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Question-type guide
RSSpeakingWeight 19% Speaking:38% Listening:39%

Repeat Sentence

You hear a sentence and immediately repeat it word for word, with no prep time. It tests listening comprehension and spoken output at once.

Practise this question type

Format

  • 10-12 items
  • The prompt audio is about 3-9 seconds long
  • Start recording your repeat immediately after it ends; no prep time
  • The audio plays only once

Scoring criteria

  • Content: 0-3; the closer your word order matches the original, the higher the score
  • Pronunciation: 0-5
  • Fluency: 0-5

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. 1For short sentences, repeat word for word; for longer ones, prioritize keeping the key content words (nouns, numbers, verbs)
  2. 2If you fall behind, don't stop to agonize over a missed word — keep going and protect overall flow
  3. 3Use the exact words you heard; don't swap in synonyms or paraphrase
  4. 4Practise shadowing regularly to build short-term memory and speech imitation

Common pitfalls

  • Getting stuck on a word you missed and stopping, so the whole recording comes out short
  • Pace swinging between fast and slow
  • Making up filler content when you can't remember

Video walkthrough

From Pearson's official PTE Core YouTube channel.