The PTE Academic Speaking Module has always been critical to your overall score, but since the August 2025 updates, the weight of each task has become even clearer. Some tasks now carry a much heavier contribution, while others play only a minor role.
If you are preparing for the test, understanding this distribution will help you focus on what matters most.
Key Insights
- Extremely Important Tasks: Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Summarise Group Discussion, Respond to a Situation.
- Average Importance: Read Aloud.
- Least Important: Answer Short Question (minimal contribution).
PTE Speaking Task Breakdown
| Task Type | Importance | Approx. Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Read Aloud | Average Important | ~8 points |
| Repeat Sentence | Extremely Important | ~12 (Speaking) + 13 (Listening) = ~25 points |
| Describe Image | Extremely Important | ~25 points |
| Retell Lecture | Extremely Important | ~10 (Speaking) + 11 (Listening) = ~21 points |
| Answer Short Question | Not Important | ~3 points (Listening) |
| Summarise Group Discussion | Extremely Important | ~15 (Speaking) + 16 (Listening) = ~31 points |
| Respond to a Situation | Extremely Important | ~10 points |
📈 Visual Representation
The chart below shows how much each task contributes to your final score in the Speaking Module:
And here’s a priority-based chart we generated:
- 🔶 Orange bars = Extremely Important (focus heavily)
- 🔵 Blue bar = Average importance (practice but not priority)
- ⚪ Grey bar = Low importance (minimal time needed)
Preparation Strategy
- Focus on High-Impact Tasks
- Prioritise Summarise Group Discussion, Describe Image, and Repeat Sentence—together, they make up more than 80 points.
- Master Fluency + Structure
- Even with new human scoring, structured responses (intro → main points → conclusion) will earn you higher marks.
- Don’t Waste Too Much on Low Scorers
- Answer Short Question contributes very little. Practice it, but don’t over-invest your time.
- Practice Spontaneous Speaking
- The new tasks (Summarise Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation) test your ability to think on the spot—practice with real-life scenarios.
Final Thoughts
The PTE Speaking Module is no longer about covering everything equally. Success lies in smart preparation—focusing your energy where it matters most. With the 2025 scoring system, tasks like Summarise Group Discussion and Describe Image can make or break your result, while tasks like Answer Short Question play a very minor role.
👉 If you target the high-weight speaking tasks and practice structured responses daily, you’ll maximize your PTE score with less stress.
