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PTE Academic — Speaking

Anyone aged 16 or over with a valid passport can book PTE Academic; candidates under 18 need parental consent. It is accepted for Australian, New Zealand, UK and Canadian study and migration visas and by thousands of universities. The speaking tasks sit inside the combined speaking and writing section, which runs roughly fifty-four to sixty-seven minutes, and scores are typically released within two days.

Study-abroad and migration candidates, 16 years and above 4 rounds · ≈ 12 min 5 subjects 1 language 2-member panel or 1:1
2 AI interviewers · hand over between rounds

From our research

What this interview looks like

All four tests deliver their speaking section on a computer with a microphone, strict per-task timing and no human examiner in the room; responses are scored by automated systems, with human raters also involved for TOEFL, Duolingo and CELPIP. PTE Academic's speaking tasks are read aloud, repeat sentence, describe image, retell lecture and answer short question, with Pearson adding respond to a situation and summarise group discussion to the speaking and writing section in 2025; each item is scored on content, oral fluency and pronunciation and the section reports on the 10 to 90 scale. TOEFL iBT speaking has long run four tasks in about sixteen minutes, one independent opinion task and three integrated tasks built on a campus conversation or an academic lecture, scored 0 to 30; ETS has announced a redesigned, shorter TOEFL for 2026, so candidates should check the current task list on the ETS site. The Duolingo English Test is adaptive and mixes read aloud, listen then speak, speak about the photo and a longer speaking sample into a roughly one-hour test scored 10 to 160. CELPIP General speaking has eight tasks in fifteen to twenty minutes, from giving advice to describing an unusual situation, and reports levels 1 to 12. The ExamPilot mock compresses this into twelve minutes with one examiner who runs a mic check, three or four timed tasks of the task type you choose, then two or three independent prompts in your test's style, and scores you on pronunciation, oral fluency, content and accuracy, and vocabulary and grammar.

How it is weighted

Speaking is one of the four communicative skills reported on the 10 to 90 scale, alongside listening, reading and writing, and it also feeds the enabling-skill scores for pronunciation and oral fluency. Each speaking item is scored by Pearson's automated system on content, oral fluency and pronunciation, and several speaking items also contribute to the listening and reading scores. Universities and visa authorities usually set a minimum in every communicative skill, commonly 50 to 65 for study and 65 or 79 for skilled migration points.

Who this is for

Anyone aged 16 or over with a valid passport can book PTE Academic; candidates under 18 need parental consent. It is accepted for Australian, New Zealand, UK and Canadian study and migration visas and by thousands of universities. The speaking tasks sit inside the combined speaking and writing section, which runs roughly fifty-four to sixty-seven minutes, and scores are typically released within two days.

The panel focuses on

  • Reading a sixty-word paragraph fluently with every word pronounced
  • Repeating a heard sentence word for word without paraphrasing
  • Describing a chart's topic, extremes, trend and conclusion inside forty seconds
  • Retelling a lecture's key points in continuous speech
  • Answering general-knowledge questions in one word or phrase
  • Starting on time and never falling silent for three seconds

Step 1

Pick your subject

The expert on the panel probes these areas at the level of this post. Optional here; you can choose during setup.

Step 2

Choose how you want to be interviewed

What to expect

4 rounds · 12 minutes

A one-on-one simulation of the speaking section of a computer-delivered English test: PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, the Duolingo English Test or CELPIP. A language examiner runs a short mic check and instructions, then delivers three or four timed tasks from the candidate's test family (read aloud, repeat sentence, describe image, retell lecture, answer short question, or the TOEFL, Duolingo and CELPIP equivalents), followed by two or three longer independent speaking prompts where the candidate states and supports an opinion, speaks about a topic, gives advice or describes a scene. The examiner reads every stimulus aloud exactly as the test would present it on screen, keeps strict time, and does not teach or correct during the test. Scoring follows the four traits the real automated scorers measure: pronunciation, oral fluency, content and accuracy, and vocabulary and grammar.

  1. Round 1

    Mic check and instructions

    · 1:00

    Confirm the candidate can be heard clearly, settle them, and set the rules of the test: timed tasks, no repetition of stimuli, the examiner will not help or correct during the test.

    Ms. Nandita Rao    1–2 questions
  2. Round 2

    Timed test tasks

    · 5:00

    Deliver three or four timed tasks of the candidate's chosen task type exactly as the real test does, so the candidate practises the mechanics: beginning promptly, reproducing text accurately, picking the key data from an image, retelling a lecture, or answering in one phrase.

    Ms. Nandita Rao    3–4 questions
  3. Round 3

    Independent speaking prompts

    · 5:00

    Elicit two or three longer stretches of speech on opinion, advice or description prompts, so fluency, development, vocabulary range and grammatical control can be judged beyond reproduction tasks.

    Ms. Nandita Rao    2–3 questionsup to 1 follow-up each
  4. Round 4

    End of test

    · 1:00

    End the test neutrally, the way a real test centre does, and tell the candidate their scored report follows.

    Ms. Nandita Rao    1–1 questions

Sample questions

PTE / TOEFL Speaking PTE Academic interview questions

Questions panels commonly ask in the PTE / TOEFL Speaking PTE Academic interview, with what a strong answer covers. Practise them aloud with the AI panel.

  1. Read aloud

    Read aloud: Mangrove forests protect coastal villages by slowing storm surges, trapping sediment and sheltering young fish, yet large stretches along India's eastern coast have been cleared for aquaculture and construction.

    What a strong answer covers

    Use the preparation time to spot difficult words such as asphalt and surrounding, then read at a steady, natural pace in meaningful chunks, pausing at commas. Every word should be pronounced; a smooth delivery scores better than a fast one. Avoid long hesitations, restarting a sentence or skipping words you are unsure of.

  2. Repeat sentence

    Repeat sentence: The library will extend its opening hours during the final examination period.

    What a strong answer covers

    Listen for the meaning, not individual words, then repeat the whole sentence word for word with the same rhythm and stress, starting promptly. If you miss a word, keep going smoothly rather than stopping. Avoid paraphrasing, changing word order or pausing for more than three seconds, which ends the recording.

  3. Describe image

    Describe image: a bar chart compares average monthly rainfall in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai from June to September. Describe it in forty seconds.

    What a strong answer covers

    Start with what the chart shows, then name the highest and lowest values with approximate figures, describe the main trend or contrast, such as Mumbai peaking in July, and finish with a one-line conclusion. Keep speaking fluently. Avoid listing every bar or stopping silently while you search for an exact number.

  4. Retell lecture

    Retell lecture: you have heard a short talk on why honeybee populations are declining. Retell the lecture in your own words.

    What a strong answer covers

    Note keywords while listening, then deliver a structured retell: the topic, two or three main causes such as pesticides, habitat loss and disease, and the speaker's conclusion or implication, in continuous speech for most of the forty seconds. Avoid starting late, reading random keywords without sentences or long silences.

  5. Answer short question

    Answer short question: what do we call the instrument that doctors use to listen to a patient's heartbeat?

    What a strong answer covers

    Answer immediately with one word or a short phrase: stethoscope. Clear pronunciation matters more than a full sentence. If unsure, give your best guess rather than staying silent. Avoid long explanations, which waste time and do not earn extra marks.

  6. Answer short question

    Answer short question: if today is Friday, what day was it three days ago?

    What a strong answer covers

    Answer promptly with one word: Tuesday. Work it out quickly and speak clearly. Avoid thinking aloud or adding unnecessary words, and do not remain silent if you are unsure.

  7. Respond to a situation

    Respond to a situation: your classmate missed an important lecture and asks you for help. Explain what was covered and offer to share your notes.

    What a strong answer covers

    Respond as if speaking to the classmate: greet, summarise two or three main points of the lecture, offer your notes and suggest a time to meet. Keep it natural and fluent, covering every element. Avoid off-topic content or a very short response.

  8. Summarise group discussion

    Summarise group discussion: you have heard three students discuss whether online classes should replace classroom lectures. Summarise the discussion.

    What a strong answer covers

    Identify each speaker's main view and reason, note any agreement or conclusion, and present it in a clear, connected summary within the time limit. Use linking words like whereas and however. Avoid giving your own opinion or listing random words.

  9. Describe image

    Describe image: a pie chart shows how a university student spends a typical weekday. Describe it.

    What a strong answer covers

    Begin with an overview, then highlight the largest and smallest segments with approximate percentages, make one comparison and conclude. Speak continuously with clear pronunciation. Avoid listing every slice mechanically or long pauses.

Reading is not rehearsing. Answer these out loud to an AI PTE / TOEFL Speaking PTE Academic panel that follows up like the real one.

Practise these questions

Meet the panel

Your AI interviewers

Distinct personas, voices and questioning styles, briefed on this post.

Ms. Nandita Rao

Chair

Language expert

PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT trainer and mock examiner, test-prep academy (Hyderabad); CELTA-certified

Precise, unhurried, neutral in the test and exact in the report.

Female voice · 1 languages

Mr. Joseph D'Souza

Language expert

Speaking examiner and IELTS, PTE and CELPIP coach, language centre (Bengaluru); formerly a university communication-skills lecturer

Calm, formal, even-toned, attentive to fluency and listenability.

Male voice · 1 languages

Languages

Answer in the language you think in

The panel asks in your chosen language. Switch mid-answer if you like.

  • English

How scoring works

A report you can act on

  1. Every round is scored on the rubric

    Each interviewer scores only the criteria their round covers. Weights add up to your overall score out of 100.

  2. Only what you actually said counts

    Feedback quotes your own answers. Rounds you skip show as “Not assessed” rather than a zero.

  3. Communication is always measured

    Fluency, clarity, confidence and structure are tracked across the whole interview, in any language.

  4. Pass mark, then a plan

    You see the pass mark for this interview, your gaps, and the courses that close them fastest.

Scored on

  • Pronunciation25%

    Speech is intelligible to a regular listener: vowels and consonants are produced clearly, word stress and sentence stress fall in the right places, and intonation is natural. PTE scores this 0 to 5 on how native-like and consistently intelligible the speech is, and marks down mispronounced or dropped words in read aloud and repeat sentence. TOEFL raters score delivery on a 0 to 4 scale for clarity and the listener effort required. Duolingo and CELPIP both grade intelligibility over accent. A regional Indian accent is not penalised; unclear or swallowed syllables, wrong stress on multi-syllable academic words and a flat monotone are.

  • Oral fluency25%

    Smooth, effortless speech at a natural pace with phrasing that follows meaning. PTE's fluency trait, scored 0 to 5, penalises hesitations, false starts, repetitions and self-corrections heavily, and rewards continuous speech even when content is thin. TOEFL delivery looks for sustained, well-paced speech with only minor pauses. Duolingo measures speaking time and continuity in the speaking sample. CELPIP grades listenability, including whether the response fills the allotted time. Red flags: long silences at the start, uh and um fillers, restarting sentences, running out of things to say well before time.

  • Content and accuracy30%

    The response does the task. In read aloud and repeat sentence, content is the proportion of words reproduced correctly in sequence. In describe image and retell lecture, PTE awards content for naming the topic, the key figures or points, trends or relationships and a conclusion or implication. In answer short question it is the single correct word or phrase. For TOEFL independent tasks, topic development means a clear position with reasons and a specific example; for integrated tasks, accurate relay of the reading and listening points and how they connect. Duolingo and CELPIP reward relevant, developed, task-complete answers. Red flags: paraphrasing instead of reading, inventing numbers not in the stimulus, answering a different question, generic content with no detail.

  • Vocabulary and grammar20%

    Range and control of language appropriate to an academic or everyday register. PTE scores grammar and vocabulary within the enabling skills on retell lecture and describe image. TOEFL language use, scored 0 to 4, rewards a mix of simple and complex structures used accurately and precise word choice. Duolingo's production subscore and CELPIP's vocabulary and listenability bands reward varied, precise wording. Red flags: repeated basic errors in tense, agreement and articles; memorised templates recited regardless of the stimulus; the same connector used in every sentence; wrong collocations that obscure meaning.

Pass mark 60 / 100 · Computer-based speaking test — timed tasks with an AI examiner

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