Unlock Success in PTE Speaking 2025: Updated Tasks & Expert Tips You Need

The Pearson Test of English (PTE) is evolving, and the PTE Academic New Speaking Tips are more important than ever as new updates take effect from 7th August 2025. These changes are designed to test how well you can use English in real-life situations—just like you would in a university lecture, a professional meeting, or casual conversations. In this blog, we'll walk you through these new tasks and give you practical tips to prepare and succeed.

🎯 Why Pearson Made Changes to the Speaking Section

The changes to the PTE Speaking section are all about making the test feel more authentic. Pearson now wants to see how well you:

• Listen and understand different points of view.
  
  
• Respond quickly and clearly in various situations.
  
  
• Communicate effectively in environments like classrooms, workplaces, or everyday social settings.
  
  

The goal is not to test your memorization skills, but how well you can adapt to different communication situations and speak naturally and confidently.

🆕 Overview of the Two New Speaking Tasks

In PTE 2025, you’ll face two new speaking tasks that simulate real-world conversations:

1. Summarize Group Discussion
   
   
2. Respond to a Situation
   
   

These tasks are designed to push your communication skills in a way that reflects everyday life. Let’s break them down and see what you need to know to succeed.

🗣️ Task 1: Summarize Group Discussion

What It Involves:In this task, you’ll listen to a conversation between multiple speakers for about 2-3 minutes. Then, after 10 seconds to prepare, you’ll speak for 2 minutes, summarizing the main points and opinions of the speakers.PTE Academic New Speaking Tips for This Task:

• Label speakers: Mentally assign initials (e.g., Speaker A, Speaker B) to each person speaking, so you can easily keep track of their viewpoints.
  
  
• Focus on key points: Pay attention to major arguments and differences between speakers—this is where the most important information lies.
  
  
• Start with structure: Introduce the discussion formally with phrases like, “The group discussed…” or “The main points raised were…”
  
  
• Stay objective: This is not your opinion—just summarize the key points.
  
  
• Conclude neatly: End your summary with a sentence like, “In conclusion, the group agreed that…”
  
  

This task is about summarizing the conversation in a clear and organized way, so your response should be both structured and to the point.

🎤 Task 2: Respond to a Situation

What It Involves:You’ll listen to a brief scenario (20–30 seconds), then read a prompt explaining your role in the situation. After 10 seconds of preparation, you’ll have 40 seconds to speak and respond to the situation.PTE Academic New Speaking Tips for This Task:

• Acknowledge the situation: Start your response by recognizing the issue, for example, “I understand your concern…” or “Thank you for raising this…”
  
  
• Be concise and polite: Keep your response short and respectful, avoiding long-winded answers.
  
  
• Offer a solution: Respond with a helpful, practical solution or suggestion based on the scenario.
  
  
• Close positively: End with a phrase like, “Please let me know if you need anything else…” or “I’m happy to assist further.”
  
  

For this task, you want to sound natural and conversational, just like you would in a real-life discussion.

🧠 What Makes These Tasks Different from Previous Formats

These changes to the PTE Speaking section mean you’ll need to approach the tasks differently:

• Real-world context: These tasks reflect real-life situations you might encounter in a classroom, at work, or in social conversations.
  
  
• Clear structure: Your responses should be easy to follow, with a logical flow of ideas.
  
  
• Time pressure: You’ll need to think and respond quickly, so it’s important to stay focused and organized.
  
  
• Active listening: You need to understand and process the information quickly before responding.
  
  

The goal is not just to show your language knowledge but to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively in real-world situations.

📌 Task Format Recap (No Tables, Just Points)

1. Summarize Group Discussion
   
   
   • Listen: 2-3 minutes
     
     
   • Prep: 10 seconds
     
     
   • Speak: 2 minutes
     
     
   • Focus: Summarize the key viewpoints in an objective and clear manner.
     
     
2. Respond to a Situation
   
   
   • Listen: 20–30 seconds
     
     
   • Prep: 10 seconds
     
     
   • Speak: 40 seconds
     
     
   • Focus: Provide a polite and practical response to the situation at hand.
     
     

📚 Best Practices for the New PTE Speaking Format

1. Practice Active Listening:
   
   
   • Listen to debates or group discussions and try to summarize the key points afterward. Focus on the main ideas rather than trying to catch every word. This will help you with the Summarize Group Discussion task.
     
     
2. Build Quick Response Skills:
   
   
   • Use online resources or flashcards with real-world scenarios (like handling customer complaints, giving advice, etc.). Give yourself 10 seconds to prepare, then respond for 40 seconds. This practice will help you think and speak clearly under time pressure.
     
     
3. Use Clear Speaking Models:
   
   
   • For Summarizing:
     
     
     • “The group discussed the following points…”
       
       
     • “Speaker A mentioned that…”
       
       
     • “In conclusion, the group seemed to agree that…”
       
       
   • For Responding:
     
     
     • “I understand your concern, and I can help by…”
       
       
     • “Thank you for bringing this up…”
       
       
     • “Please let me know if you need any further assistance.”
       
       
4. Expand Your Vocabulary:
   
   
   • Academic: “The participants highlighted that…”
     
     
   • Professional: “Would you like me to take further action on this?”
     
     
   • Social: “I totally understand your frustration, and I’m happy to help.”
     
     

❌ Avoid These Mistakes

• Speaking too quickly without a clear structure.
  
  
• Offering your opinion in the Summarize Group Discussion task.
  
  
• Using filler words like “uh,” “like,” or “umm.”
  
  
• Forgetting to stay polite and professional in the Respond to a Situation task.
  
  
• Relying on memorized answers instead of responding naturally to the situation.
  
  

✅ Final Thoughts

The new Speaking section in PTE 2025 is designed to be more realistic and practical, reflecting the types of conversations you will encounter in everyday life. By focusing on structure, clarity, and applying the PTE Academic New Speaking Tips, you'll be ready to handle these new tasks with confidence. Start practicing today to give yourself plenty of time to adjust to the changes. With the right preparation, you'll be well-equipped to excel on test day.Source: Angel EduNext