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PTE Core Speaking is five task types — Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Respond to a Situation and Answer Short Question — all inside Part 1 of the test, alongside the two writing tasks. Speaking is scored on the same 10–90 scale as the other skills, and that score converts directly to a CLB level for Express Entry.
Part 1 runs 50–65 minutes across seven question types: two writing tasks, the unscored Personal Introduction, and five speaking items recorded once and marked by Pearson's automated scoring engine. Timings and traits below are Pearson's, as are the item counts.
| Task | What you do | Questions per test | Prepare | Answer | Traits scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read Aloud | Read an on-screen text of up to 60 words aloud | 6–7 | 30–40 sec | Varies with text length | Content, Oral Fluency, Pronunciation |
| Repeat Sentence | Repeat a 3–9 second sentence exactly as you hear it | 10–12 | None | 40 sec | Content, Oral Fluency, Pronunciation |
| Describe Image | Describe a chart, table, map or diagram in detail | 3–4 | 25 sec | 40 sec | Content, Oral Fluency, Pronunciation |
| Respond to a Situation | Respond aloud to an everyday scenario | 2–4 | 20 sec | 40 sec | Appropriacy, Fluency, Pronunciation |
| Answer Short Question | Answer a spoken question in a word or a few words | 5–6 | None | 10 sec | Correct or incorrect |
What you do. "You will see some text. Read the text aloud." The text is up to 60 words and you have 30–40 seconds to read and prepare before the microphone opens. You record once.
How it is scored. Content counts the correct words — replacements, insertions and omissions lower it. Oral Fluency judges rhythm, phrasing and stress, and Pronunciation judges how easily a regular English speaker understands you.
Worked example. "Canada's healthcare system is funded by the government and is available to all citizens and permanent residents." Chunk it at the punctuation — Canada's healthcare system / is funded by the government — and stress the information words.
Most common mistake. Correcting yourself. Repeating a word adds insertions and repetitions, which Pearson says lower both Content and Oral Fluency. Read straight through the slip.
What you do. "Listen to a recording of a sentence. Then repeat the sentence." The audio lasts 3–9 seconds and plays once only. The microphone then opens with no tone and you have 40 seconds to repeat it exactly.
How it is scored. Content is "the correct word sequences that you produce", so word order matters as much as the words themselves. Oral Fluency and Pronunciation work as in Read Aloud. It counts towards Listening and Speaking, making it the highest-volume speaking task.
Worked example. "Next week's tutorial on Tuesday has been cancelled." Pearson splits it into three meaning units: Next week's tutorial / on Tuesday / has been cancelled. Store each as a phrase, then say all three in one flow.
Most common mistake. Going silent. If you stop for three seconds mid-answer, the item is marked completed and you cannot continue — keep talking and approximate instead.
What you do. "You will see an image. Describe the image in detail." You have 25 seconds to study it and 40 seconds to speak. The images are everyday, not academic: bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, tables, maps and process diagrams.
How it is scored. Content, Oral Fluency and Pronunciation. A strong Content response deals with all parts of the image, gives specific information, and includes conclusions or implications. Pearson warns that "mentioning just a few disjointed ideas will negatively affect your score".
Worked example. A chart of the days six platforms took to reach one million users: ChatGPT 5, Instagram 75, Spotify 150, Facebook 310, Twitter 780, Netflix 1,278. Give general content, then the main point with numbers, then a closing conclusion.
Most common mistake. Describing the title and stopping. You need the main trend, specific figures read off the image, and a closing statement.
What you do. "Listen to and read a description of a situation. Then answer a question about it with an extended response." Prompts run up to 60 words and cover everyday scenarios — a noisy neighbour, a workplace request, a delayed delivery — with 20 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to speak.
How it is scored. Uniquely, on Appropriacy, Fluency and Pronunciation rather than Content. Pearson defines Appropriacy as how relevant and appropriate your language is to the situation and to the person you are addressing — formal or informal register, matched to the scenario.
Worked example. Your neighbour hosts loud parties every weekend and you are calling your landlord: "Hi, this is Sam from unit 305. I'm calling because my neighbour in 304 has had loud parties every weekend and it's affecting my sleep. I've asked them to stop, without success. Could you please remind them of the building's noise policy?" Greeting, problem with context, one clear request.
Most common mistake. Reading the prompt back instead of answering it. Choose the register during prep and keep speaking for the full 40 seconds.
What you do. "Listen to a question. Then answer with a single word or a few words." The question lasts 3–9 seconds and plays once. The microphone opens with no tone and you have 10 seconds.
How it is scored. Correct or incorrect — no partial credit, and none for an absent or wrong answer. It affects your Listening, Speaking and Vocabulary scores.
Worked example. "What is the capital city of Canada?" → "Ottawa." Pearson states that a bare answer such as "the plumber" scores the same as a full sentence explaining the job, because there are no extra marks for extra words.
Most common mistake. Pausing. Wait more than three seconds and the recording stops, marking the item completed and costing you the question. Start with the answer word.
IRCC publishes the Express Entry conversion from PTE Core scores to CLB. For Speaking:
| CLB level | PTE Core Speaking | Points per ability |
|---|---|---|
| CLB 7 | 68–75 | 4 |
| CLB 8 | 76–83 | 5 |
| CLB 9 | 84–88 | 6 |
| CLB 10 and above | 89+ | 6 |
For a second official language at CLB 5 or above, IRCC lists a Speaking range of 51–90 for a flat 4 points. Your overall language CLB is set by your lowest ability, and results must be less than two years old at profile submission and at permanent residence application.
Drill any task in exam format with AI feedback on your recording: Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Respond to a Situation or Answer Short Question.
How many speaking tasks are in PTE Core?
Five scored tasks: Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Respond to a Situation and Answer Short Question. They sit in Part 1, which also holds two writing tasks and the unscored Personal Introduction.
How long is the PTE Core Speaking section?
Part 1, which contains all five speaking tasks, is listed at 50–65 minutes on Pearson's current format page. Items range from 10 seconds for Answer Short Question to 40 seconds for Repeat Sentence, Describe Image and Respond to a Situation.
What PTE Core Speaking score do I need for CLB 9?
CLB 9 requires 84–88 in Speaking. CLB 7 starts at 68, CLB 8 at 76, and CLB 10 and above at 89 — bands published by IRCC for Express Entry.
Is Read Aloud scored on Reading as well as Speaking?
Yes. Pearson lists the skills assessed for Read Aloud as speaking and reading, so it contributes to Reading as well as Speaking, Oral Fluency and Pronunciation.
How many questions are in PTE Core Speaking?
Pearson lists 6–7 Read Aloud items, 10–12 Repeat Sentence, 3–4 Describe Image, 2–4 Respond to a Situation and 5–6 Answer Short Question — roughly 26 to 33 speaking items per sitting.
Is Answer Short Question scored partially?
No. It is scored as either correct or incorrect, and Pearson gives no credit for no response or an incorrect response. The other four speaking tasks award partial credit rather than a single right or wrong mark.
Sources: Pearson's PTE Core test format pages and teacher guide; IRCC's published PTE Core to CLB conversion. Band9PTE is not affiliated with Pearson.
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