Listening
Summarize Spoken Text
You hear a lecture of 60–90 seconds once, then write a 50–70 word summary. You have 10 minutes.
- Listening
- Writing
- Items on a test
- 1
- Lecture
- 60–90 seconds
- Summary
- 50–70 words
- Time
- 10 minutes
Item counts vary slightly by test form. The ranges follow Pearson’s PTE Academic test-taker score guide.
What this task asks
The audio starts by itself and plays once. You may take notes. The word counter on screen tracks the summary. Cut, copy and paste are available.
There is one Summarize Spoken Text item. It is the only listening task that asks for a paragraph you write yourself, so the notes you take during the lecture are the whole source.
How scoring works
Five traits are scored. Content is 0–4. A full, paraphrased account of the main ideas scores at the top. If the summary misrepresents the topic or purpose of the lecture, the task page says the response scores zero on every trait.
Form is 2 for 50–70 words, 1 for 40–49 or 71–100 words, and 0 for fewer than 40 or more than 100. Form is also 0 if the summary is in all capitals, has no punctuation, or is only bullet points or very short sentences. The task page says a summary outside 40–100 words scores zero on all five traits.
Grammar and vocabulary are each 0–2. Spelling is 2 with no errors, 1 with one error, and 0 with more than one. Use one spelling convention: United States, United Kingdom, Australian or Canadian.
The item contributes to Listening and Writing. No credit is given for no response, an irrelevant response, or an unoriginal response. You have to use your own words.
The automated system scores this task, and a human expert reviews Content before the score is finalised. Pronunciation and oral fluency, where they apply, stay with the automated scoring.
Timings and scoring follow Pearson’s published format for Listening.
Tips that match the task
- 1
Note the topic in a few words as soon as you recognise it, then the supporting points. The content scale wants the main point and the essential support, not a transcript.
- 2
Write in full sentences with punctuation. Bullet points score 0 for form.
- 3
Aim for 50–70 words and check the counter. Under 40 or over 100 zeros the response. Between 40 and 49, or 71 and 100, form drops from 2 to 1.
- 4
Paraphrase the lecture. A summary that stitches together the speaker’s sentences sits lower on content.
- 5
Leave a minute for grammar you can see quickly: subject-verb agreement, tense, and a capital at the start of each sentence.
- 6
Check spelling once, slowly. More than one spelling error scores 0 on the spelling trait.
- 7
Do not add an opinion or an example the lecture did not give. Extra, inaccurate material is not “more content”.
Common mistakes
- Writing under 50 words and losing full form credit, or under 40 and scoring zero.
- Copying as much of the lecture as the notes captured, including side examples, and missing the point.
- Using bullet points because notes were already in that form.
- Two spelling mistakes, which wipe out the spelling trait.
- A memorised summary frame that does not match the lecture. Unoriginal responses receive no credit.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is Summarize Spoken Text?
50–70 words for full form credit. 40–49 or 71–100 scores 1 for form. Fewer than 40 or more than 100 scores zero on all five traits. You have 10 minutes, including the time the 60–90 second lecture is playing.
What are the five traits?
Content (0–4), form (0–2), grammar (0–2), vocabulary (0–2) and spelling (0–2). Content is reviewed by a human expert. The item contributes to Listening and Writing.
Can I listen twice?
No. The recording plays once. Take notes while it plays, then write from the notes.
Practise Summarize Spoken Text on a real question
Open a free practice question in the LearnPTE app and try this task with instant feedback.