Speaking & Writing
Write Essay
You write one argumentative essay of 200–300 words in 20 minutes. There is one essay on the test.
- Writing
- Items on a test
- 1
- Length for full form credit
- 200–300 words
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Skills
- Writing
Item counts vary slightly by test form. The ranges follow Pearson’s PTE Academic test-taker score guide.
What this task asks
The prompt asks you to argue a position, discuss a statement, or consider how different people might see an issue. You need to answer the question that was asked, with reasons and examples, in normal academic paragraphs.
There is no single essay you can memorise. The task page gives no credit for an unoriginal response, and an essay that does not address the topic scores zero on every trait.
How scoring works
Seven traits are scored. Content is 0–6: the essay has to address the prompt in your own words and support the argument with relevant detail. Development, structure and coherence is 0–6: introduction, body and conclusion, paragraphs in a logical order, and connective language. General linguistic range is 0–6: whether you can say what you mean, including more complex ideas, without the language collapsing.
Form is 2 for 200–300 words, 1 for 120–199 or 301–380 words, and 0 below 120 or above 380. Form is also 0 if the essay is in all capitals, has no punctuation, or is only bullet points or very short sentences. The task page says an essay under 120 or over 380 words scores zero on all seven traits.
Grammar is 0–2. Vocabulary range is 0–2. Spelling is 2 for no errors, 1 for one spelling error, and 0 for more than one. Use one spelling convention throughout: United States, United Kingdom, Australian or Canadian.
The item contributes to Writing. A human expert reviews content, development, structure and coherence, and general linguistic range.
The automated system scores every trait. A human expert also reviews Content, Development, Structure and Coherence, and General Linguistic Range before the score is finalised.
Timings and scoring follow Pearson’s published format for Speaking & Writing.
Tips that match the task
- 1
Spend a few minutes finding the topic, the question type, and the parts you must cover. An agree-or-disagree prompt and a “discuss both views” prompt are not the same essay.
- 2
Plan three beats: a position, two developed reasons with a concrete example each, and a conclusion that restates the position without adding a new one.
- 3
Write between 200 and 300 words and check the on-screen counter. 199 words drops form from 2 to 1. Under 120 or over 380 zeros the essay.
- 4
Keep examples specific. The content scale distinguishes a supported argument from generic statements and from language copied from the prompt.
- 5
Use paragraphs. A single block can be logically ordered and still miss the paragraphing the structure trait describes.
- 6
Pick one spelling convention and stay with it. “Organise” and “organize” in the same essay are not a consistent convention, and more than one spelling error scores 0 on spelling.
- 7
Leave time to read for the second spelling mistake, a missing full stop, and whether every paragraph answers the prompt you were given.
- 8
Write the essay for this prompt. A memorised essay on a related topic is off-task, and an off-topic essay scores zero.
Common mistakes
- Writing under 200 words and losing full form credit, or under 120 and scoring zero overall.
- Addressing only half of a two-part prompt.
- Repeating the prompt’s sentences instead of developing an argument.
- Mixing spelling conventions, or leaving two misspellings. Spelling then scores 0.
- Using bullet points or writing in capital letters. Both score 0 for form.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should a PTE essay be?
200–300 words for full form credit. From 120 to 199, or from 301 to 380, form drops to 1. Under 120 or over 380, the task instructions say the essay scores zero on all seven traits. You have 20 minutes, and there is one essay.
What are the seven Write Essay traits?
Content, development, structure and coherence, form, general linguistic range, grammar, vocabulary range, and spelling. Content, structure and linguistic range run from 0 to 6 and are reviewed by a human expert. Grammar, vocabulary and spelling run from 0 to 2.
Will a memorised essay work?
No. The essay has to address the prompt you are given. An essay that misses the topic scores zero on every trait, and unoriginal responses receive no credit. Use a structure, and write the content for the question on the screen.
Practise Write Essay on a real question
Open a free practice question in the LearnPTE app and try this task with instant feedback.