Listening
PTE-A Listening Module
Your listening skills are tested in this section. In addition to that, you will also have some integrated speaking and listening questions in another part.
What is it?
The main section of listening requires you to listen to the audio or video clips that begin automatically. The volume can be increased by moving the bar to the right side. Adjust the volume to your level of comfort. The audio clips are played Only once.
Section overview
| Items | Task | Number of Items | Prompt length | Scoring | Skills assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summarize Spoken text | Write down a summary of 50-70 words after listening to an audio clip. | 1 - 2 | 60-90 seconds | Partial Credit | listening and writing |
| Multiple choice, choose multiple answers | Multiple options are given on your screen and you need to choose more than one option based on the audio clip you hear. You need to select all the options that you think are true for the recording. | 1 - 2 | 40-90 seconds | Partial Credit ( For Each Correct Response. Point Deducted For Incorrcet Option Chosen ) | listening |
| Fill in the blanks | The audio clip played should be matched with the transcription written on the screen. You will need to fill in the blanks that the transcription has.You fill the blanks as you hear the audio. | 2 - 3 | 30-60 seconds | Partial Credit (Each Correct Word Spelled Correctly) | listening and writing |
| Highlight correct summary | After listening to the audio, you need to select the paragraph that perfectly summarizes the matter spoken in the recording. | 1 - 2 | 30-90 seconds | Correct / Incorrect | listening and reading |
| Multiple choice, choose single answer | After listening to a recording, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the recording by selecting one response | 1 - 2 | 30-60 seconds | Correct / Incorrect | listening |
| Select missing word | The recording will be played with a missing word or words. From the given options, you need to select the missing part. | 1 - 2 | 30-60 seconds | Correct / Incorrect | listening |
| Highlight incorrect words | You need to select the word from the written transcript that is different from the speech in the audio clip. Left-clicking is used to highlight the word. | 2 - 3 | 20-70 seconds | Partial Credit (For Each Word. Points Deducted For Incorrect Options Chosen ) | listening |
| Write from dictation | Listen carefully to the sentence spoken. You need to write it in the box verbatim | 3 - 4 | 3-5 seconds | Partial Credit (For Each Word Spelled Correctly) | listening and writing |
Summarize spoken text
What is it?
You will hear a recording of some text. You need to type the summary for the same in 50-70 words.
How much time do you get?
60-90 seconds
How are you judged?
Your listening and writing skills
Tip:
Writing down the keywords or phrases quickly help you summarize the text. You have cut, copy, and paste option in case you want to use.
Multiple choice, choose multiple answers
What is it?
You will hear an audio clip. You need to select multiple answers that are relevant to the text spoken.
How much time do you get?
40-90 seconds
How are you judged?
Your listening skills
Tip:
Scan through all the options as quickly as possible. It will be then easy for you to select the relevant options.
Fill in the blanks
What is it?
You have a transcript on your screen with several blanks to be filled. You will hear an audio clip for the same transcript. You need to type in the missing word as you hear the recording.
How much time do you get?
30-60 seconds
How are you judged?
Your listening and writing skills
Tip:
If you have good typing speed, you may type the word as you listen to the audio clip. In other case, you may write down the missing word on your notepad and then once the clip is over and you are done with your writing, type all the words in the blanks.
Alert:
You will need to move your cursor to the blank space and click on it so that you can type a word. Many forget this action and find that whatever they typed was never written on the screen. It is recommended to check the word and its spelling before clicking the ‘next’ button.
Highlight correct summary
What is it?
You will have an audio clip playing some lecture. After listening to the lecture, you will need to select the summary paragraph that best matches the lecture.
How much time do you get?
30-90 seconds
How are you judged?
Your listening and reading skills
Multiple choice, choose single answer
What is it?
On your screen will be a passage or a paragraph(s) with several blanks. Just below the text, you’ll have several words. You need to drag and drop a proper word in a proper blank. You will get point for each correctly placed word.
What is the prompt length?
The text could be up to 80 words
How are you judged?
Your reading skills
Tip:
Try to understand the entire sentence that has a blank. Check whether the blank requires a noun, verb, or an adjective. Pick the words accordingly.
Select missing word
What is it?
You have a transcript already written on your screen. You will hear an audio clip for the same transcript. You need to identify and select the words (by left-clicking on them) that are different from the words in the lecture from the audio clip.
How much time do you get?
15-50 seconds
How are you judged?
Your listening and reading skills
Tip:
Move mouse cursor as the audio clip is played. Be alert and immediately click the word that differs from the recording. Even if you wrongly clicked one word, do not go back and deselect it immediately or else the speaker will finish several more words that you will completely miss. At the end, remember those that you clicked incorrectly; you then deselect them all by again left-clicking on them.
Highlight incorrect words
What is it?
You have a transcript already written on your screen. You will hear an audio clip for the same transcript. You need to identify and select the words (by left-clicking on them) that are different from the words in the lecture from the audio clip.
How much time do you get?
15-50 seconds
How are you judged?
Your listening and reading skills
Tip:
Move mouse cursor as the audio clip is played. Be alert and immediately click the word that differs from the recording. Even if you wrongly clicked one word, do not go back and deselect it immediately or else the speaker will finish several more words that you will completely miss. At the end, remember those that you clicked incorrectly; you then deselect them all by again left-clicking on them.
Write from dictation
What is it?
You will have to listen carefully to the sentence spoken in an audio clip played automatically. You need to type the sentence with exact words spoken.
How much time do you get?
3-5 seconds
How are you judged?
Your listening and writing skills
Tip:
Some prefer taking down the note as the sentence is spoken. Writing initials of the words spoken may help. Others with good memory power simply concentrate on the sentence and recall it while writing it.
Alert:
Spare some time to check and proofread your own content. Grammar, spelling, style, and discourse matter here.