All PTE Listening tests
16 tests · Test 1 of each exam is free
PTE Academic listening tests
(8)16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
16 questions · 40 min · audio provided
PTE Listening task guides
Templates, scoring and tips for every listening task type.
PTE listening format: the task types, and the one that counts twice
PTE Academic Listening covers Summarize Spoken Text, Multiple Choice (multiple and single answer), Fill in the Blanks, Highlight Correct Summary, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words and Write from Dictation. The rule that shapes every one of them: each audio plays only once, so note-taking is a scored skill here rather than a study habit.
Write from Dictation is the highest-value task in the section, and often in the whole test. It contributes to both your Listening and your Writing scores, and it uses partial credit, awarding a mark for every word spelled and placed correctly. A sentence you get 80% right still pays.
Summarize Spoken Text is the other one worth drilling deliberately: a 60 to 90 second lecture, then a 50 to 70 word summary in 10 minutes, with form scored on staying inside that range. The method is in the Summarize Spoken Text guide and the Write from Dictation guide.
PTE listening tips for audio that plays once
- Write while you listen, not after. There is no replay, so notes taken during the audio are the only record you get. Capture nouns, numbers and the shape of the argument rather than trying to transcribe.
- Treat Write from Dictation as spelling practice. Every correctly spelled, correctly placed word scores, so partial recall is still worth typing out in full.
- Protect the 50 to 70 word range. In Summarize Spoken Text, form is scored, so a summary outside the range loses a mark that accurate content will not recover.
- In Highlight Incorrect Words, follow the text with your eyes at the speaker's pace. Falling behind is what causes missed words, not vocabulary.
- Do not over-select. As in Reading, wrongly chosen options in the multiple-answer tasks cost you marks you had already earned.
Prefer to study a worked example before you start? Go through the PTE listening sample questions with answers first.
PTE listening FAQ
What is in the PTE listening section?
PTE Academic Listening covers Summarize Spoken Text, Multiple Choice (multiple and single answer), Fill in the Blanks, Highlight Correct Summary, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words and Write from Dictation. Each audio plays only once.
How long should a Summarize Spoken Text answer be?
Between 50 and 70 words, written as a single paragraph, after a 60 to 90 second lecture, with 10 minutes to write it. Falling outside that range is penalised on form even when the content is accurate.
Why is Write from Dictation important in PTE?
It contributes to both your Listening and your Writing scores and uses partial credit, awarding a mark for every word spelled and placed correctly. That combination makes it the highest-value task in the listening section and one of the best uses of practice time in the whole test.
Can I replay the audio in PTE listening?
No. Every audio plays once only, which is why note-taking during the recording is treated as a core listening skill rather than an optional technique.
How can I improve my PTE listening score?
Drill Write from Dictation for spelling accuracy, because it pays into two modules at once. Practise taking structured notes while the audio runs rather than after it. And protect the scored form criteria, particularly the 50 to 70 word range in Summarize Spoken Text.