PTE Essentials and Diagnostic · PTE MasterBook Course Book

Before you practise a single task, you need a clear picture of the test itself: what comes first, how long each part lasts, how the computer listens to you and what it rewards. Candidates who walk in with that picture lose fewer marks to surprises. This chapter gives you the whole test on two pages, then how it is scored, what the scores mean for study and visas, the rules that catch people out, and the ten mistakes that cost our students the most time, money and points. It ends with a diagnostic check that tells you where to start in each skill.

The test in one sitting

PTE Academic tests four skills, Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening, in three parts taken in a fixed order: Part 1 Speaking & Writing, Part 2 Reading, Part 3 Listening. You take it in one sitting, on a computer at a Pearson test centre, wearing a headset with a microphone. Pearson describes the test as about two hours long; its Score Guide gives a maximum of 2 hours 15 minutes. You will meet between 65 and 75 questions across 22 question types. There is no live examiner and no scheduled break.

The content is academic and international: short lectures, university notices, extracts from textbooks and journals, charts and group discussions on science, history, business and society. Speakers have a range of accents (British, American, Australian, Indian and others), and many tasks combine two skills, so one answer can count towards two scores.

The table below follows the order of the screen. Item counts and skills are those in Pearson's current Score Guide; the counts are ranges because each test form is balanced a little differently. The part times are Pearson's approximate ranges and, as Pearson points out, no candidate gets the minimum or the maximum in every part.

Task	Items	Time	Skills
Part 1 · Speaking & Writing · about 76–84 min
Personal Introduction	1	25 s to read · 30 s to speak	Not scored
Read Aloud	6–7	30–40 s to prepare, then read a text of up to about 60 words	Speaking
Repeat Sentence	10–12	Sentence of 3–9 s · 15 s to answer	Listening, Speaking
Describe Image	5–6	25 s to prepare · 40 s to speak	Speaking
Re-tell Lecture	2–3	Lecture up to 90 s · 10 s to prepare · 40 s to speak	Listening, Speaking
Answer Short Question	5–6	Question of 3–9 s · 10 s to answer	Listening
Summarize Group Discussion	2–3	Discussion up to about 3 min · 10 s to prepare · 2 min to speak	Listening, Speaking
Respond to a Situation	2–3	Situation shown on screen and heard · 10 s to prepare · 40 s to speak	Speaking
Summarize Written Text	2	10 min · one sentence, 5–75 words, from a text of up to 300 words	Reading, Writing
Write Essay	1	20 min · 200–300 words	Writing
Part 2 · Reading · about 23–30 min · one clock for the part
Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks (drop-down)	5–6	No timer per question: you manage the part clock	Reading
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers	2–3	Reading
Re-order Paragraphs	2–3	Reading
Reading: Fill in the Blanks (drag and drop)	4–5	Reading
Multiple Choice, Single Answer	2–3	Reading
Part 3 · Listening · about 31–39 min
Summarize Spoken Text	1	Recording of 60–90 s · 10 min to write 50–70 words	Listening, Writing
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers	2–3	Each recording plays once; after Summarize Spoken Text, one clock for the rest of the part	Listening
Fill in the Blanks (type in)	2–3	Listening
Highlight Correct Summary	2–3	Listening, Reading
Multiple Choice, Single Answer	2–3	Listening
Select Missing Word	1–2	Listening
Highlight Incorrect Words	2–3	Listening, Reading
Write from Dictation	3–4	Listening, Writing

Task

Items

Time

Skills

Part 1 · Speaking & Writing · about 76–84 min

Personal Introduction

25 s to read · 30 s to speak

Not scored

Read Aloud

6–7

30–40 s to prepare, then read a text of up to about 60 words

Speaking

Repeat Sentence

10–12

Sentence of 3–9 s · 15 s to answer

Listening, Speaking

Describe Image

5–6

25 s to prepare · 40 s to speak

Speaking

Re-tell Lecture

2–3

Lecture up to 90 s · 10 s to prepare · 40 s to speak

Listening, Speaking

Answer Short Question

5–6

Question of 3–9 s · 10 s to answer

Listening

Summarize Group Discussion

2–3

Discussion up to about 3 min · 10 s to prepare · 2 min to speak

Listening, Speaking

Respond to a Situation

2–3

Situation shown on screen and heard · 10 s to prepare · 40 s to speak

Speaking

Summarize Written Text

10 min · one sentence, 5–75 words, from a text of up to 300 words

Reading, Writing

Write Essay

20 min · 200–300 words

Writing

Part 2 · Reading · about 23–30 min · one clock for the part

Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks (drop-down)

5–6

No timer per question: you manage the part clock

Reading

Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

2–3

Reading

Re-order Paragraphs

2–3

Reading

Reading: Fill in the Blanks (drag and drop)

4–5

Reading

Multiple Choice, Single Answer

2–3

Reading

Part 3 · Listening · about 31–39 min

Summarize Spoken Text

Recording of 60–90 s · 10 min to write 50–70 words

Listening, Writing

Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

2–3

Each recording plays once; after Summarize Spoken Text, one clock for the rest of the part

Listening

Fill in the Blanks (type in)

2–3

Listening

Highlight Correct Summary

2–3

Listening, Reading

Multiple Choice, Single Answer

2–3

Listening

Select Missing Word

1–2

Listening

Highlight Incorrect Words

2–3

Listening, Reading

Write from Dictation

3–4

Listening, Writing

Key Language

Learn the official task names now. The screen uses them, and so do our lessons, practice tests and score sheets. When you hear "Repeat Sentence" you should immediately think "one sentence, once only, say it back word for word". Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation are the newest tasks, added to the test from 7 August 2025. Older books, including many free PDFs still passed around in coaching centres, do not have them.

Exam Trap

Older books and videos say that Read Aloud also counts for Reading, Answer Short Question for Speaking, and Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks and Listening Fill in the Blanks for Writing. Pearson's current Score Guide lists them as shown above. The tasks have not become less important: Read Aloud is still a large part of your Speaking score, and spelling still decides every Listening blank.

What each part feels like and how you answer

Part 1 · Speaking & Writing

Part 1 is the longest part, and it comes first, when you are most nervous. Every speaking task works the same way: a countdown, a short tone, then the microphone opens and a recording bar shows the time you have left.

Speak as soon as the microphone opens. If you stay silent for about three seconds at the start, or pause for more than three seconds in the middle, the recording stops and you cannot restart it.
You record each answer once. There is no "try again". A false start that you correct costs fluency; a long silence while you look for the perfect word costs more.
Other candidates are speaking at the same time. The room is never quiet. Speak at a normal, steady volume; do not shout and do not whisper.
The Personal Introduction is not scored, but it is sent with your score report to the institutions you choose. Treat it as a short, polite introduction and a chance to warm up your voice.
Writing tasks have their own timers. Summarize Written Text (10 minutes) and Write Essay (20 minutes) each run on a separate clock, and time you do not use is not carried forward. There is no spell checker. A word count is shown, and you have cut, copy and paste buttons.

Part 2 · Reading

All five Reading task types share one clock for the whole part. Nothing tells you to move on, so a candidate who spends six minutes on one Re-order Paragraphs item can run out of time before the last fill-in-the-blanks questions. You can change an answer on the screen you are working on, but once you press Next and confirm, you cannot go back.

Part 3 · Listening

Every recording plays once only and starts after a short countdown. Summarize Spoken Text comes first, on its own 10-minute timer. After it, the remaining Listening tasks share one clock, and Write from Dictation comes last. Candidates who rush through the first tasks leave themselves time for dictation; candidates who agonise over one multiple-choice question arrive at dictation tired and late.

Rule

No going back, anywhere in the test. When you press Next and confirm, that answer is final. Work at a steady pace, decide, and move on.

How PTE is scored

Your score report gives you an overall score and four communicative skills scores (Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing), all on a scale from 10 to 90. The scale is Pearson's Global Scale of English.

The overall score is not an average of the four skills. Pearson calculates it from your performance across the whole test. Do not add your skill scores and divide by four to "check" it.
Integrated tasks count twice. A task listed with two skills feeds both scores. Repeat Sentence builds Listening and Speaking; Write from Dictation builds Listening and Writing. This is why some short tasks are worth far more than their size suggests.
The old "enabling skills" (grammar, oral fluency, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, written discourse) no longer appear on the score report. Those qualities still affect your scores inside each task, but you will not see them as separate numbers.

Three ways a task is marked

Method	How it works	Tasks
Correct or incorrect	One mark or nothing.	Answer Short Question, Multiple Choice (Single) in Reading and Listening, Highlight Correct Summary, Select Missing Word
Partial credit	Marks for each correct part: each blank, each correctly placed pair of paragraphs, each correct word. Speaking and writing tasks are marked on several traits, such as content, form, grammar, vocabulary, oral fluency and pronunciation.	All speaking and writing tasks except Answer Short Question; fill in the blanks, Re-order Paragraphs, Write from Dictation
Partial credit with negative marking	A mark for each correct choice and minus one for each wrong choice. The task cannot go below zero.	Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers (Reading and Listening), Highlight Incorrect Words

Method

How it works

Tasks

Correct or incorrect

One mark or nothing.

Answer Short Question, Multiple Choice (Single) in Reading and Listening, Highlight Correct Summary, Select Missing Word

Partial credit

Marks for each correct part: each blank, each correctly placed pair of paragraphs, each correct word. Speaking and writing tasks are marked on several traits, such as content, form, grammar, vocabulary, oral fluency and pronunciation.

All speaking and writing tasks except Answer Short Question; fill in the blanks, Re-order Paragraphs, Write from Dictation

Partial credit with negative marking

A mark for each correct choice and minus one for each wrong choice. The task cannot go below zero.

Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers (Reading and Listening), Highlight Incorrect Words

Machines, people and memorised answers

Pearson's Score Guide says that every question type is scored by AI. For seven tasks, human experts also review the content: Describe Image, Re-tell Lecture, Respond to a Situation, Summarize Group Discussion, Summarize Written Text, Write Essay and Summarize Spoken Text. In Write Essay they also review development, structure and coherence, and general linguistic range. Pronunciation and oral fluency remain machine-scored.

The same guide is blunt about templates: responses that contain pre-prepared or memorised material are treated as irrelevant, and a response that does not deal properly with the prompt because of such material scores zero for content. The guide also states that when content scores zero, the response earns no points at all, however good your pronunciation or grammar. The "magic template" for Describe Image or Re-tell Lecture that your cousin's coaching centre handed out is exactly what this rule is aimed at.

Exam Trap

"In this image, I can see a very informative graph which gives information about various aspects…" fits every image ever made, so it says nothing about this one. Every Speaking and Writing lesson in this book teaches a structure you fill with the real content of the prompt, never a paragraph you could paste anywhere.

PTE, CEFR and IELTS

Pearson aligns PTE Academic scores with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Universities in Europe and the UK often state requirements as a CEFR level, so learn where the borders are.

PTE Academic score	CEFR level	In plain words
85–90	C2	Near-complete command, precise and natural on any topic
76–84	C1	Fluent and flexible for academic and professional purposes
59–75	B2	Independent: follows lectures and argues a point with some precision
43–58	B1	Handles familiar topics; academic texts are hard work
30–42	A2	Simple, everyday English; not yet ready for academic study
10–29	A1	Beginner

PTE Academic score

CEFR level

In plain words

85–90

Near-complete command, precise and natural on any topic

76–84

Fluent and flexible for academic and professional purposes

59–75

Independent: follows lectures and argues a point with some precision

43–58

Handles familiar topics; academic texts are hard work

30–42

Simple, everyday English; not yet ready for academic study

10–29

Beginner

Many students also want to know "what is my PTE in IELTS?" Pearson publishes an alignment table in its Score Guide. It gives a range for the overall score and for each skill. In the table, L, R, S and W are the PTE Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing scores. Notice how much higher the Speaking and Writing ranges are than Listening and Reading for the same band.

IELTS	PTE overall	L	R	S	W
8.0	79–85	69–74	70–74	88–89	85–89
7.5	71–78	64–68	65–69	83–87	77–84
7.0	63–70	58–63	59–64	76–82	69–76
6.5	55–62	53–57	54–58	66–75	60–68
6.0	47–54	47–52	48–53	54–65	51–59
5.5	39–46	40–46	42–47	39–53	41–50
5.0	31–38	33–39	36–41	24–38	29–40

IELTS

PTE overall

8.0

79–85

69–74

70–74

88–89

85–89

7.5

71–78

64–68

65–69

83–87

77–84

7.0

63–70

58–63

59–64

76–82

69–76

6.5

55–62

53–57

54–58

66–75

60–68

6.0

47–54

47–52

48–53

54–65

51–59

5.5

39–46

40–46

42–47

39–53

41–50

5.0

31–38

33–39

36–41

24–38

29–40

Pearson itself warns that any prediction from one test to another contains measurement error, because the tests do not measure exactly the same thing. Use the table to understand a requirement, never to guess an institution's rule. If a university states a PTE score, that number is the only one that counts.

What the scores mean for FLC students

University entry

Every university sets its own PTE requirement, often an overall score plus a minimum in each skill. The ranges below are what our counsellors typically see in 2026; they are a planning guide, not a rule. Always read the requirement on the course page itself.

Course type	Typical PTE Academic requirement
Foundation, diploma and pathway programmes	about 42–50 overall, sometimes with English classes packaged before the main course
Undergraduate degrees (Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand)	about 50–58 overall, often with no skill below 50
Most postgraduate degrees	about 58–65 overall, often with no skill below 50–58
Nursing, teaching, law, medicine and other professional courses	often 65 or higher, with high minimums in Speaking and Writing

Course type

Typical PTE Academic requirement

Foundation, diploma and pathway programmes

about 42–50 overall, sometimes with English classes packaged before the main course

Undergraduate degrees (Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand)

about 50–58 overall, often with no skill below 50

Most postgraduate degrees

about 58–65 overall, often with no skill below 50–58

Nursing, teaching, law, medicine and other professional courses

often 65 or higher, with high minimums in Speaking and Writing

Australia

The Department of Home Affairs accepts PTE Academic for all visa types. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, it sets these minimums for each component (L = Listening, R = Reading, W = Writing, S = Speaking). Competent English is the minimum for most skilled visas and earns no points; Proficient and Superior earn points in the skilled points test.

English	L	R	W	S	Points
Competent	47	48	51	54	0
Proficient	58	59	69	76	10
Superior	69	70	85	88	20

The Student visa (subclass 500) asks for an overall score of 47 for tests taken from 7 August 2025, with lower scores allowed when you are enrolled in English (ELICOS) classes before your main course. The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) asks for 55 overall with at least 40 in Listening, 42 in Reading, 41 in Writing and 39 in Speaking. For skilled visas, Home Affairs accepts results from a test taken in the three years before you apply. Tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 are judged by the older score table.

United Kingdom

For a degree at a UK university, the university assesses your English, and many accept the standard PTE Academic. For courses below degree level, and for work and most other UK visas, you need a Secure English Language Test: from Pearson that is PTE Academic UKVI, booked under that name. The tasks are the same; the booking is not.

Canada

Colleges and universities set their own English requirements for admission, and most accept PTE Academic. Since the Student Direct Stream closed in November 2024, IRCC has had no single PTE score for a study permit. For IRCC's own language requirements, however (permanent residence through Express Entry, citizenship, and the language requirement for a post-graduation work permit), the Pearson test IRCC accepts is PTE Core, not PTE Academic. For a post-graduation work permit, university graduates need CLB 7 in all four skills and college graduates CLB 5, with results less than two years old when they apply.

Exam Trap

A student who studies in Canada on a PTE Academic score will need a different test, such as PTE Core, CELPIP-General or IELTS General Training, for the work permit after graduation and for permanent residence. Plan for it before your final semester, not after your programme ends.

Worked example: one skill, ten points

Harpreet finished a Master's in Melbourne and is preparing a skilled visa application. Her PTE Academic, taken in 2026, reads: Listening 72, Reading 68, Speaking 79, Writing 66, overall 71. Her friends congratulate her on "71 overall". Home Affairs does not look at the overall score at all.

Component	Her score	Proficient needs	Met?
Listening	72	58	Yes
Reading	68	59	Yes
Writing	66	69	No, 3 short
Speaking	79	76	Yes

She has Competent English, which earns no points. Three Writing points stand between her and Proficient English, worth 10 points in the points test. Her diagnostic showed why: her essays were well organised but she spent 25 minutes' worth of ideas in 20 minutes and left no time to check, and her Summarize Written Text answers sometimes ran past one sentence, which costs form. She practised timed essays with a fixed four-minute plan and a three-minute check, and kept every written summary to one controlled sentence. On her next test she reached Writing 73, and the other three components held.

Rule

Visa requirements are per component. Your weakest component decides your result, and for Australian points the Speaking and Writing thresholds are much higher than Listening and Reading. Find the component that is holding you back and train that first.

FLC Tip

Visa rules and score tables change. The figures here reflect the Home Affairs, IRCC and Pearson pages as of November 2026. Before you lodge anything, check the current requirement on the official site or ask your FLC counsellor or RCIC to confirm it.

Booking and test-day rules

Book the right product. PTE Academic for study and for Australian and New Zealand visas; PTE Academic UKVI for UK visas below degree level; PTE Core for Canadian permanent residence, citizenship and post-graduation work permits. One wrong click costs the full fee.
Check your name against your passport. Your booking must match your identification exactly. In India the accepted document is your valid passport; read Pearson's current ID policy for your test country before you book.
Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Check-in includes a photograph, a digital signature and a palm-vein scan. Late arrival can mean you are not admitted and lose the fee.
Leave everything in the locker. Phone, watch, wallet and notes stay outside. You get an erasable noteboard and pen; if you fill it, raise your hand and ask for another.
Check the headset. Before Part 1 you get a short microphone and sound check. Position the microphone near the side of your mouth, not directly in front, so your breathing does not hiss into it.
Plan your body for two hours. There is no scheduled break, and the clock does not stop if you leave your seat. Eat and drink something before you check in.
Expect noise in Part 1. Other candidates start speaking around you. Practise at home with a radio playing in the next room so their voices do not throw you.
Watch the on-screen timer, not the clock on the wall. It is the timer that ends your task.

Results and what to do with them

Results: Pearson reports that most candidates receive results within about two days. You get an email when your score is ready, and you can check your account at any time. Results can take longer if a test is selected for extra review; if you have heard nothing after five days, contact Pearson.
Validity: Pearson reports scores for two years. The organisation that receives them sets its own rules: Australian skilled visas accept a test from the previous three years, and IRCC wants Canadian results less than two years old.
Sending scores: you send your scores to institutions from your Pearson account. Send them only when you are sure they meet the requirement.
Rescoring: Pearson offers a paid rescore of some open-response tasks. Read the current terms in your account before you pay. When several components are short, preparing for a retake is usually the better use of your money.

The 10 most expensive mistakes Indian candidates make

These come straight from twenty-five years of working with students in Vadodara, Anand, Bharuch and Scarborough. Each one has cost real candidates a retake fee, a missed intake, or both.

Booking the wrong PTE. PTE Academic, PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Core look almost identical on the booking page. Only one of them suits your purpose.
Aiming at the overall score. Visas and most universities check each component. An overall 71 with Writing at 66 does not give Proficient English in Australia.
Memorising templates. A memorised opening for Describe Image or Re-tell Lecture is the fastest way to a zero for content. Human reviewers now read the content of seven task types.
Speaking fast to "sound fluent". The machine rewards smooth, steady speech in natural phrases, not speed. Racing through Read Aloud swallows word endings and breaks the rhythm.
Restarting and long silences. Going back to correct a word, or stopping for three seconds to think, costs more than the small error you were trying to fix. Keep going.
Ignoring the small tasks. Repeat Sentence and Write from Dictation are short, but they come in numbers and each counts for two skills. Candidates who practise only essays leave easy marks on the table.
Guessing in tasks with negative marking. In Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers and Highlight Incorrect Words, every wrong choice cancels a right one. Choose only what you are sure of.
Losing marks to spelling. There is no spell checker. "Recieve", "goverment", "enviroment" and missing plural -s each cost a whole word in dictation and fill in the blanks. British or American spelling is fine; mixed and wrong is not.
Breaking the form rules. Two sentences in Summarize Written Text score zero for form, and a zero for form means no points for the whole answer. 85 words in Summarize Spoken Text or an essay of 180 words loses form marks before a single idea is judged.
Bad time management in Reading and Listening. Spending five minutes on one Re-order Paragraphs item or one multiple-choice recording means rushing the fill in the blanks or Write from Dictation at the end, where the marks are more reliable.

FLC Tip

Take the diagnostic in this chapter before you book. It shows you which skill is holding you back, and it tells you whether you are booking a test or just hoping.

The four FLC levels

This course is built in four levels. Each level has a clear PTE target, a clear reason for reaching it, and its own Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening units. You do not have to start at Level 1. You start where your English is today, and you climb.

Level	Name	Target	Why it matters
1	Foundation	PTE 30–49	Builds the base for academic English. 47 overall is the Australian Student visa requirement, and Competent English begins at 47–54 depending on the component. Pathway and diploma programmes often start here.
2	Study Abroad Ready	PTE 50–64	The range most undergraduate and many postgraduate courses ask for. Competent English (Speaking 54, Writing 51) and the Temporary Graduate visa (55 overall) sit here.
3	High Scorer	PTE 65–78	Competitive postgraduate and professional courses. Australian Proficient English (Writing 69, Speaking 76) and its 10 points sit here.
4	Mastery	PTE 79–90	Australian Superior English (Writing 85, Speaking 88) and its 20 points, and a safety margin above every requirement, so a difficult test day still leaves you where you need to be.

Level

Name

Target

Why it matters

Foundation

PTE 30–49

Builds the base for academic English. 47 overall is the Australian Student visa requirement, and Competent English begins at 47–54 depending on the component. Pathway and diploma programmes often start here.

Study Abroad Ready

PTE 50–64

The range most undergraduate and many postgraduate courses ask for. Competent English (Speaking 54, Writing 51) and the Temporary Graduate visa (55 overall) sit here.

High Scorer

PTE 65–78

Competitive postgraduate and professional courses. Australian Proficient English (Writing 69, Speaking 76) and its 10 points sit here.

Mastery

PTE 79–90

Australian Superior English (Writing 85, Speaking 88) and its 20 points, and a safety margin above every requirement, so a difficult test day still leaves you where you need to be.

Your PTE score is reported separately for each skill, and visa officers and universities look at each one. Plan by skill, not by average: it is normal to be at Level 3 in Listening and Level 2 in Writing.

A note on levels

The four levels, and the score ranges attached to model answers in this book, are Future Link Consultants' own estimates based on Pearson's published scoring criteria. They guide your study. Only the official test gives you a PTE score, and no book or teacher can promise one.

What each level looks like

Read the description of the level you think you are at, and the one above it. The "not yet" column is your to-do list.

Level 1 · Foundation (PTE 30–49)

Skill	You can already…	You cannot yet…
Speaking	read a short text aloud and repeat short, simple sentences	keep speaking for 40 seconds without long pauses, or repeat a sentence of more than ten words
Writing	write simple sentences about a familiar topic	write one controlled summary sentence, or reach 200 words in an essay in 20 minutes
Reading	understand the main idea of a short, clear paragraph	choose between near-synonyms in fill in the blanks, or finish the part in time
Listening	catch key words in a slow, clear recording	write a dictation sentence with every word and spelling correct

Skill

You can already…

You cannot yet…

Speaking

read a short text aloud and repeat short, simple sentences

keep speaking for 40 seconds without long pauses, or repeat a sentence of more than ten words

Writing

write simple sentences about a familiar topic

write one controlled summary sentence, or reach 200 words in an essay in 20 minutes

Reading

understand the main idea of a short, clear paragraph

choose between near-synonyms in fill in the blanks, or finish the part in time

Listening

catch key words in a slow, clear recording

write a dictation sentence with every word and spelling correct

Level 2 · Study Abroad Ready (PTE 50–64)

Skill	You can already…	You cannot yet…
Speaking	speak for the full time in most tasks and describe a simple chart	re-tell a lecture with its main points in order, or sound natural rather than rehearsed
Writing	organise an essay in paragraphs and write a one-sentence summary	develop each point with a specific example, or write without frequent article and agreement errors
Reading	answer most fill-in-the-blanks items using grammar clues	handle collocation and meaning together, or re-order paragraphs confidently
Listening	follow the main idea of a lecture and most dictation sentences	catch detail and the speaker's attitude, or avoid options that only repeat words you heard

Skill

You can already…

You cannot yet…

Speaking

speak for the full time in most tasks and describe a simple chart

re-tell a lecture with its main points in order, or sound natural rather than rehearsed

Writing

organise an essay in paragraphs and write a one-sentence summary

develop each point with a specific example, or write without frequent article and agreement errors

Reading

answer most fill-in-the-blanks items using grammar clues

handle collocation and meaning together, or re-order paragraphs confidently

Listening

follow the main idea of a lecture and most dictation sentences

catch detail and the speaker's attitude, or avoid options that only repeat words you heard

Level 3 · High Scorer (PTE 65–78)

Skill	You can already…	You cannot yet…
Speaking	speak smoothly and summarise lectures and discussions accurately	stay fluent and precise on unfamiliar topics, consistently above 76
Writing	argue a clear position with good vocabulary and few errors	write with full control and range, every sentence precise, in 20 minutes
Reading	handle most texts accurately and on time	score near-perfectly on dense texts with subtle distractors
Listening	follow fast, academic speech and most inferences	stop losing the occasional word in dictation or a wrong click in Highlight Incorrect Words

Skill

You can already…

You cannot yet…

Speaking

speak smoothly and summarise lectures and discussions accurately

stay fluent and precise on unfamiliar topics, consistently above 76

Writing

argue a clear position with good vocabulary and few errors

write with full control and range, every sentence precise, in 20 minutes

Reading

handle most texts accurately and on time

score near-perfectly on dense texts with subtle distractors

Listening

follow fast, academic speech and most inferences

stop losing the occasional word in dictation or a wrong click in Highlight Incorrect Words

Level 4 · Mastery (PTE 79–90)

Skill	You can already…	You cannot yet…
Speaking	speak naturally and accurately at length	keep that quality on an awkward prompt, under pressure, for all 30-plus speaking items
Writing	write fluent, well-organised essays and summaries	produce polished, sophisticated writing on any topic with zero slips
Reading	read every task comfortably within the time	prove every answer from the text, every time
Listening	understand almost everything, including implied meaning	remove the last lapses of focus across the whole part

Skill

You can already…

You cannot yet…

Speaking

speak naturally and accurately at length

keep that quality on an awkward prompt, under pressure, for all 30-plus speaking items

Writing

write fluent, well-organised essays and summaries

produce polished, sophisticated writing on any topic with zero slips

Reading

read every task comfortably within the time

prove every answer from the text, every time

Listening

understand almost everything, including implied meaning

remove the last lapses of focus across the whole part

How to use the Course Book

Part	What it contains	How to use it
PTE Essentials (this chapter)	The test format, scoring, score uses, the level system and the diagnostic check	Read it all first. Take the diagnostic before anything else.
Levels 1–4	Four units per level, in test order: Speaking, Writing, Reading, Listening	Start each skill at its diagnostic level. Finish a unit before moving up.
Four-level models	The same Speaking and Writing tasks answered at all four levels	Compare your answer with the level above yours. Copy the moves, not the sentences.
Practice tests	Full PTE Academic tests with timers, recordings, transcripts and model answers	Sit them under test conditions, then mark and review every error.

Part

What it contains

How to use it

PTE Essentials (this chapter)

The test format, scoring, score uses, the level system and the diagnostic check

Read it all first. Take the diagnostic before anything else.

Levels 1–4

Four units per level, in test order: Speaking, Writing, Reading, Listening

Start each skill at its diagnostic level. Finish a unit before moving up.

Four-level models

The same Speaking and Writing tasks answered at all four levels

Compare your answer with the level above yours. Copy the moves, not the sentences.

Practice tests

Full PTE Academic tests with timers, recordings, transcripts and model answers

Sit them under test conditions, then mark and review every error.

Study plans

Each plan assumes about 90 minutes a day, six days a week. "Your level" means the starting level the diagnostic gives you; work on each skill at its own level, and move up as soon as a level's units and exercises go well.

4 weeks · for candidates already at Level 2 or above who need one more step

Week	Course Book	Practice tests
1	This chapter; units at your level for your two weakest skills	One test at the end of the week
2	Your level's other two units; Four-level models for Writing	Speaking and Writing section only, timed
3	Next level's units for your weakest skill; daily Repeat Sentence and dictation drills	One full test
4	Error notes; Four-level models for Speaking	One full test early in the week; rest the day before the test

Week

Course Book

Practice tests

This chapter; units at your level for your two weakest skills

One test at the end of the week

Your level's other two units; Four-level models for Writing

Speaking and Writing section only, timed

Next level's units for your weakest skill; daily Repeat Sentence and dictation drills

One full test

Error notes; Four-level models for Speaking

One full test early in the week; rest the day before the test

8 weeks · the standard plan for most candidates

Week	Course Book	Practice tests
1	This chapter; Speaking and Writing at your level	—
2	Reading and Listening at your level	Test 1
3–4	All four units of the next level	Sections of Test 2, one part per week
5–6	Units of the level above for your weakest skills; Four-level models	Test 2, complete
7	Redo every exercise you got wrong; daily timed drills	Test 3
8	Error notes and models	Light timed practice only before test day

Week

Course Book

Practice tests

This chapter; Speaking and Writing at your level

—

Reading and Listening at your level

Test 1

3–4

All four units of the next level

Sections of Test 2, one part per week

5–6

Units of the level above for your weakest skills; Four-level models

Test 2, complete

Redo every exercise you got wrong; daily timed drills

Test 3

Error notes and models

Light timed practice only before test day

12 weeks · for Level 1 starters, or Level 2 candidates aiming at 79+

Week	Course Book	Practice tests
1–2	This chapter; Level 1 units (or your level)	—
3–5	Level 2, all four units	Test 1 at the end of week 5
6–8	Level 3, all four units	Test 2 at the end of week 8
9–10	Level 4 units for your strongest skills; Level 3 again for your weakest	Timed sections from Tests 1 and 2 you scored lowest on
11	Error review; Four-level models	Test 3
12	Final review	Short timed drills; rest the day before the test

Week

Course Book

Practice tests

1–2

This chapter; Level 1 units (or your level)

—

3–5

Level 2, all four units

Test 1 at the end of week 5

6–8

Level 3, all four units

Test 2 at the end of week 8

9–10

Level 4 units for your strongest skills; Level 3 again for your weakest

Timed sections from Tests 1 and 2 you scored lowest on

Error review; Four-level models

Test 3

Final review

Short timed drills; rest the day before the test

FLC Tip

Book your test date before you start. A fixed date turns "I'll study when I'm free" into a plan, and the plans above only work if you follow them week by week.

Exercise 1 Know your test

Choose the best answer to each question. Everything you need is in this chapter.

1 In what order do the parts of PTE Academic come?

Reading, Listening, then Speaking & Writing
Speaking & Writing, Reading, then Listening
Listening, Reading, then Speaking & Writing
Writing, Speaking, Reading, then Listening

2 Which task is not scored?

Answer Short Question
Select Missing Word
Personal Introduction
Respond to a Situation

3 In which tasks does a wrong choice take a mark away?

Highlight Correct Summary and Select Missing Word
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers and Highlight Incorrect Words
Write from Dictation and Fill in the Blanks (type in)
Re-order Paragraphs and Reading: Fill in the Blanks

4 A Summarize Written Text answer must be .

one sentence of 5 to 75 words
two or three sentences of 50 to 70 words
a paragraph of 200 to 300 words
a list of the main points in note form

5 In a speaking task, what happens if you stop speaking for more than about three seconds?

The task restarts from the beginning.
You are given ten extra seconds.
The recording stops.
Nothing: the full time always runs.

6 A student who tested in 2026 scores Listening 72, Reading 70, Writing 66 and Speaking 80. For Australian Proficient English, this student .

qualifies, because every score is above 65
does not qualify, because Writing is below 69
does not qualify, because the overall is below 79
qualifies, because Speaking is above 76

7 Which Pearson test does IRCC accept for Express Entry permanent residence?

PTE Academic
PTE Academic UKVI
PTE Core
Any of the three

8 Your overall PTE score is .

the average of your four skills scores
your highest skills score
calculated from your performance across the whole test
the average of your Speaking and Writing scores

Find Your Level: Diagnostic Check

This check takes about an hour. It is not a full test, and it will not give you a PTE score. What it will give you is a starting level for each skill, so you spend your study time where it counts instead of repeating what you already know. It follows the test order: Speaking, Writing, Reading, Listening.

Section	What you do	Time
Speaking	Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Re-tell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion, Respond to a Situation, recorded on your phone	about 12 minutes, plus listening back
Writing	One Summarize Written Text and one essay	10 + 15 minutes
Reading	Two fill-in-the-blanks passages, a re-order item and a short passage	10 minutes
Listening	Short answers, multiple choice, fill in the blanks, Highlight Incorrect Words and dictation	about 12 minutes
Scoring	Mark Reading and Listening with the key; rate Speaking and Writing with the checklists	about 10 minutes

Section

What you do

Time

Speaking

Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Re-tell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion, Respond to a Situation, recorded on your phone

about 12 minutes, plus listening back

Writing

One Summarize Written Text and one essay

10 + 15 minutes

Reading

Two fill-in-the-blanks passages, a re-order item and a short passage

10 minutes

Listening

Short answers, multiple choice, fill in the blanks, Highlight Incorrect Words and dictation

about 12 minutes

Scoring

Mark Reading and Listening with the key; rate Speaking and Writing with the checklists

about 10 minutes

FLC Tip

Do the whole check in one sitting, with headphones, a timer and your phone's voice recorder. Play every recording once only and do not open a transcript until you have answered. Don't look anything up and don't use a translation app. A score that flatters you today costs you weeks later, because you will start at the wrong level.

Speaking

Use your phone's voice recorder. For each task, start a timer for the preparation time, then press record and speak for the speaking time. Do not stop the recording or start again: in the real test nobody stops for you.

Exercise 2 Read Aloud

Look at the text for 35 seconds. Then record yourself reading it aloud. You have 40 seconds.

Preparation: 35 seconds · Speaking: 40 seconds

The first public libraries were often funded by wealthy donors who believed that knowledge should not belong only to the rich. Today, libraries have become something more than places to borrow books. Many offer free internet access, language classes and quiet study spaces, and for some residents they are the only public building open in the evening.

Exercise 3 Repeat Sentence

Play each sentence once. As soon as it ends, pause the player and repeat the sentence exactly, into your phone. You have 15 seconds for each. Do not write anything down while you listen.

When you have recorded all six, open the transcripts and score each answer: 2 = every word, in the right order; 1 = at least half the words, in the right order; 0 = less than half. Write your total out of 12 in the Speaking table below.

Exercise 4 Describe Image

Study the chart for 25 seconds. Then record a description of it in 40 seconds.

How first-year students spend their study week (average hours per week, 2025 survey)

Source: an FLC illustrative survey of first-year students.

Exercise 5 Re-tell Lecture

Play the lecture once and take notes. When it ends, take 10 seconds to look at your notes, then record yourself re-telling the lecture in your own words. You have 40 seconds.

Exercise 6 Summarize Group Discussion

Play the discussion once and take notes on who says what. Take 10 seconds to prepare, then record a summary of the discussion. In the test you have up to 2 minutes for a much longer discussion; this one is short, so aim for 40 to 60 seconds.

Exercise 7 Respond to a Situation

Play the situation once. In the test it is also shown on screen; if you need to read it, open the transcript now, before you prepare. Take 10 seconds to prepare, as in the test, then record your response, speaking to the person in the situation. You have 40 seconds.

Speaking self-rating

Listen to each recording once, all the way through. Better still, ask a friend whose English you trust to listen with you. For Exercises 2 and 4–7, give 1 point for each statement that is fully true. Be strict: "almost" scores 0. Then add your Repeat Sentence score.

Task	Give 1 point for each statement that is true	Score
Read Aloud (Ex 2)	Content: I read every word, with nothing added or skipped. Fluency: I started at once and never restarted a phrase or paused for more than a second inside one. Pronunciation: a listener could understand every word, including the endings of funded, donors, classes.	/3
Describe Image (Ex 4)	Content: I gave the topic, the highest and lowest values with numbers, and one comparison or conclusion. Fluency: I spoke for at least 30 seconds with no silence of three seconds or more. Pronunciation: a listener could understand every number and label at first hearing.	/3
Re-tell Lecture (Ex 5)	Content: I gave the main claim and at least three of the four key points. Fluency: as for Describe Image. Pronunciation: a listener could understand every word at first hearing.	/3
Group Discussion (Ex 6)	Content: I named the topic and gave each speaker's point, linked to the right speaker. Fluency: as for Describe Image. Pronunciation: as for Re-tell Lecture.	/3
Respond to a Situation (Ex 7)	Content: I spoke to the professor, explained what happened, offered to replace the book and apologised sincerely. Fluency: as for Describe Image. Pronunciation: as for Re-tell Lecture.	/3
Repeat Sentence (Ex 3)	Your score from the transcripts: 2, 1 or 0 for each of the six sentences.	/12
Speaking total	/27

Task

Give 1 point for each statement that is true

Score

Read Aloud (Ex 2)

Content: I read every word, with nothing added or skipped.
Fluency: I started at once and never restarted a phrase or paused for more than a second inside one.
Pronunciation: a listener could understand every word, including the endings of funded, donors, classes.

Describe Image (Ex 4)

Content: I gave the topic, the highest and lowest values with numbers, and one comparison or conclusion.
Fluency: I spoke for at least 30 seconds with no silence of three seconds or more.
Pronunciation: a listener could understand every number and label at first hearing.

Re-tell Lecture (Ex 5)

Content: I gave the main claim and at least three of the four key points.
Fluency: as for Describe Image.
Pronunciation: a listener could understand every word at first hearing.

Group Discussion (Ex 6)

Content: I named the topic and gave each speaker's point, linked to the right speaker.
Fluency: as for Describe Image.
Pronunciation: as for Re-tell Lecture.

Respond to a Situation (Ex 7)

Content: I spoke to the professor, explained what happened, offered to replace the book and apologised sincerely.
Fluency: as for Describe Image.
Pronunciation: as for Re-tell Lecture.

Repeat Sentence (Ex 3)

Your score from the transcripts: 2, 1 or 0 for each of the six sentences.

/12

Speaking total

/27

Writing

Type your answers if you can: the real test is on a computer, with no spell checker. Stop when the timer ends and count your words.

Exercise 8 Summarize Written Text

Read the passage and summarise it in one sentence of no more than 75 words. You have 10 minutes.

The cost of a brighter night

Artificial light at night has spread so quickly that, in many regions, the night sky is now several times brighter than it was a few decades ago. Streetlights, illuminated advertising and lit buildings make cities safer and more productive after dark, but researchers increasingly argue that this convenience carries hidden costs. For wildlife, darkness is not simply the absence of light; it is a signal that governs feeding, migration and reproduction. Young sea turtles, for example, find the ocean by moving towards the brightest horizon, and on lit coastlines many crawl inland instead. Insects that navigate by moonlight circle streetlamps until they die of exhaustion, which in turn affects the birds and bats that feed on them. Humans are not immune either: bright light late in the evening suppresses melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Yet the solutions are relatively simple and inexpensive. Shielding lamps so that they point downwards, switching to warmer colours and dimming lights after midnight can reduce the harm considerably without making streets less safe. The challenge, scientists say, is less technical than political: few people notice light pollution, so there is little public pressure to address it.

Exercise 9 Write Essay

Write an essay on the topic below. In the real test you have 20 minutes; here you have 15, because the diagnostic is about what you can do without extra time to polish.

Diagnostic: 15 minutes · 200–300 words

Some universities now require every student to complete a work placement before graduating. Do the advantages of this policy outweigh the disadvantages? Support your opinion with reasons and examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Writing self-check

Wait ten minutes, then reread both answers as if a stranger wrote them. Give 1 point for each statement that is fully true. Be strict: "almost" scores 0.

#	Statement	Point
1	My summary is one sentence, with one full stop at the end, and no more than 75 words.
2	My summary includes the benefit of night lighting, the harm to wildlife and people, and the solutions.
3	I joined the ideas with linking words (although, while, yet, but), not just and.
4	My summary uses mostly my own words and has no grammar or spelling error that I can find.
5	My essay has 200–300 words, and I finished within 15 minutes.
6	My introduction answers the question directly ("the advantages outweigh…" or the opposite), with no memorised opening line.
7	My essay has an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and each body paragraph has one main point.
8	Each main point has a reason and a specific example, not just a general statement.
9	I mentioned the other side (a disadvantage, or an advantage if I disagreed) and answered it.
10	I used at least four precise words related to the topic (for example placement, employability, workload, industry), not just good, bad, things.
11	I checked articles (a, an, the), subject–verb agreement and plurals, and found no more than two errors.
12	I found no more than two spelling mistakes in the whole essay.
	Writing total	/12

Reading

Allow 10 minutes for Exercises 10–12 together, as in the test, where one clock covers the whole part.

Exercise 10 Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks

Read the passage. For each blank, choose the word that fits best.

Coastal wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth. Mangrove forests, for example, (1) shorelines from storm surges, and their dense roots trap sediment that would otherwise be (2) out to sea. Despite these benefits, wetlands have been drained on a large (3) for farming and housing. Restoration projects now aim to (4) this trend by replanting native species and reconnecting tidal channels.

1 Blank (1)

prohibit
protect
resist
conserve

2 Blank (2)

flowed
drifted
washed
emptied

3 Blank (3)

scale
size
amount
level

4 Blank (4)

return
revert
recover
reverse

Exercise 11 Reading: Fill in the Blanks

In the test you drag words from a box into the gaps. Here, choose the word for each gap.

Many early universities (5) on lectures because books were expensive and rare. (6) printed books later became cheap and common, the lecture survived as the main form of university teaching. Today, research provides growing (7) that students learn more when lectures include short activities, such as quick quizzes or discussion with a partner.

5 Gap (5)

remained
relied
composed
resulted

6 Gap (6)

Because
Unless
Despite
Although

7 Gap (7)

attention
interest
evidence
advice

Exercise 12 Re-order Paragraphs and Multiple Choice

Question 8: the four sentences below are in the wrong order. Choose the correct order. Questions 9 and 10: read the passage and choose the best answer.

The first of these, published in 2019, found that students who slept fewer than six hours scored lower in mathematics.
Researchers have long suspected that sleep affects academic performance, and two recent studies have tested this idea.
However, that study could not show whether poor sleep caused the lower scores or simply accompanied them.
The second solved this problem by randomly assigning students to earlier or later bedtimes for a month.

8 Which is the correct order?

B, C, A, D
B, A, C, D
A, B, D, C
D, B, A, C

When cities remove roads

In the second half of the twentieth century, many cities built elevated motorways through their centres, expecting faster traffic to bring economic growth. Several have since reversed that decision. When Seoul removed an elevated road above the Cheonggyecheon stream in the early 2000s, critics predicted traffic chaos. Instead, traffic adapted: some drivers changed routes, others switched to public transport, and the restored stream became a popular public space that also cooled the surrounding area in summer. Planners call this effect "traffic evaporation", the reverse of "induced demand", the well-documented tendency for new roads to fill with extra traffic. Removal is not always appropriate, however. Where no alternative routes or reliable public transport exist, closing a major road can simply move congestion elsewhere. The lesson, according to many transport researchers, is that road space shapes behaviour rather than merely serving it.

9 What is the main point of the passage?

Elevated motorways remain the best way to support economic growth in city centres.
The road space a city provides influences how people travel, so removing a road can work where alternatives exist.
Seoul's decision to remove a road caused serious congestion across the city.
Recent research has shown that induced demand does not really happen.

10 According to the passage, when might removing a road be a mistake?

when the road is elevated above a river or stream
when there is no other route and no reliable public transport
when the area around the road becomes hot in summer
when planners expect traffic evaporation to occur

Listening

Use headphones. Play every recording once only, without pausing, except where the instructions tell you to pause after a recording to answer.

Exercise 13 Answer Short Question

Play each question once. Say your answer aloud straight away, in a word or a few words, then write down what you said.

Exercise 14 Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

Read the question and options first. Play the recording once. Then write the letters of the options that are correct. More than one is correct, and a wrong letter cancels a right one.

According to the speaker, which of the following are true?

Working from home reduces the stress of travelling to work every day.
Executives believe that remote work makes their staff more productive.
Junior staff say they feel professionally isolated when they work remotely.
Remote work has reduced the price of commercial property in city centres.
Most companies are now planning to bring their staff back to the office.

Exercise 15 Fill in the Blanks

Read the text. Play the recording once and type the missing word in each gap. Spelling counts.

The immune system is a complex (1) of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body from harmful pathogens. White blood cells play a central role by identifying and (2) foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. When this defense mechanism malfunctions, it can lead to autoimmune (3) where the body attacks its own healthy tissues.

Exercise 16 Summary, single answer and missing word

For each question, read the options, play the recording once, then choose the best answer.

1 Highlight Correct Summary: which paragraph best summarises the recording?

The Great Barrier Reef is threatened mainly by pollution from farms and shipping, and scientists are now cleaning the surrounding water to protect it.
Warmer seas have caused repeated bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef; coral can survive mild heat stress but not long heatwaves, so scientists are breeding heat-tolerant coral and planting it on damaged areas.
Coral bleaching is part of a natural cycle from which the Great Barrier Reef always recovers, so conservation efforts are now focused on supporting tourism.
Scientists have stopped bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef by cooling the water and moving the most valuable coral to cooler areas.

2 Multiple Choice, Single Answer: what is the speaker's main point about Gutenberg's press?

It produced books that were more beautiful than hand-copied manuscripts.
It was used mainly by scribes to copy religious texts more quickly.
By making books cheaper to produce, it spread literacy and helped bring major religious and scientific change.
It was invented at the beginning of the second millennium.

3 Select Missing Word: which word or phrase completes the recording?

popularity
communication
polarization
entertainment

Exercise 17 Highlight Incorrect Words

Read the text. Play the recording once and follow the text as you listen. Some words in the text are different from what the speaker says. Write down those words. A wrong word cancels a right one.

The water cycle describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. Solar radiation heats water in oceans and rivers, causing it to evaporate into the atmosphere as water vapor. As the vapor rises and cools, it condenses into tiny droplets that form clouds. When these droplets become heavy enough, they fall back to Earth as precipitation.

Exercise 18 Write from Dictation

Play each sentence once. Type it exactly as you hear it, with correct spelling and a full stop.

Listening score

Mark Exercises 13–18 with the keys and fill in the table.

Exercise	How to score	Maximum
13 Answer Short Question	1 for each acceptable answer	6
14 Multiple Answers	+1 for each correct letter, −1 for each wrong letter; not below 0	2
15 Fill in the Blanks	1 for each word, spelled correctly	3
16 Summary, single answer, missing word	1 for each correct answer	3
17 Highlight Incorrect Words	+1 for each correct word, −1 for each wrong word; not below 0	4
18 Write from Dictation	2 per sentence if every word is there and spelled correctly; 1 if one or two words are missing or wrong; 0 otherwise	6
Listening total	24

Exercise

How to score

Maximum

Your score

13 Answer Short Question

1 for each acceptable answer

14 Multiple Answers

+1 for each correct letter, −1 for each wrong letter; not below 0

15 Fill in the Blanks

1 for each word, spelled correctly

16 Summary, single answer, missing word

1 for each correct answer

17 Highlight Incorrect Words

+1 for each correct word, −1 for each wrong word; not below 0

18 Write from Dictation

2 per sentence if every word is there and spelled correctly; 1 if one or two words are missing or wrong; 0 otherwise

Listening total

Find your starting level

Mark Exercises 10–12 with the key (one point per question). Then write your four totals in the table and read across: Level 1 Foundation, Level 2 Study Abroad Ready, Level 3 High Scorer, Level 4 Mastery. Speaking comes from the self-rating, Writing from the self-check, Reading from Exercises 10–12 and Listening from Exercises 13–18.

Skill	Score	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Speaking	/27	0–11	12–17	18–23	24–27
Writing	/12	0–4	5–7	8–10	11–12
Reading	/10	0–4	5–6	7–8	9–10*
Listening	/24	0–9	10–15	16–20	21–24

Skill

Score

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Speaking

/27

0–11

12–17

18–23

24–27

Writing

/12

0–4

5–7

8–10

11–12

Reading

/10

0–4

5–6

7–8

9–10*

Listening

/24

0–9

10–15

16–20

21–24

* Reading Level 4 only if you scored 9–10 and were sure of every answer; a lucky guess is not Level 4.

How to read your result

Start each skill at its own level. It is normal to begin Listening at Level 3 and Writing at Level 1. The Course Book is designed for exactly this.
If a score sits on a borderline, take the lower level and move through it quickly. Self-ratings in Speaking and Writing usually run high, so if you are unsure, step down one level.
Check your target. If you need Australian Proficient English, your Writing must reach 69 and your Speaking 76, both inside Level 3. If you need 58 overall for a postgraduate course, your work is in Level 2 and the bottom of Level 3.
Look inside each skill. A low Listening total caused mainly by dictation and fill-in-the-blanks spelling is a different problem from one caused by the multiple-choice items. Your level's unit tells you which lessons to do first.
Retake this check after you finish each level, and compare your scores.

Write your starting levels here and turn to the first unit:

Speaking	Writing	Reading	Listening
Level	Level	Level	Level

Speaking

Writing

Reading

Listening

Level