All about the PTE Academic / UKVI Exam
Everything the test asks of you — the parts, the timing, the task types and how each one is scored.
PTE Academic is a computer-based English test accepted for study, work and migration in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada. The whole exam is delivered on one screen in one sitting, and every response — spoken or written — is scored by machine against the same criteria for every candidate.
The test is integrated: a single task can score more than one skill at once, so a speaking response also feeds your reading score when the prompt is written. That is why the format matters as much as the vocabulary.
- Book your test date and choose an official test centre or the at-home option.
- Sit the exam in one two-hour session, with one optional break between parts.
- Receive your score report, typically within 48 hours of finishing.
Flowy gives you one place for everything the PTE Academic format asks of you, and walks you through the preparation so test day holds no surprises.
The PTE Academic is open to any candidate who needs to prove their English for study, work or migration — there is no prerequisite beyond booking a seat.
Practice sets, full mocks and expert-reviewed feedback all sit under one login, so the hours you spend preparing land on the parts of the PTE Academic that actually move your score.
Important things you need to know about the PTE Academic format:
- The exam runs for roughly two hours in a single session.
- Scores are reported on the Global Scale of English, 10 to 90.
- Speaking and Writing are combined into one part, scored together.
- You get one attempt at each audio prompt — there is no replay.
- Results are usually available within 48 hours.
- To know more about the format, try out a free mock test on Flowy.
To know more about the PTE Academic format — try out a free mock test on Flowy
Major aspects of different modules of PTE Academic / UKVI Exam structure
- Part 1
Speaking & Writing
76 - 84 minutes
- Read Aloud
- Repeat Sentence
- Describe Image
- Re-tell Lecture
- Answer Short Question
- Summarize Group Discussion
- Respond to a Situation
- Summarize Written Text
- Write Essay
- Part 2
Reading
23 - 30 minutes
- Fill in the Blanks
- Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers
- Re-order Paragraphs
- Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop)
- Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer
- Part 3
Listening
30 - 43 minutes
- Summarize Spoken Text
- Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers
- Fill in the Blanks (Type In)
- Highlight Correct Summary
- Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer
- Select Missing Word
- Highlight Incorrect Words
- Write From Dictation
How does the PTE Academic format test a candidate's knowledge from each module?
Speaking and Writing Module
Fluency, pronunciation and content are scored from your recorded responses, while written tasks are marked for form, grammar, vocabulary and how faithfully you represent the source text.
Reading Module
Comprehension is tested through gap-fills, re-ordering and multiple choice, so speed matters as much as accuracy — several item types deduct for wrong selections.
Listening Module
Recordings play once. The module tests how well you hold detail while writing, summarising or selecting, which is why dictation carries weight across both listening and writing.
PTE Academic
Score Guide
01
Speaking & Writing76 - 84 minutes
Number of items: 6-7. Skills scored: reading and speaking.
02
Reading23 - 30 minutes
Reading and writing combined. Partial credit for each correct response.
- Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop)
- Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer
03
Listening30 - 43 minutes
Ten minutes per item. Listening and writing.
- Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers
- Fill in the Blanks (Type In)
- Highlight Correct Summary
- Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer
- Select Missing Word
- Highlight Incorrect Words
- Write From Dictation
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