If you're planning to take the PTE Academic on or after August 7, 2025, it's essential to understand the changes in the exam format. Pearson is introducing major updates to make the test more aligned with real-world English usage. These updates include changes to the speaking section, user interface, and evaluation system.

Why These Changes?

Pearson is implementing these changes based on feedback from thousands of students. The goal is to create a test that better reflects real-life communication skills rather than memorized or scripted responses. The updates are designed to ensure fairness, relevance, and authenticity in evaluating English proficiency.

What’s New in the PTE Academic?

1. Two New Speaking Tasks

• Respond to a Situation
  Candidates will respond to practical scenarios such as making a request, apologizing, or offering help. The goal is to assess the ability to communicate politely and naturally.
  
  

• Summarize a Group Discussion
  You’ll listen to a short group conversation and deliver a brief 20–30-second summary highlighting the key points.

2. Repeat Sentence Task: Now with a Beep

A new audio beep will indicate when you should start speaking in the Repeat Sentence task. This helps eliminate timing confusion and ensures smoother responses.

3. User Interface Updates

The PTE platform is being upgraded for a better user experience. Key updates include:

• Double microphone check to ensure clear audio input
  
  

• No need for a keyboard check
  
  

• Circular progress bar for visual tracking of progress
  
  

• Adjustable font size for readability
  
  

• Audio waveform display to visualize spoken input

4. Exam Structure and Timing

• Total questions: 22
  
  

• Total duration: Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes
  
  

• Onboarding: Now faster with fewer technical checks

Human Evaluation for 7 Tasks

To reduce the impact of overused templates and improve assessment accuracy, human scoring has been introduced for the following tasks:

• Describe Image
  
  

• Retell Lecture
  
  

• Respond to a Situation
  
  

• Summarize Group Discussion
  
  

• Summarize Written Text
  
  

• Write Essay
  
  

• Summarize Spoken Text
  
  

These tasks will still include AI scoring but will now also benefit from human judgment where needed.

How to Prepare Smartly

• Practice real-life speaking scenarios such as explaining opinions, making polite refusals, or handling customer service situations
  
  

• Listen to group discussions or interviews, then practice summarizing what you heard
  
  

• Use updated mock test platforms like Gurully or AlfaPTE that reflect the 2025 exam format
  
  

• Avoid excessive use of templates; speak naturally, with clear pronunciation and structured thoughts

Quick Recap

• Two new speaking tasks: Respond to a Situation and Summarize a Group Discussion
  
  

• Seven tasks will include human evaluation
  
  

• Enhanced user interface for better usability and comfort
  
  

• Test duration extended by around 15 minutes
  
  

• Greater focus on fluency, spontaneity, and real communication skills

Final Thoughts

The August 2025 PTE Academic update represents a meaningful shift toward evaluating real English ability. If you prepare with the new format in mind, these changes will work in your favor. Ditch the memorized scripts, stay updated with the latest mock tools, and focus on expressing yourself clearly and naturally.

FAQs

1. Has the PTE scoring system changed?
No. The 10–90 point scale and AI-based scoring remain in place.

2. Will these updates affect PTE Core?
No. These changes apply only to PTE Academic and UKVI Academic.

3. Is the test longer now?
Yes. The duration has increased by approximately 15 minutes.

4. Are older prep materials still useful?
Only partially. It is recommended to use materials and tools that have been updated for the 2025 format.

5. Are templates banned?
Not officially banned, but relying too much on them can hurt your score, especially in tasks now reviewed by human scorers.

Source: PTE Academic New Update 2025