PTE New Format Changes: What to Expect?

Are you preparing for the upcoming PTE exam to submit your application for a study abroad or immigrant visa?

Then make sure to check out all updates in the PTE new format!

These changes will determine how you study for the exam and the sources of reference material.

And in today’s post, PTE Magic will help you have a clearer look at what changes have been made.

Let’s get started.

Key Takeaways

• The current PTE Exam would be shortened by one hour (from 3 hours to 2 hours).
• Each section now has fewer questions and adjusted time allocations, simplifying the scheduling and reducing question ranges.
• The scorecard cancels Enabling skill scores after November 16th, 2021.

What’s the latest PTE exam format?     

The following PTE changes will make you jump up and down joyfully.

The PTE exam has undergone adjustments that may benefit you in several ways. Specifically, there will be two major updates as follows:

PTE test timing

This is the first good news for all PTE candidates.

Candidates would also be glad to know that the current PTE Exam would be shortened by one hour (from 3 hours to 2 hours).

Don’t be concerned if you think 2 hours is insufficient time for a full English proficiency exam. The two-hour exam maintains all of the key features of PTE Academic, including maximum accuracy, security, quick results, widespread acceptability, and recognition.

Due to the reduction in test duration, the scheduling of the parts must also be altered.

The number of questions given will decrease for several categories, reducing the overall range of questions presented to you from 70-82 to 52-64.

Please look at the table below for further information about the updated test time.

Section	Content	Old test timing	New test timing
1	Speaking and Writing	77-93 minutes	Around 54-67 minutes
2	Reading	34-41 minutes	Around 29-30 minutes
3	Listening	45-47 minutes	Around 30-43 minutes

The number of test questions

The PTE new format also reduces the number of questions in each section (see table below)

• Speaking & Writing

Question types	Old test format	New test format	New time allowed
Personal Introduction	1	No change	1 minute
Read Aloud	6-7	No change	Around 54-67 minutes
Repeat Sentence	10-12	No change
Describe Image	6-7	3-4
Retell Lecture	3-4	1-2
Answer Short Question	10-12	5-6
Summarize Written Text	2-3	1-2
Write Essay	1-2	No change
Question Range	39-48	28-36

• Reading

Question types	Old test format	New test format	New time allowed
Fill in the blanks – reading & writing	5-6	No change
Multiple choice, multiple answers	2-3	1-2	Around 29-30 minutes
Re-order paragraph	2-3	No change
Fill in the blanks – reading	4-5	No change
Multiple-choice, single answer	2-3	1-2
Question range	15-20	13-18

• Listening

Question types	Old test format	New test format	New time allowed
Summarize spoken text	2-3	1-2
Multiple choice, multiple answers	2-3	1-2	Around 30-43 minutes
Fill in the blanks	2-3	No change
Highlight correct summary	2-3	1-2
Multiple-choice, single answer	2-3	1-2
Select missing word	2-3	1-2
Highlight incorrect word	2-3	No change
Write from Dictation	3-4	No change
Question range	17-25	12-20

Other changes

• The 10-minute break is no longer available, allowing you to finish the test more quickly. 
• You will only get test feedback and performance support through your MyPTE account.

What about the new scorecard?

Pearson PTE has updated the scorecard to provide scoring information more transparently.

Your Overall and Communicative skill scores will remain, but Enabling skill scores will no longer display on score reports after November 16th, 2021.

You may wonder where are your Enabling skills going. Since  November 16th, you will get test feedback and help specific to your performance through your MyPTE account. This will assist you in planning your future education.

When did these changes take effect?

Pearson will begin offering a shortened version of the PTE Test and PTE at Home on November 16th, 2021.

Applicants patiently waiting for Pearson to release the ‘PTE at Home’ version will benefit a lot. 

Besides, those who want to take the ‘PTE at Home’ can schedule their PTE Academic online test from October 25, 2021.

What hasn’t changed with the PTE test?

You may wonder whether the reduced time increases the difficulty of the test. Do not be afraid! Test takers will benefit from Pearson PTE’s new format.

The good thing is that since the 20-question types won’t change, your preparation strategy won’t need to be changed. Ultimately, all you need to do to change how you revise becomes used to a new time frame.

Moreover, the 2-hour test version maintains the same quality and strict test requirements as the 3-hour test version. It will also not impact PTE Academic’s recognition by accepting organizations like governments for visa purposes.

Conclusion

Keeping up with updates on the PTE exam will help you develop a thoughtful and practical study plan. The change in the PTE new format will increase your study time and reduce stress during the exam.

However, do not be subjective without practising with the simulation exam.

If you have any difficulty, feel free to share your thought with us here; we are always ready to help you pass the exam.

Last updated on 06/05/2024