If you're planning to take the PTE Academic exam after August 7, 2025, you should be aware that the exam format is changing. These updates are designed to assess how well you can use English in real-life situations, focusing on practical communication skills rather than just memorizing answers. With the new format, you’ll be expected to show how you communicate and understand English naturally in everyday contexts, making it important to understand the changes and prepare smarter.

Let’s walk through what’s new and how you can adjust your preparation to meet the updated requirements of the PTE Academic exam.

What Has Changed?

1. Two New Speaking Tasks
   
   

• Respond to a Situation: In this task, you will hear a brief scenario and need to respond naturally, just like you would in a real-life conversation. This tests your ability to react appropriately and communicate in an everyday context.
  
  

• Summarize a Group Discussion: You will listen to a group discussion and then summarize the main points in your own words. This task checks how well you understand spoken English and how clearly you can express the key ideas discussed.
  
  

2. These changes aim to evaluate your practical communication skills, ensuring that you can participate in conversations and convey information effectively.
   
   

3. Beep in Repeat Sentence
   The Repeat Sentence task now includes a beep sound, signaling when you should start speaking. This makes it easier to know when to respond, eliminating any guesswork and allowing you to focus on delivering your response.
   
   

4. Improved User Interface
   The updated test design offers several new features to make the experience smoother:
   
   

• A circular progress bar to help you track your time.
  
  

• Adjustable font sizes to improve readability.
  
  

• An audio waveform display to visually represent the sound, helping you follow the audio with ease.
  
  

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

• No keyboard check, simplifying the exam process.
  
  

5. These changes make the test easier to navigate, reducing any unnecessary stress and helping you stay focused on answering questions.
   
   

6. Longer Exam Time
   The updated PTE Academic exam now takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes, which is roughly 15 minutes longer than the previous version. This extra time has been added to accommodate the new tasks and allow you more time to complete the exam comfortably.
   
   

7. Human Scoring for Some Tasks
   Seven tasks will now be scored by human examiners rather than AI. These tasks include:
   
   

• Describe Image
  
  

• Retell Lecture
  
  

• Respond to a Situation
  
  

• Summarize Group Discussion
  
  

• Summarize Written Text
  
  

• Write Essay
  
  

• Summarize Spoken Text
  
  

8. Since human examiners will now score these tasks, it’s crucial to focus on clear, natural communication. Memorized responses won’t be as effective as before, so aim to speak and write in an authentic, conversational manner.
   
   

How to Prepare Smarter

• Speak naturally: Practice speaking as you would in a real conversation. Rather than memorizing answers, focus on responding naturally and clearly. The exam is testing your ability to communicate in everyday situations, so speaking naturally is key.
  
  

• Practice summarizing: To prepare for the “Summarize Group Discussion” task, try listening to group conversations or podcasts and practice summarizing the main points in your own words. This will help you develop both listening and summarizing skills.
  
  

• Focus on clarity: While grammar is important, the ability to express yourself clearly is what matters most. Aim to communicate your ideas logically and understandably, without overcomplicating things.
  
  

• Get familiar with the new format: Try taking practice tests that reflect the updated structure. This will help you feel more comfortable with the new tasks and give you the confidence to tackle them on exam day.
  
  

Final Thoughts

The updates to the PTE Academic exam in 2025 are about testing your real-world English skills. It’s not just about memorizing answers anymore; it’s about how well you can communicate naturally and effectively in everyday situations. With the right preparation and mindset, you’ll be able to handle the new format with confidence and do your best on test day.

Stay calm, stay authentic, and prepare smart.

Source: New PTE August Update