Speaking & Writing
Answer Short Question
You hear a short question and answer with one word or a few words. Extra words do not earn extra points.
- Listening
- Items on a test
- About 5–6
- Question audio
- 3–9 seconds
- Answer window
- About 10 seconds
- Skills
- Listening
Item counts vary slightly by test form. The ranges follow Pearson’s PTE Academic test-taker score guide.
What this task asks
The question plays once. An image may appear with it. There is no tone: when the audio ends, the microphone opens and you answer immediately. Pearson’s instructions say that if you wait more than three seconds, the recording stops and the item is marked completed.
The same three-second gap applies if you stop in the middle of an answer. This task is still on the current PTE Academic. It was not removed when Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation were added.
How scoring works
The score guide marks vocabulary as correct or incorrect: 1 for an appropriate word or short phrase, 0 for an inappropriate choice or no response. There is no partial credit and no extra point for a longer answer.
The item contributes to Listening. Speaking and writing are not scored on it, so a beautifully fluent sentence does not help if the word is wrong.
Timings and scoring follow Pearson’s published format for Speaking & Writing.
Tips that match the task
- 1
Answer as soon as the recording status changes. A silence of more than three seconds ends the item before you have spoken.
- 2
Give the word or short phrase and stop. For a question such as “What type of periodical is published on a daily basis?”, “a newspaper” and “newspaper” are enough. A sentence does not score more.
- 3
Say the answer clearly once. Repeating it, or adding “I think the answer is”, uses time and is not what the item asks for.
- 4
If you are unsure, give your best short guess. An incorrect answer scores 0, which is the same as silence, and silence can close the microphone.
- 5
Listen for the question word. “Where”, “when”, “how many” and “what kind” tell you the shape of the answer.
- 6
Build everyday academic vocabulary: names of objects, fields of study, common categories. The questions are general, not trick questions.
Common mistakes
- Waiting to be completely sure, then finding the item has already completed.
- Answering with a full sentence. It does not add marks, and a long pause inside it can cut the recording off.
- Giving two different answers in the hope that one is right. The item is looking for an appropriate short response, not a list.
- Speaking before the microphone is open. There is no lead-in tone on this item.
- Treating the task as a speaking-fluency exercise. Fluency is not the trait being scored.
Frequently asked questions
Is Answer Short Question still on PTE Academic?
Yes. The current format still includes about 5–6 Answer Short Question items, alongside the newer Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation tasks.
How is Answer Short Question scored?
It is correct or incorrect. An appropriate short answer scores 1 for vocabulary and contributes to Listening. An inappropriate answer or no response scores 0. Extra words do not earn more points.
What happens if I stay silent?
Pearson’s instructions say the recording stops if you wait more than three seconds before answering, or if you pause for three seconds while answering. Start as soon as the microphone opens.
Practise Answer Short Question on a real question
Open a free practice question in the LearnPTE app and try this task with instant feedback.