TopPTE
Question-type guide
ASQSpeakingWeight <1% Speaking:2% Listening:1%

Answer Short Question

You hear a general-knowledge question and answer it in a word or two — no full sentence needed.

Practise this question type

Format

  • 5-6 items
  • The prompt is about 3-9 seconds long
  • About 3 seconds to prepare
  • 10 seconds to answer

Scoring criteria

  • Marked right / wrong, not scored by dimension (this site auto-judges right/wrong via speech recognition + fuzzy matching, with no AI scoring)

Scoring dimensions are condensed and paraphrased from Pearson's official PTE Core scoring guide for readability; refer to the official documentation for the exact wording.

Answering technique

  1. 1This is a general-knowledge question testing listening comprehension and reaction speed, not language ability — answer as instinctively as you can
  2. 2The answer is usually just a word or two; don't give a full sentence — saying more makes mistakes more likely
  3. 3Build up familiarity with common topics for these: everyday object uses, colours, animals, occupations, and so on
  4. 4If you didn't catch it, still guess a reasonable answer — leaving it blank guarantees a 0

Common pitfalls

  • Answering in a full sentence and running out of time
  • Rushing to answer on a keyword before the whole question is finished

Video walkthrough

From Pearson's official PTE Core YouTube channel.