If you’re planning to take the PTE Academic exam on or after August 7, 2025, there are some important changes you should be aware of. These updates are aimed at making the exam more practical by assessing your real English skills—skills that you would actually use in everyday situations, not just memorized responses. The changes are designed to make the exam more relevant to real-world communication, which means it's important to adjust your preparation to align with these updates. Let's dive into the details of what’s new and how you can prepare to do your best.

What’s New in the PTE Academic 2025?

1. Two New Speaking Tasks

Pearson has added two new tasks in the speaking section to better assess your communication abilities in real-life situations:

• Respond to a Situation
  In this task, you’ll listen to a short scenario and respond appropriately. You might need to apologize, offer advice, or politely decline something. This task is designed to measure how well you can respond in natural, everyday conversations.
  
  

• Summarize a Group Discussion
  Here, you’ll listen to a group discussion and then summarize the main points in 20–30 seconds. This tests both your listening and speaking skills as you need to quickly understand the discussion and convey its key ideas clearly and concisely.
  
  

These changes are all about simulating real-life communication and ensuring the exam reflects actual language use rather than just memorization.

2. Beep Sound in Repeat Sentence

In the Repeat Sentence task, a new beep sound will indicate exactly when to start speaking. This change helps reduce confusion and ensures that you speak at the correct time, allowing for a more accurate response.

3. Updated Test Interface

The interface for the PTE Academic exam has been redesigned to enhance the user experience and make the test feel less stressful. Some of the changes include:

• A double mic check to ensure your microphone is functioning properly.
  
  

• No keyboard check, simplifying the setup process.
  
  

• A circular progress bar showing how much time you have left.
  
  

• Adjustable font sizes for better readability.
  
  

• An audio waveform that displays your voice levels, helping you monitor your speaking performance.
  
  

These updates are designed to make the exam more comfortable and help you focus on performing your best.

4. Slightly Longer Test Duration

The exam will now take approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, which is about 15 minutes longer than before. This extra time is due to the addition of the new speaking tasks. While the change isn’t dramatic, it’s important to manage your time wisely to ensure you don’t feel rushed during the test.

5. Human Scoring for Some Tasks

Starting in 2025, seven tasks will be scored by human examiners instead of just AI. These tasks include:

• Describe Image
  
  

• Retell Lecture
  
  

• Respond to a Situation
  
  

• Summarize Group Discussion
  
  

• Write Essay
  
  

• Summarize Written Text
  
  

• Summarize Spoken Text
  
  

The introduction of human scoring adds more fairness and accuracy to the evaluation process. However, keep in mind that human examiners are looking for natural, well-thought-out responses, so relying too heavily on templates may negatively impact your score.

How to Prepare for the New Format

• Practice responding to real-life situations in English, like offering advice or politely turning down an invitation.
  
  

• Listen to English group discussions, podcasts, or interviews, and practice summarizing them in your own words.
  
  

• Focus on speaking clearly, confidently, and naturally. Avoid sounding overly rehearsed or robotic.
  
  

• Try not to rely on pre-learned templates. The key is to speak as naturally as possible, showing your true communication abilities.
  
  

Final Words

The PTE Academic 2025 update is all about testing your real-world communication skills, rather than just how well you memorize responses. By practicing the new tasks and focusing on speaking naturally, you’ll be well-prepared for the updated exam format. Stay calm, keep practicing, and familiarize yourself with these changes. With the right approach, you’ll be ready to face the new format and achieve the score you need.

Source: PTE New August Update 2025