PTE Writing Test: Tasks, Word Limits and Free Practice
Last updated 10 October 2026
The PTE writing test has two scored tasks in PTE Academic: Summarize Written Text, a single sentence of 5 to 75 words written in 10 minutes, and Write Essay, a 200 to 300 word essay written in 20 minutes. Writing skills are also assessed in Summarize Spoken Text, Write From Dictation and the Reading & Writing fill-in-the-blanks item. Use the checker below to confirm your draft meets the word rules, then practise each task and press Check my score for a practice estimate with feedback.
Word count: 0
- Between 5 and 75 words
- Starts with a capital letter
- Ends with one full stop
This box only checks the published word and sentence rules, so it shows no score. To get a practice estimate with feedback on content, form, vocabulary and a few simple writing slips, write your answer on the Summarize Written Text or Write Essay practice page and press Check my score. Results are saved in this browser and shown on your progress page. Estimates are not official scores and not Pearson's scoring.
PTE writing test at a glance
Times and word limits below come from Pearson's item pages for PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI. The scoring factors are described in the same pages. You can check them on Pearson's Speaking & Writing format page. PTE Core has a different format, covered in our PTE Core guide.
| Task | Time | Response rule | Part of the test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summarize Written Text | 10 minutes | One sentence, 5 to 75 words | Speaking & Writing (reading and writing skills) |
| Write Essay | 20 minutes | 200 to 300 words | Speaking & Writing (writing skill) |
| Summarize Spoken Text | 10 minutes | 50 to 70 words, from a 60 to 90 second recording | Listening (listening and writing skills) |
| Write From Dictation | Sentence plays once | Type the sentence exactly | Listening (listening and writing skills) |
| Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks | Part of the Reading section | Drop-down words for each gap | Reading (Pearson says it also assesses writing) |
Summarize Written Text
You read a passage of up to 300 words, then write one sentence. Pearson's rules say the response must be between 5 and 75 words, start with a capital letter and end with a single full stop. A response with fewer than five words or more than 75 words is not scored. The sentence has to state the main point of the passage without misrepresenting its purpose.
Practise with the Summarize Written Text practice page to build the habit of one clean sentence under time. Press Check my score for a practice estimate, a model answer and a reason for each item.
Write Essay
The prompt is two to three sentences long. You have 20 minutes to write a persuasive or argumentative essay of 200 to 300 words. Pearson scores seven factors: content, development and structure, form, general linguistic range, grammar, vocabulary range and spelling. A clear four-paragraph layout is the easiest way to cover development and structure in the time.
- Introduction: state your position and preview the two main ideas.
- First body paragraph: one idea, supported with an example or explanation.
- Second body paragraph: the other idea, or the opposing view and your reply to it.
- Conclusion: restate your position in new words. Do not add new arguments.
Practise with the Write Essay practice page, then compare your structure with the four-paragraph outline above. Check my score there gives a practice estimate with feedback.
The other writing-related tasks
Three further items draw on writing as well as listening or reading. Each one has a separate practice page and a separate set of rules, so check the task card before you start.
Summarize Spoken Text
10 minutes · 50 to 70 wordsListen to a 60 to 90 second recording, then write a summary. Pearson lists it under listening and writing.
Write From Dictation
Sentence plays once · Type the sentence exactlyHear a short sentence once and type it. Pearson lists it under listening and writing.
Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks
Part of the Reading section · Choose the right word for each gapFill gaps in an academic passage from a drop-down list. Pearson says this item also assesses writing.
How writing practice is scored here (practice estimate)
On the Summarize Written Text and Write Essay practice pages, Check my scoregives a percentage that is a practice estimate. It is not Pearson's scoring and not an official score, and we never convert it into a 10 to 90 score.
What is measured
- Form, using Pearson's published length rules (one sentence of 5 to 75 words; essay 200 to 300 words, with partial credit from 120 to 380).
- Content, by looking for the keywords of fixed key ideas (summary) or the main words of the prompt (essay).
- Vocabulary variety, linking words, repeated or copied wording, sentence length and variety (essay), essay structure, capitals and punctuation.
What is only partly checked or not measured
- Grammar is only partly checked: about a dozen specific slips. Most grammar errors will not be found.
- Spelling is only partly checked: a list of frequent misspellings, not a full spell-check.
- Not measured: whether ideas are accurate, convincing or well developed, or whether the text reads naturally.
Results are saved in this browser only. See them on the practice progress page. Summarize Spoken Text has its own page and scoring notes.
Writing tips that help on test day
- Plan before you type. For the essay, spend two or three minutes listing your position, two supporting ideas and a conclusion point.
- For Summarize Written Text, find the main point and the one or two supporting ideas that matter most. Leave out examples and statistics.
- Keep the summary to one sentence. Use a complex or compound structure to join the main point with a supporting idea, and check for run-on sentences.
- Paraphrase instead of copying. Use synonyms and noun phrases, which show academic vocabulary.
- Use linking words between paragraphs of the essay, such as a contrast phrase when you turn to the other side.
- Watch the word counter. A short essay under 200 words loses marks, and an essay outside the 120 to 380 word zero range scores nothing.
- Proofread the last two minutes. Check articles, plurals, tense and subject-verb agreement, the most common writing slips.
For scoring context, Pearson describes the overall score as a range from 10 to 90, reported with individual communicative skill scores. The PTE score chart shows how those bands compare, and the PTE exam pattern guide lays out every part of the test.
Frequently asked questions
What are the writing tasks in the PTE Academic test?
The Speaking & Writing part of PTE Academic includes two scored writing tasks: Summarize Written Text, which is a one-sentence summary given 10 minutes, and Write Essay, a 200 to 300 word essay given 20 minutes. Writing skills are also assessed in Summarize Spoken Text, Write From Dictation and the Reading & Writing fill-in-the-blanks item.
How long is the PTE writing section?
The two writing tasks total 30 minutes: 10 minutes for Summarize Written Text and 20 minutes for Write Essay. Pearson's format page gives 76 to 84 minutes for the whole Speaking & Writing part, which also contains the speaking tasks.
What is the word limit for Summarize Written Text?
Your response must be one sentence of 5 to 75 words. Fewer than five words or more than 75 words will not be scored. Pearson's writing tips suggest a good sentence is about 20 to 35 words, long enough to cover the main point.
How many words should a PTE Write Essay be?
Aim for 200 to 300 words. Pearson's scoring text says responses under 120 words or over 380 words receive zero on every factor, and responses below 200 or above 300 lose form credit.
PTE writing ka time kitna hota hai?
Across the two scored writing tasks you have about 30 minutes: 10 minutes for Summarize Written Text and 20 minutes for Write Essay. Each task has its own timer, so plan your time per task.
PTE writing mein kitne task hote hain?
There are two scored writing tasks in PTE Academic, Summarize Written Text and Write Essay. Writing skills are also tested through listening and reading items, so practise the other writing-related tasks too.
Does this site score my PTE writing?
The word-limit checker on this page only counts words and checks the published length and sentence rules. The Summarize Written Text and Write Essay practice pages go further: Check my score gives a practice estimate as a percentage, with a breakdown and a model answer. It checks form, content by keyword, vocabulary variety, linking words, repetition and punctuation, and only a few grammar slips and common misspellings. It is not Pearson's scoring and not an official score, and it never converts to a 10 to 90 score.
What does the writing practice estimate not measure?
Grammar and spelling are only partly checked, so a clean result does not mean your English is correct. Content is matched by keyword, so a good idea in different words can be missed. It cannot judge how convincing an argument is, or whether your writing reads naturally. Pearson's own AI scoring is the only system that produces an official score.
Where can I see my writing practice results?
Each time you press Check my score on a writing practice page, the result is saved in your own browser only. Open the practice progress page to see your recent results by task. Clearing your browser data removes them.
Are the writing topics here real PTE exam questions?
No. Every practice item is written from scratch to match the length and academic style of the real tasks. We do not use real or repeated exam questions.
Can I get a specific score in writing?
Pearson's score report gives an overall score from 10 to 90 and individual communicative skill scores. Pearson does not publish a target for a single writing task, so this site does not promise one. Use practice to improve word limits, structure and accuracy.
Does PTE Core use the same writing tasks?
PTE Core has its own test format, so check the Core format before practising. This page covers PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI, which share the two writing tasks described here.
Keep practising
PTE is a trademark of Pearson. This is an independent practice site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson. Practice items are original. The word checker applies the published word rules only, and the scores on the practice pages are practice estimates, not official scores.