Major PTE Update 2025: Explore the Two New Speaking Tasks and How to Tackle Them
If you’re planning to take the Pearson Test of English (PTE) after August 7th, 2025, you’ll need to be ready for a big change. The PTE Two New Speaking Tasks 2025 have been introduced to make the test more relevant to how we actually use English in everyday life. Unlike previous tasks that focused mostly on grammar and pronunciation, these new tasks test your ability to think on your feet, respond appropriately, and engage in realistic conversations—just like you would in real-world situations like work, study, or travel. In this blog, we’ll walk you through these updates, explain the changes, and give you practical tips to prepare for them.
🎯 Why Pearson Introduced These New Tasks
The old PTE Speaking tasks were fine, but they often felt a bit mechanical. Repeating sentences and reading text aloud tested language basics but didn’t measure how well you could engage in actual conversations. With the PTE Two New Speaking Tasks 2025, Pearson aims to:
- Test your ability to think quickly and speak naturally in spontaneous situations.
- Evaluate how well you can respond appropriately to a variety of social and professional scenarios.
- Mirror real-life communication, from academic discussions to social interactions you’ll encounter abroad.
These updates make the test more realistic, reflecting the way you’ll need to use English in real-life environments, whether in class, at work, or while traveling.
🆕 What Are the PTE Two New Speaking Tasks 2025?
Pearson has replaced some older tasks with two new ones that focus on real-world communication:
- Summarize Group Discussion
- Respond to a Situation
Let’s take a look at each one in detail, so you know exactly what to expect.
🗣️ Task 1: Summarize Group Discussion
Here’s What Happens:
- You’ll listen to a 2-3 minute conversation where multiple speakers discuss a topic.
- After the audio ends, you get 10 seconds to prepare.
- Then, you have up to 2 minutes to summarize the discussion in a clear, neutral way.
Skills This Task Measures:
- Active listening to understand different points of view.
- The ability to summarize information clearly and concisely.
- Using formal and academic language to present the summary.
How to Prepare:
- Listen to group discussions on podcasts, debates, or news programs and practice summarizing them aloud.
- Take quick notes with key points and speaker initials to keep track of the discussion.
- Structure your summary with phrases like:
- “The group discussed…”
- “One speaker argued that…”
- “Another participant added that…”
- “To summarize, the discussion highlighted…”
- “The group discussed…”
What Not to Do:
- Don’t add your own opinions—just focus on what the speakers said.
- Don’t mix up different speakers’ viewpoints—keep each opinion separate.
- Avoid informal language—keep your tone academic and neutral.
🎤 Task 2: Respond to a Situation
Here’s What Happens:
- You’ll hear a 20-30 second audio describing a real-world scenario (e.g., a workplace issue, a customer complaint, or a social situation).
- A related prompt will appear on the screen asking you to respond.
- You’ll have 10 seconds to think, then 40 seconds to respond naturally and appropriately.
Skills This Task Measures:
- Your ability to think quickly and speak clearly under time pressure.
- Fluency and pronunciation while providing a socially appropriate and polite response.
- How well you maintain composure and clarity in a situation.
How to Prepare:
- Practice responding to various real-life scenarios, like addressing complaints, making polite requests, or offering advice.
- Record your responses and listen back to see how you can improve fluency and tone.
- Use phrases like:
- “I completely understand…”
- “Let me help with that…”
- “Would you like me to explain further?”
- “I completely understand…”
What Not to Do:
- Don’t use slang unless it’s necessary for the situation.
- Don’t overthink your response—just speak naturally.
- Avoid memorized responses—they often sound forced and unnatural.
💡 Why These Tasks Make the PTE More Realistic
The PTE Two New Speaking Tasks 2025 are designed to bring the test closer to real-life English usage. Rather than just focusing on repeating words or reading aloud, these tasks assess your ability to:
- Engage in discussions and understand multiple perspectives.
- React quickly and appropriately to common situations, like in meetings or social conversations.
- Communicate clearly and confidently, whether you’re answering questions, summarizing ideas, or addressing problems.
These tasks make the PTE a more accurate measure of how well you can use English in both academic and everyday contexts.
📌 Format Breakdown
Summarize Group Discussion
- Audio: 2-3 minutes
- Prep Time: 10 seconds
- Speaking Time: 2 minutes
- Tone: Formal, neutral, academic
- Focus: Listening, summarizing, and using professional language
Respond to a Situation
- Audio: 20-30 seconds
- Prep Time: 10 seconds
- Speaking Time: 40 seconds
- Tone: Polite, natural, situational
- Focus: Quick thinking, fluency, and appropriateness
🎯 Key Scoring Elements
Your score will depend on:
- Content Relevance: Did you stay on topic and answer the prompt properly?
- Fluency: Was your speech smooth, clear, and confident?
- Pronunciation: Was your speech easy to understand?
- Appropriateness: Did you use the right tone and language for the situation?
Both AI and human raters will work together to ensure a fair and accurate assessment.
📚 Top Preparation Tips for the PTE Two New Speaking Tasks 2025
- Practice Active Listening
- Listen to podcasts, debates, or group discussions, and practice summarizing what you hear. Focus on identifying key points and how the speakers express them.
- Listen to podcasts, debates, or group discussions, and practice summarizing what you hear. Focus on identifying key points and how the speakers express them.
- Role-Play Real-Life Scenarios
- Use apps or practice with a partner to simulate real-life situations, like addressing customer complaints or making requests. Time yourself to make sure you respond naturally under pressure.
- Use apps or practice with a partner to simulate real-life situations, like addressing customer complaints or making requests. Time yourself to make sure you respond naturally under pressure.
- Stay Organized
- Organize your thoughts using a clear structure: Introduction → Main Point → Support → Conclusion. This will help keep your responses clear and logical.
- Organize your thoughts using a clear structure: Introduction → Main Point → Support → Conclusion. This will help keep your responses clear and logical.
- Speak Daily
- Make speaking English a daily habit—whether by reading aloud, talking to yourself, or practicing with a friend. Fluency improves with consistent practice.
- Make speaking English a daily habit—whether by reading aloud, talking to yourself, or practicing with a friend. Fluency improves with consistent practice.
- Record and Review Your Responses
- Record your practice responses and listen to them to evaluate your fluency, tone, and clarity. Work on any areas where you feel less confident.
- Record your practice responses and listen to them to evaluate your fluency, tone, and clarity. Work on any areas where you feel less confident.
🧠 Bonus: Useful Phrases for the New Tasks
For Summarizing Discussions:
- “The group discussed…”
- “One speaker mentioned that…”
- “Another participant pointed out…”
- “In conclusion, the group had different views on…”
For Responding to Situations:
- “I completely understand…”
- “Let me handle that for you…”
- “That’s an excellent question—here’s my suggestion…”
✅ Final Thoughts
The PTE Two New Speaking Tasks 2025 bring a much-needed shift toward testing your ability to communicate naturally and effectively in real-life situations. These tasks focus on the skills that matter most for success in both academic and everyday environments: listening, thinking quickly, responding appropriately, and speaking clearly. Start practicing now, and you’ll feel confident and prepared for the test.
