PTE 2025 Speaking Update Revealed: What’s New and How to Prepare Confidently

 

From 7th August 2025, the PTE Academic exam is bringing in some big changes—especially to the Speaking section. If you’re planning to take the test after this date, it’s important to understand the PTE Academic New Questions Format 2025. The new version introduces two fresh speaking tasks that are designed to test how well you handle real-life conversations—no more relying on rehearsed answers.

Let’s break down what’s changing, why it matters, and how you can prepare with confidence (and less stress).

🎯 Why Is the Speaking Format Changing?

Pearson wants the test to feel more like real life. That means checking how you actually communicate, not how well you memorize lines. With the new tasks, they’re looking at:

How you respond to everyday or unexpected situations

How you understand and sum up conversations between multiple people

How clearly, naturally, and fluently you speak

This makes the test more fair—and more useful for your future in study, work, or daily life abroad.

🔍 What Are the Two New Speaking Tasks?

Here’s what’s new in the PTE Academic New Questions Format 2025:

Summarize Group Discussion

Respond to a Situation

These tasks combine AI and human review to make scoring more accurate and balanced.

🧠 Task 1: Summarize Group Discussion

✅ What to Expect:

You’ll hear a 2–3 minute audio of 3–4 people discussing a topic

You get 10 seconds to prepare

Then, you’ll speak for 2 minutes to summarize what you heard

🔑 How to Do Well:

Take quick notes on who says what

Highlight different opinions or agreements

Stay neutral—don’t add your own views

Keep your summary organized and clear

🎙 Speaking Template:

Start: “The discussion focused on the topic of…”

Middle: “One speaker mentioned…” / “Another added…”

End: “To sum up, the group shared various views on the issue.”

🎤 Task 2: Respond to a Situation

✅ What to Expect:

You’ll hear a short real-life scenario (20–30 seconds long)

A prompt will describe your role (e.g., a student, an employee)

You get 10 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to speak

🔑 How to Do Well:

Pretend it’s real—respond naturally

Stay polite and to the point

Focus on giving one clear solution

🎙 Speaking Template:

Start: “Thanks for letting me know…”

Middle: “I’ll check on that right away…”

End: “I’ll make sure it’s resolved as soon as possible.”

📌 Quick Format Recap

Here’s a simplified look at both tasks:

Summarize Group Discussion

Listen to a 2–3 min conversation

Prep time: 10 seconds

Speak time: 2 minutes

Goal: Summarize key points and different opinions clearly

Respond to a Situation

Listen to a short scenario (20–30 sec)

Prep time: 10 seconds

Speak time: 40 seconds

Goal: Give a clear, polite, and appropriate response

📚 How to Prepare for the 2025 PTE Speaking Update

1. Practice Listening to Group Conversations

Watch panel discussions or interviews (e.g., on YouTube)

Write down key points from each speaker

Practice saying a short summary aloud

2. Simulate Real-Life Situations

Practice responding to everyday problems (late delivery, technical issue, etc.)

Use a timer: 10 seconds to plan, 40 seconds to speak

Stay polite and clear

3. Use Helpful Phrases and Transitions

 Try these:

“One speaker pointed out…”

“Others seemed to agree that…”

“To conclude…”

4. Improve Your Fluency and Confidence

Record your voice and listen back

Read news articles or short stories out loud

Try “shadowing” (repeat after a native speaker to match tone and pace)

✅ Tips for Test Day

Don’t panic when the audio starts—just listen actively

Use short notes with arrows or keywords

Speak with confidence, even if you make a small mistake

Keep a steady pace, and don’t rush your ending

❌ What to Avoid

Don’t memorize answers—they sound unnatural

Don’t speak too fast or too slow

Don’t give personal opinions during summaries

Don’t ignore the context of the scenario

If you miss something, don’t freeze—just focus on what you did hear

💬 Useful Practice Phrases

For Summarizing Group Discussions:

“There were differing views on…”

“One participant highlighted…”

“Others agreed on…”

For Responding to Situations:

“Let me take care of that.”

“I appreciate you informing me.”

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

🎯 Final Thoughts

The PTE Academic New Questions Format 2025 is a big step toward testing your real English communication skills. You’ll no longer be judged on how well you memorized a script—but on how you listen, think, and speak in real time.

And that’s a good thing.

If you start preparing with real-life examples, keep practicing out loud, and use these tips, the new format can actually become your advantage. You’ve got this!

Source: Angel EduNext