as their own part; the three under “Carry the most marks” matter most.
- Repeat Sentence10–12 items into Speaking and ListeningPractice set
- Write From Dictation3–4 sentences, about ten points each, into Listening and WritingPractice set
- Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)5–6 passages into Reading and, in Core, WritingPractice set
Fewer items but the widest scales, so a weak Speaking or Writing score usually points here.
Where to start
Three steps, then the task pages do the rest.
Sit the free Core mock
One sitting, all 19 tasks, scored the same way as your practice.
Convert the four scores to CLB
The Core calculator shows which skill caps your level.
Open the tasks that feed that skill
Below: the tasks worth training first for each weakest skill.
Weakest skill
Listening
Weakest skill
Writing
Weakest skill
Speaking
Weakest skill