The Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic has gone through one of its most significant updates in years. From August 7, 2025, the exam format, scoring system, and task weightings have all been reshaped to ensure a fairer, more realistic assessment of test-takers’ English skills.
If you’re preparing for the PTE after this date, it’s crucial to understand how the score distribution has changed and where you should focus your preparation efforts.
Why Did PTE Change in 2025?
Pearson introduced these updates to:
- Better reflect real-world English usage.
- Reduce over-reliance on templates and memorized strategies.
- Balance AI scoring with human evaluation for greater fairness.
- Bring the PTE closer to alignment with IELTS and other global benchmarks.
Key Scoring Changes
1. One-Way Scoring
Some tasks now contribute to only one skill instead of multiple:
- Read Aloud → Speaking only
- Answer Short Question → Listening only
- Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks → Reading only
- Listening Fill in the Blanks → Listening only
This means each skill must be prepared independently—you can no longer “boost” multiple scores through a single task.
2. Human + AI Scoring
Seven tasks are now reviewed by both AI and human examiners. Humans focus only on content relevance and originality, while AI continues to assess pronunciation, fluency, grammar, and mechanics.
Affected tasks include:
- Describe Image
- Retell Lecture
- Summarize Written Text
- Write Essay
- Summarize Spoken Text
- Summarize Group Discussion (new)
- Respond to a Situation (new)
This change discourages overuse of templates and rewards authentic, meaningful responses.
3. New Tasks in Speaking Section
Two new speaking tasks have been added:
- Summarize Group Discussion – Summarize a short group dialogue in your own words.
- Respond to a Situation – Speak spontaneously about a given scenario.
These test real-time communication and critical thinking skills, making the Speaking section longer but also more valuable in your score.
4. Writing Tasks Carry More Weight
Writing has become more important than ever:
- Summarize Written Text now gives double weight for content.
- Write Essay is scored on content, expression richness, and structure, not just grammar and spelling.
This means strong writing skills can make a huge difference in your overall PTE score.
Updated Score Distribution (Post–Aug 2025)
Here’s how the new priorities stack up:
| Task / Section | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Write Essay (Writing) | 🔶 High | Richer scoring rubrics; human review |
| Summarize Written Text (Writing) | 🔶 High | Double weight for content |
| Summarize Spoken Text (Listening) | 🔶 High | Human + AI scoring |
| Summarize Group Discussion (Speaking) | 🔶 High | New task; critical to Speaking score |
| Respond to a Situation (Speaking) | 🔶 High | New task; tests spontaneity |
| Describe Image; Retell Lecture | 🔷 Medium–High | Human-reviewed for originality |
| Read Aloud (Speaking only) | 🔷 Medium | No longer boosts Reading |
| Answer Short Question (Listening only) | ⚪ Medium–Low | Now single-skill |
| Fill in the Blanks (Reading/Listening) | ⚪ Medium–Low | Limited scoring |
| Multiple Choice / Reorder Paragraphs | ⚪ Low | Lower relative weight |
Visual Breakdown
(Orange = high priority, Blue = medium, Grey = lower priority)
Section-Level Contribution
If we group the tasks by section:
- Speaking & Writing → 50–55% of total score
- Listening → 25–30%
- Reading → 15–20%
This makes Speaking & Writing the most influential section, especially with new tasks and human scoring.
Preparation Tips for Success
- Prioritize Writing and New Speaking Tasks
- Practice Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation.
- Strengthen your essay structure and concise summarizing skills.
- Avoid Templates
- Human reviewers will flag generic responses. Focus on originality.
- Sharpen Listening for Dictation
- Write from Dictation remains one of the highest-scoring Listening tasks.
- Balance Your Skills
- Since one-way scoring is now applied, weaknesses in any one skill can drag down your score.
Final Thoughts
The PTE Academic changes after August 7, 2025 place a stronger emphasis on authentic communication, structured writing, and spontaneous speaking. Success now depends less on gaming the system and more on building well-rounded English skills.
If you’re preparing for the new format, make sure to update your study materials, practice with the new tasks, and focus on originality.
