What Happens If You Leave Your Essay Blank in the PTE Test?

The PTE Essay is one of the tasks you will encounter when taking the PTE test. What happens if you leave your essay blank in the PTE test?

This blog by PTE Magic addresses your concerns and provides all the information you need to know.

Key Takeaways

• Your mission in the PTE Essay task is to write a 200 to 300-word essay.
• If you leave your essay blank in the PTE test, it means you didn’t answer the essay prompt.
• The best approach is to improve your writing instead of leaving the essay blank and hoping it won’t affect your result too much.

Related:

• The best PTE course for quick results
• How to prepare for your next PTE test effectively

Overview of the PTE Essay Writing Task

Your mission in the PTE Essay task is to write a 200-300-word essay. Pearson will give you a brief writing topic in 2-3 sentences. This task evaluates test-takers writing skills through their abilities to express opinions in English, organise their essay logically, and use grammar correctly.

You have 20 minutes to finish the task. The Word Count function at the bottom of the screen helps you manage your writing length. Pay attention to this because essays not between 200 and 300 words will lower your score.

Pearson allows candidates to use cut, copy, and paste buttons to process tasks more effectively. Here’s how you use these buttons during the test:

• Cut: Highlight the part you want to remove and click “Cut” to delete the text.
• Copy: Highlight the desired part and click “Copy” to move it to another place.
• Paste: Click where to put your text and choose “Paste” to place the cut or copied text.

What Happens If You Leave Your Essay Blank in the PTE Test?

If you leave your essay blank in the PTE test, it means you didn’t answer the essay prompt. Test-takers will miss all the points in the PTE Writing Essay task and get a 0. 

This can negatively affect your score because the essay is important in assessing your writing skills. Furthermore, you will lose your chance to identify areas for improvement in your writing for future retakes if you don’t write anything.

Therefore, PTE Magic suggests trying to write an essay even if you are still determining the topic. This is better than leaving the task blank because providing an answer can give you partial credit. This partial score can significantly boost your Writing score, thus positively affecting your overall result.

Tips for Achieving a Higher PTE Writing Score

The best approach is to improve your writing instead of leaving the essay blank and hoping it won’t affect your result too much. Below are suggestions and tips from PTE Magic to help you achieve higher PTE Writing scores:

• Stay calm: If the topic is unfamiliar to you, don’t panic. First, take a deep breath. Focus on the requirement of the prompt instead of letting your anxiety take over.
• Manage your time: Spend the first few minutes to plan the essay. This includes taking notes of any ideas that you can think of, examples, and different points of view related to the mentioned topic.
• Structure your writing: Structure your noted ideas into a proper outline. A simple structure should include an opening, body, and ending. 
• Use simple vocabulary: If you are struggling with writing the essay, use simple English to convey your thoughts. It’s better to express your ideas clearly than to use complicated words and fail to form a proper essay.
• Review your essay: Review your work if you’ve finished your writing and still have time left. Check for grammatical errors and unclear sentences to fix them.

Wrap Up

So, what happens if you leave your essay blank in the PTE test? Test-takers will miss all the points and get a 0 in the PTE Writing Essay task. This will badly damage their writing score and overall score. Follow our tips above and practice frequently to get the score you desire!

Last updated on 30/08/2024

Moni PTE Magic

My name is Moni, and I am a seasoned PTE teacher with over 6 years of experience. I have helped thousands of students overcome their struggles and achieve their desired scores. My passion for teaching and dedication to my student’s success drives me to continually improve my teaching methods and provide the best possible support. Join me on this journey toward PTE success!