PTE exam dates: how scheduling actually works
The first thing to unlearn is the idea of an "exam date". PTE Academic is on-demand: there is no national timetable and no window you have to register for months ahead. Pearson runs the test continuously at its centres and describes the schedule simply as "regular test dates" with last-minute availability.
In practice that means the date is something you choose rather than something you are given. When you book, you search by location and the system shows you the free slots at each centre; Pearson's booking guide says you select a date and time at least 24 hours in advance. So if you are chasing a visa or university deadline, you can usually sit the test within days of deciding to.
Availability is genuinely dense in Australia, which is where most of this site's readers sit the test. Pearson's own centre list contains 37 Australian test centres spread across 26 locations, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, the Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville, Toowoomba, Geelong, Ballarat and Alice Springs.
When to book, and when to retake
- Book as early as you can once your target date is fixed — popular weekend and end-of-month slots at city centres fill first.
- Book at least 24 hours ahead — that is the minimum the booking system allows.
- Retake only after your previous result arrives. Pearson's rule is that you can book another test once you have received the scores from your last sitting, and the new test can fall within the same month.
- Use the official availability tool, not a third party. Third-party "exam date" sites republish scraped data and can lag behind by weeks; Pearson's own availability checker is the only live source.
Beware of "guaranteed date" agents. Pearson warns that offers of tests at prices well below the official fee, guaranteed scores, or score reports without sitting a test are the classic signs of fraud. Book through pearsonpte.com or an authorised agent only.
PTE exam structure: the three parts
PTE Academic is one continuous computer-based session divided into three parts. There are no scheduled breaks and you cannot go back to earlier questions to change an answer, so the structure matters more than it does in a paper exam: you have one pass at each task.
| Part | Duration | Question types | Skills assessed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Speaking & Writing | 76–84 min | 9 | Speaking & Writing |
| Part 2: Reading | 23–30 min | 5 | Reading (one task also assesses writing) |
| Part 3: Listening | 31–39 min | 8 | Listening |
Pearson describes the whole test as taking approximately 2 hours. Do not try to total the section minimums or maximums yourself: Pearson states plainly that the section timings do not add up to the stated total, because different versions of the test are balanced for length and no candidate receives the longest time in every section.
What each part contains
Part 1 — Speaking & Writing opens with a Personal Introduction that does not count towards your score; it exists so you can test the microphone. The nine scored types are Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Answer Short Question, Summarize Group Discussion, Respond to a Situation, Summarize Written Text and Write Essay. The two newest speaking tasks — Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation — are the ones most candidates have never practised, and both are human-reviewed for content before scoring is finalised.
Part 2 — Reading holds five types: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown), Multiple Choice with multiple answers, Reorder Paragraph, Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) and Multiple Choice with a single answer. In the multiple-answer tasks you lose points for selecting wrong options, so guessing broadly is a losing strategy.
Part 3 — Listening holds eight types: Summarize Spoken Text, Multiple Choice (multiple answers), Fill in the Blanks (Type In), Highlight Correct Summary, Multiple Choice (single answer), Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words and Write from Dictation. Every audio clip plays once only, and note-taking on the erasable noteboard is allowed throughout.
Integrated skills are the point of the design. Several tasks feed two scores at once — Repeat Sentence and Retell Lecture contribute to Listening and Speaking, Summarize Written Text to Reading and Writing, Write from Dictation to Listening and Writing. That is why one weak task can drag two skills down, and why fixing dictation practice often lifts Listening and Writing together.
How many questions are in the PTE exam?
This is the single most-searched PTE question, and most answers online quote a number from the old three-hour version of the test. The current official answer comes straight from Pearson's PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide:
"You will complete between 65–75 questions in any given test and a range of 22 different question types."
That is a range, not a fixed count, because Pearson builds several versions of the test and balances each one for total length. Your paper will not contain the maximum of every task type. The table below shows the published range for each of the 22 types, which is the detail you need if you are budgeting time per task.
| Part | Question type | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Speaking & Writing | Read Aloud | 6–7 |
| Repeat Sentence | 10–12 | |
| Describe Image | 5–6 | |
| Retell Lecture | 2–3 | |
| Answer Short Question | 5–6 | |
| Summarize Group Discussion | 2–3 | |
| Respond to a Situation | 2–3 | |
| Summarize Written Text | 2 | |
| Write Essay | 1 | |
| 2 · Reading | Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) | 5–6 |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | 2–3 | |
| Reorder Paragraph | 2–3 | |
| Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) | 4–5 | |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | 2–3 | |
| 3 · Listening | Summarize Spoken Text | 1 |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | 2–3 | |
| Fill in the Blanks (Type In) | 2–3 | |
| Highlight Correct Summary | 2–3 | |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | 2–3 | |
| Select Missing Word | 1–2 | |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | 2–3 | |
| Write from Dictation | 3–4 |
Read that table as a planning tool rather than a total. It tells you where the bulk of the marks sit: Repeat Sentence (10–12 items) and Write from Dictation (3–4 items) together drive a large share of Listening, while Write Essay is a single 200–300 word task worth one item — high effort, but not where volume matters.
PTE exam fees by country
There is no single worldwide PTE price. Pearson's own FAQ says it directly: "The fees for PTE Academic vary depending on the country in which you choose to take your test." The fee is set per market in the local currency, so the only reliable way to know your price is to use Pearson's price finder with the country where you will actually sit the test.
To save you a click, the table below shows the live PTE Academic price for eight countries where most of this site's readers sit, taken from the same pricing data Pearson's price finder calls. It was checked on 14 October 2026.
| Country | PTE Academic fee | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | AU$499 | AUD |
| New Zealand | NZ$505 | NZD |
| United Kingdom | £230 | GBP |
| United States | US$275 | USD |
| Canada | CA$360 | CAD |
| India | ₹18,900 | INR |
| Pakistan | US$240 | USD |
| Nigeria | US$165 | USD |
Prices change. Pearson reviews fees periodically and the figures above are a snapshot, not a quote. Always confirm the current amount in the price finder on Pearson's test centres and fees page before you pay. If your country is not in the table, use the finder rather than converting one of these numbers — the fee is not a simple currency conversion.
What the fee includes
- The full four-skills test — speaking, writing, reading and listening in one sitting.
- An unlimited number of score reports sent to institutions, free of charge. This is genuinely unlimited and there is no per-report fee, so send your score to every university or authority you might need.
- Your Score Report and Skills Profile, released to your myPTE account, with an overall score and a breakdown by skill.
- An erasable noteboard and pen at the centre for note-taking.
Paying for the test
You pay when you book, and the payment must be made in the currency of the country where you will sit the test. Pearson is explicit that paying in the wrong currency means the registration will not be processed and the payment will be rejected or returned. Accepted methods include Visa and Mastercard credit or debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay; WeChat Pay and Alipay are also accepted in China and PayU in India. PayPal is not accepted. Valid PTE vouchers can be applied to the test fee, but not to a rescheduling fee, and they cannot be extended or replaced after expiry.
Cancelling, rescheduling and retakes
Plans change, and PTE's policy is more forgiving than most candidates expect — provided you act early. These rules come from Pearson's own PTE Academic FAQ.
| When you cancel | What you get back |
|---|---|
| 14 or more days before the test | Free cancellation — full refund |
| 13 to 8 days before the test | 50% refund |
| Fewer than 7 days before the test | No refund |
- Rescheduling is free up to 14 days before your test date. Inside 14 days you cannot reschedule — you must cancel and re-book, and a fee applies.
- A single appointment can be rescheduled a maximum of six times. After that the reschedule button disappears and you will need to cancel and re-book.
- Retakes have no fixed waiting period. You can book another test once you have received the scores from your last one, and the new sitting can be in the same calendar month.
- Your score stays valid for two years from the test date. After that it expires and cannot be used for study or visa applications, so check the validity window against your visa timeline.
A note for anyone booking through an agent: an authorised PTE agent should never need access to your myPTE login, and should never promise a score. If either happens, walk away and book directly.
Australian visa English levels: the 7 August 2025 change
If you are sitting PTE Academic for an Australian visa, the score you need depends on which version of the test you sat. The Department of Home Affairs now publishes two tables, and PTE Academic is read per component — not as a single overall score.
| Level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competent | 47 | 48 | 51 | 54 |
| Proficient | 58 | 59 | 69 | 76 |
| Superior | 69 | 70 | 85 | 88 |
For a test taken on or before 6 August 2025 the old single-score figures still apply: 50 for Competent, 65 for Proficient and 79 for Superior in each component. The familiar "65 = Proficient, 79 = Superior" line is now only true for those earlier sittings.
Check your visa page, not just the table. Which table applies depends on the visa subclass and on the date you sat the test, so confirm the requirement on your specific Home Affairs visa page before you book. PTE Academic is accepted by Home Affairs for all immigration visa types that require an English test, and by Immigration New Zealand.
PTE exam preparation: a plan that matches the structure
Because the test is short and one-pass, preparation should be built around the 22 question types rather than around general English. Each type rewards a specific behaviour, and most score gains come from fixing the two or three types where you are weakest.
- Learn the types before you learn the content. Read the format guide for all 22 types and write down what each one is actually testing — dictation, summarising, fluency, or grammar in context.
- Fix your weakest communicative skill first. Pearson reports four skill scores, and a visa or university requirement is usually a per-component minimum. A strong Speaking score will not rescue a Reading score that sits below the line.
- Practise the high-volume tasks. Repeat Sentence (10–12 items) and Write from Dictation (3–4 items) carry disproportionate weight in Listening, and Read Aloud (6–7 items) opens the test and sets your fluency tone.
- Train with a clock. Speaking tasks have fixed response windows — 40 seconds for Describe Image, 40 seconds for Retell Lecture, 10 minutes for Summarize Spoken Text and 20 minutes for the essay. Practise until those feel normal rather than rushed.
- Sit at least one full mock test. Two hours of continuous concentration is a skill in itself, and the no-breaks rule surprises candidates who have only practised task by task.
- Book the test, then keep the last week light. Since dates are on demand, choose a sitting 2–4 weeks out and treat it as a deadline rather than an open-ended goal.
Official and free preparation resources
Pearson's free resources live in your myPTE account under Smart Prep, and include format guides, short courses and a study planner. Paid options include official Scored Practice Tests, the Official Guide to PTE Academic, the PTE Academic Question Bank and PTE Expert tutorials. A Scored Practice Test is the closest thing to a real sitting and will tell you where you currently stand against a requirement.
On this site you can practise the same skills for free: work through the PTE templates for the structure of every task type, drill repeated essay topics with Band 9 samples, build accuracy with the question bank, then sit a full mock test under timed conditions. A study plan is useful if you are starting from scratch, and the Summarize Group Discussion guide covers the newest task type most candidates have never seen.
What happens on test day
- Arrive at least 30 minutes early and sign in at the test centre reception. Pearson's handbook states this requirement directly; arriving late can cost you the sitting.
- Bring the ID your booking was made with. A passport is the preferred ID in most countries, and the name, date of birth, citizenship and gender on your booking must match it exactly. If they do not match, you are turned away and no refund is given.
- You cannot sit the test at home. PTE Academic is taken at an authorised test centre on a computer. Test rooms are small — no more than 15 seats per room.
- No scheduled breaks. You can request an unscheduled break, but the clock does not stop for you.
- You get an erasable noteboard and two pens, and you may not write on them until the test has started.
- One pass only. You cannot return to a previous question to change an answer, and audio or video clips play once.
- Results arrive by email, normally within two business days, and are viewable in your myPTE account under My Activity.
Frequently asked questions
Are there fixed PTE exam dates?
How much does the PTE exam cost?
How many questions are in the PTE exam?
How long is the PTE exam?
How soon do I get my PTE results?
Can I cancel or reschedule my PTE test?
How soon can I retake the PTE exam?
How long is a PTE Academic score valid?
Can I take the PTE exam at home?
How should I prepare for the PTE exam?
Sources for every figure on this page
All figures were captured on 14 October 2026 from Pearson's own website and published PDFs, plus the Department of Home Affairs tables held in this site's verified-facts file. Nothing on this page is estimated.
- Test length, results timing, section durations, fees-by-country statement, reschedule and cancellation rules, two-year score validity, test-centre requirement — pearsonpte.com/pte-academic/
- Part 1 duration (76–84 min) and 9 question types — pearsonpte.com/pte-academic/test-format/speaking-writing/
- Part 2 duration (23–30 min) and 5 question types — pearsonpte.com/pte-academic/test-format/reading/
- Part 3 duration (31–39 min) and 8 question types — pearsonpte.com/pte-academic/test-format/listening/
- 65–75 questions, 22 question types, and the per-type question counts — PTE Academic Test Taker Score Guide (PDF), pearsonpte.com
- 500+ test centres, regular test dates, price finder — pearsonpte.com/test-centers-and-fees/
- Per-country fees, and the 119-country / 543-centre centre list — Pearson test-centre and pricing data published on pearsonpte.com
- Book at least 24 hours ahead, passport name matching — pearsonpte.com/articles/how-to-book-your-pte-exam/
- Payment currencies and methods, retake rule, six-reschedule cap — pearsonpte.com/help-center/booking-managing-test/
- Arrive 30 minutes early, no scheduled breaks, cannot revisit questions, results within 48 hours — PTE Academic Test Taker Handbook (PDF), pearsonpte.com
- Australian visa English levels, including the 7 August 2025 per-component tables — Department of Home Affairs (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au), held in this site's verified-facts file
Last verified: 14 October 2026. Fees and policies are set by Pearson and can change without notice — treat this page as a guide and confirm the current figures on pearsonpte.com before booking.