Your Step-by-Step Guide to the Updated PTE Exam in 2025

If you're planning to take the PTE Academic exam in or after August 2025, understanding the major updates is essential for success. The changes are designed to make the exam more focused on real-life English usage, testing how well you can communicate in everyday situations rather than simply relying on memorized responses. This updated format reflects a shift towards practical language skills, allowing you to demonstrate how you would naturally use English in real-world contexts. Let’s break down these changes step by step, so you’re prepared for the new structure.

Step 1: Understand What’s New

The PTE exam has been revamped to better assess your ability to use English in real-life situations. Pearson has moved away from testing rote memorization and now focuses on practical communication skills. The new format includes two speaking tasks aimed at simulating real-world scenarios:

1. Respond to a Situation – In this task, you will listen to a short scenario and then respond naturally. You might be asked to offer advice, politely decline something, or make a suggestion based on the given situation.
   
   
2. Summarize a Group Discussion – You’ll listen to a group of people discussing a topic and then provide a spoken summary of the conversation. This task tests your ability to understand group dynamics and summarize key points.
   
   

These new tasks are designed to assess both your listening and speaking abilities in real time, reflecting the kind of interactions you might encounter in daily life.

Step 2: Know the Technical Updates

Along with content changes, Pearson has made some important updates to the test interface, making it smoother and more user-friendly. These adjustments are aimed at helping you stay focused during the test. Key changes include:

• A beep in the “Repeat Sentence” task signals when it’s time for you to speak, so there’s no confusion about when to start.
  
  
• A circular progress bar tracks your time, helping you manage your pace throughout the exam.
  
  
• You can now adjust the font size to make the text easier to read.
  
  
• A visible audio waveform allows you to check your voice during speaking tasks, ensuring that your responses are recorded clearly.
  
  
• The double mic check ensures your microphone is properly set up, so your voice is captured clearly.
  
  
• The keyboard check has been removed, streamlining the test process and reducing unnecessary steps.
  
  

These updates are designed to enhance your experience and reduce any technical distractions, helping you focus on the task at hand.

Step 3: Be Ready for a Slightly Longer Test

With the addition of the new tasks, the overall test time has increased to 2 hours and 15 minutes, which is about 15 minutes longer than before. While this may not seem like much, the extra time can make a difference in how you manage the test. To avoid feeling rushed, make sure to practice under timed conditions, so you’re comfortable with the updated pacing.

Step 4: Human Scoring Is Back for Some Tasks

A significant change is the reintroduction of human scoring for several tasks. Seven tasks will now be scored by human examiners instead of relying solely on AI. These tasks include:

• Describe Image
  
  
• Retell Lecture
  
  
• Respond to a Situation
  
  
• Summarize Group Discussion
  
  
• Summarize Written Text
  
  
• Write Essay
  
  
• Summarize Spoken Text
  
  

Human scoring allows for more nuanced evaluation of your language skills, especially in tasks that require natural expression. Since human examiners are involved, it’s important to sound authentic and clear—avoid relying on memorized responses and instead focus on speaking naturally and confidently.

Step 5: Practice the Right Way

To prepare effectively for the updated PTE exam, practice should reflect the new exam format. Here are some tips:

• Practice responding to real-life situations like explaining a process, making suggestions, or disagreeing politely. These are the types of tasks you’ll face in the exam.
  
  
• Summarize podcasts, videos, or articles to improve your ability to extract key points and communicate them clearly and concisely.
  
  
• Focus on fluency and natural expression rather than relying on memorized phrases. The more you sound like yourself, the better your chances of performing well.
  
  

It’s essential to practice speaking and writing as you would in a natural conversation to succeed with the updated format.

Final Tip

While the updated PTE format may feel a bit different, it’s an excellent opportunity to showcase your true English skills. The test is now focused on real-world language use, which means you can demonstrate your practical communication abilities. By practicing regularly and understanding the new format, you’ll feel confident and ready to take on the test.

Source: New PTE Academic August Update