PTE Listening

The third segment of PTE exam is Listening section.

The time duration for PTE Listening exam varies between 45 minutes – 57 minutes.

There are different kinds of questions asked in the PTE Listening section. For a good score, students need to learn all probable question formats of PTE exam prior to the exam day.

Every question of PTE Listening section starts from hearing an audio. Please note, the audio clips of the PTE Listening section is only played once. Students do not have the scope to hear an audio for more than once. Therefore, be a cautious listener every time an audio is played during PTE exam.

When the audio of PTE Listening section are played, you can only adjust the volume with a button located right next to the audio bar. On the button moving left hand side reduces the volume of the audio you are hearing and moving right increases the audio volume.

To hear the PTE Listening section audio, you will be provided a headphone, that you have to use. The headphone will also have a microphone attached that you will require to record your content during PTE Speaking test.

For a good score in PTE Listening section, applicants need to practice the following 8 kinds of questions:

a) Summarize spoken text

b) Multiple choice, choose multiple answers

c) Fill in the blanks

d) Highlight correct summary

e) Multiple choice, choose single answer

f) Select missing word

g) Highlight incorrect words

h) Write from dictation

Summarize spoken text
Time : 60-90 seconds

Here based on the audio clip you will hear, you have to write a summary of the content within 70 words. Note, try using words and terminologies that you heard in the audio, in order to build a similar connect between the audio and your summary.

Multiple choice questions (MCQ), choose multiple answers
Time : 40-90 seconds

Based on the audio clip that you hear, you have to answer MCQs. As the name suggests, there can be more than one right answer to the same question. You will be marked only when you point out all the right answers. From the multiple right answers, if you pick only one, you wont be marked for the question.

Fill in the blanks
Time : 30 – 60 seconds

In this, you have to do fill in missing blanks with reference to the audio clip you hear. Use terminologies that were used in the content of the audio clip for a good score in PTE Listening section.

Highlight correct summary
Time : 30 – 90 seconds

Here optional summaries corresponding to the audio clip you heard. You have to select the one summary that connects closely to the audio. The optional summaries are usually similar to one another which makes it tough for students to pick the right one. Please ensure, you select only one that connects closely to the audio clip you heard.

Multiple choice, choose single answer
Time : 30 – 60 seconds

There are two kinds of MCQs in PTE Listening section. In this one, from the given answer choices. You have to pick only one based on the content of the audio clip you just heard.

Select missing word
Time : 20 – 70 seconds

Here, when you will hear the audio one of the word will be missing. You will be then provided a list of optional words, from which you have to pick the right one that completes the audio clip you heard. Note, you need to pick the word that is most relevant to the audio clip.

Highlight incorrect words
Time : 15 – 50 seconds

In the transcript that you will hear, you will find some words are not fitting or are incorrect. After you hear the audio, you have to list all the incorrect terminologies that you heard in the audio.

Write from dictation
Time : 03- 05 seconds

Here, the listening and writing happens simultaneously. After hearing each sentence of the audio transcript you have to write it down. You definitely need to be a cautious listener in this dictation type question of PTE listening section. In PTE dictation, there is 5 points for listening and 5 points for the writing task.

Tips for PTE Listening section

a) Yellow highlight
As there is severe time constraint in PTE exam, its important that you maintain your speed in every section. For listening section, only when there is a yellow highlight for optional answers, then only your answer is recorded. Hence, please wait till you get the yellow highlight during optional answers in PTE listening section.

b) Tip for PTE Listening summaries
When you write summaries in PTE listening exam, try to begin with ‘the speaker says’, or ‘the speaker comments’. This adds rigidity to the summaries that you frame in PTE Listening exam.

c) Spelling and punctuation
When you complete the entire PTE Listening section, do spare a minute to check the spellings and punctuation. Mistakes in spellings and punctuation are considered silly and conveys poor impression to the PTE examiner.

d) Negative marking in PTE Listening MCQs
There is negative marking in PTE Listening MCQ questions Hence, either answer, them or skip questions if you are not sure about answers. In case, you go for wrong answers, your total score will be effected.

e) Taking notes in PTE Listening section
You can take notes while hearing an audio during PTE Listening test. To take notes, you can use erasable notepads on the desktop and delete them, before leaving the PTE exam computer you will be assigned.