2025 PTE Speaking Update: Everything You Need to Know About the New Format

 

Exciting updates are coming to the PTE exam! Starting on August 7, 2025, the Speaking section will introduce two new tasks designed to reflect real-life communication scenarios more closely. This update, known as the PTE Academic New Questions Format 2025, is Pearson’s way of making the test more practical and aligned with academic and workplace conversations. If you’re taking the PTE after this date, this blog is here to guide you through the new Speaking section and provide you with tips to master it.

🔄 Why Is Pearson Updating the Speaking Section?

Pearson is shifting the focus of the Speaking section to better reflect real-world communication. Instead of just testing your ability to repeat sentences or read aloud, the new format will test how well you can:

Understand multiple people speaking at once

Summarize discussions accurately

Respond appropriately and quickly in everyday situations

Demonstrate fluency, pronunciation, and context awareness in real-time

This isn’t just a small format update—it’s about testing your practical language skills and how well you can communicate in real academic and professional settings.

🆕 What’s New in the Speaking Section (August 2025 Onward)

Starting August 2025, the Speaking section will include two new tasks:

Summarize Group Discussion

Respond to a Situation

These new tasks replace the old, more mechanical speaking exercises and are designed to test your ability to handle real-life conversations and interactions in English.

🗣️ Task 1: Summarize Group Discussion

What You’ll Experience

In this task, you’ll listen to a 2-3 minute conversation between several speakers. They will discuss a topic from different viewpoints. You’ll then have 10 seconds to prepare and 2 minutes to summarize the key points of the conversation.

What Skills This Tests

Active listening

Recognizing different viewpoints

Organizing and summarizing information

Fluency and coherence

Tips to Nail It

Take quick notes while listening. Use symbols or initials to track which speaker said what.

Start your summary with: “The group discussed…” or “The main focus of the conversation was…”

Mention 2-3 key points or ideas, ensuring you’re representing each speaker’s viewpoint fairly.

Keep the tone neutral—don’t add personal opinions or judgment.

Wrap it up with a conclusion: “In summary, the group emphasized…”

🧏 Task 2: Respond to a Situation

What You’ll Experience

In this task, you’ll hear a real-life scenario (like a problem or request), and a written prompt will appear on the screen. You’ll have 10 seconds to prepare and then 40 seconds to respond as if you were directly involved in the situation.

What Skills This Tests

Spontaneous speaking

Emotional intelligence and empathy

Situational and cultural awareness

Fluency and pronunciation under time pressure

Tips to Nail It

Begin by acknowledging the situation: “I understand your concern…” or “I see what you mean…”

Provide a clear, helpful response or solution.

Stay calm and polite—don’t sound overly rehearsed or robotic.

End with a positive tone: “I hope that helps!” or “Feel free to reach out if you need anything else.”

🎯 Why These New Tasks Matter

These tasks are designed to prepare you for real-life academic and professional situations. Here’s how:

Summarize Group Discussion mimics university discussions, project meetings, or team collaborations where multiple viewpoints are shared.

Respond to a Situation mirrors interactions you might have in customer service, job interviews, or daily workplace conversations.

Both tasks focus on how you interact and communicate in real-time, not just how well you can repeat or read.

These tasks assess your ability to understand context, tone, and intent, making them more practical and relevant.

In essence, the PTE Academic New Questions Format 2025 is shifting from testing English knowledge to evaluating how well you can perform in everyday situations and conversations.

📝 Format and Timing Breakdown

Summarize Group Discussion

Audio Duration: 2-3 minutes

Prep Time: 10 seconds

Speaking Time: ~2 minutes

Style: Formal, neutral, third-person tone

Respond to a Situation

Audio Prompt: 20-30 seconds

Prep Time: 10 seconds

Speaking Time: 40 seconds

Style: Natural, polite, context-specific

🧠 Key Scoring Criteria

Both tasks are scored based on the following:

Content: Did you address the key points and stay relevant?

Fluency: Did you speak naturally without unnecessary pauses?

Pronunciation: Was your speech clear and easy to understand?

Appropriacy: Did your tone and word choices fit the situation?

Pearson uses a combination of AI and human raters to ensure accurate and fair scoring.

📚 How to Prepare for the PTE Academic New Questions Format 2025

Practice Listening to Group Discussions

Listen to academic podcasts, debates, or panel discussions with multiple speakers.

Try to summarize the main ideas from each speaker in your own words.

Focus on linking ideas using transitions like “on the other hand,” “however,” and “meanwhile” to show you can track different viewpoints.

Simulate Real-Life Scenarios

Record yourself responding to mock situations such as customer complaints or work-related challenges.

Use a timer to simulate the 10-second prep time and 40-second speaking time.

Aim to sound polite, clear, and helpful in your responses.

Create a Speaking Framework

For summaries: Start → Speaker 1 → Speaker 2 → Conclusion

For responses: Acknowledge → Respond → Close politely

Improve Fluency and Timing

Practice speaking continuously for 2 minutes without pausing to think.

Use language apps to practice and track your timing.

Try to speak spontaneously, just like you would in a real conversation.

📖 Useful Vocabulary and Phrases

For Summarizing Discussions:

“The topic under discussion was…”

“One participant pointed out that…”

“Another speaker mentioned…”

“In conclusion, the group highlighted…”

For Responding to Real-Life Situations:

“I understand your point.”

“Let me take care of that for you.”

“Could you explain that for me?”

“Thanks for bringing this to my attention.”

🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t speak too quickly—focus on clarity over speed.

Avoid using fillers like “um,” “uh,” and “like.”

Stick to the topic—don’t include unnecessary details.

Speak naturally—don’t sound like you’re reading from a script.

✅ Final Thoughts

The PTE Academic New Questions Format 2025 is a major shift, focusing on real-world communication rather than just language knowledge. Whether you're summarizing a group discussion or responding to a challenging situation, these new tasks will help you showcase your true ability to communicate in English.

To prepare, practice actively. Focus on fluency, clarity, and tone, and make sure you’re comfortable with the new format. The more familiar you are with the tasks, the more confident and ready you’ll feel on test day.

Source: Angel EduNext