Crack the New PTE Speaking Format: Smart Tips for 2025 Test-Takers
If you’re gearing up for the PTE Academic after August 7th, 2025, you’ll want to get familiar with the updated PTE Academic New Speaking Tips. The test’s Speaking section is getting a makeover, and the new format is all about real-world communication. Instead of focusing only on perfect grammar, you’ll be tested on your ability to think and respond naturally in everyday conversations. Let’s walk through the changes and dive into some practical tips to help you excel!
🔄 Why the PTE Speaking Section is Changing
The main goal behind the changes is to make the test reflect how English is actually used in real-life situations. Here’s why the new format matters:
Real-time communication: You’ll need to think on your feet and speak like you would in a natural conversation.
Fluency over perfection: The test is shifting focus from perfect grammar to how naturally and confidently you can speak.
Active listening: You’ll need to process what you hear and respond in a thoughtful way.
Practical tasks: The new tasks are more aligned with situations you’ll face in school, work, or social settings.
This makes the test a lot more relevant to your everyday life and the communication skills you need.
🆕 Overview of the New Speaking Tasks
There are two new tasks in the updated format that challenge your ability to engage in real-life communication:
Summarize Group Discussion
Respond to a Situation
These tasks require you to speak fluently and spontaneously, so you’ll need to practice thinking and speaking quickly.
🗣️ Task 1: Summarize Group Discussion
What This Task Looks Like
In this task, you’ll listen to a 2–3 minute group conversation. After the conversation ends, you’ll have 10 seconds to gather your thoughts and 2 minutes to summarize the discussion.
PTE Academic New Speaking Tips for This Task
Take smart notes: Jot down key points and who said what. You don’t need to write every detail—just the important ideas.
Start with an intro: Begin with something like, “The conversation was centered around…” to set the tone.
Include different perspectives: Mention at least two speakers’ opinions to show you understood the full range of ideas.
Use clear structure: Stick to a format like Introduction → Speaker 1’s Point → Speaker 2’s Point → Conclusion.
Keep it formal and neutral: Stay professional and don’t add personal opinions in the summary.
🎤 Task 2: Respond to a Situation
What This Task Looks Like
In this task, you’ll hear a 20–30 second real-life scenario (such as a problem or request). After listening, you’ll have 10 seconds to think about your response, and then you’ll speak for 40 seconds.
PTE Academic New Speaking Tips for This Task
Start with empathy: Open your response with something like, “I understand your concern…” or “Thanks for bringing that up…”
Respond clearly: Be straightforward and offer a solution or opinion in a natural, conversational tone.
Keep a positive tone: End your response with something like, “I hope this helps” or “Please let me know if you need further assistance.”
Speak confidently: The goal is to sound calm and confident, even if you don’t have a perfect answer.
🎯 Why These New Tasks Matter
These new tasks are designed to assess real-world skills that are essential for studying and working in an English-speaking environment:
Quick thinking: Can you respond quickly and appropriately to an unexpected situation?
Fluency: Are you able to speak smoothly, without overthinking or stumbling?
Active listening and responding: How well can you listen, process information, and then respond accordingly?
Real-life communication: The tasks are more practical and closely resemble what you might encounter in everyday life.
By mastering these skills, you’ll be better prepared for both the test and for using English in real-world situations.
📚 Preparation Strategies That Work
Practice Listening to Group Discussions
Listen to debates or panel discussions. Focus on understanding the main points and different perspectives.
Afterward, try summarizing what you heard in 1–2 minutes.
Don’t worry about every detail—just focus on the key points and the flow of the conversation.
Simulate Real-Life Scenarios
Record yourself responding to real-life situations, like resolving a customer complaint or offering advice.
Use a timer: 10 seconds to think, then 40 seconds to speak.
The more you practice, the more naturally your responses will become.
Create a Clear Structure
For Summarizing Group Discussions: Use phrases like, “The main topic of discussion was…” or “One key point raised by Speaker 1 was…”
For Responding to a Situation: Structure your response as: Acknowledge → Address → Conclude.
Build Your Vocabulary
Workplace: “Would you like me to help with that?”
Academic: “The speaker emphasized that…”
Social: “Thanks for your patience as I sort this out.”
🧠 Bonus Speaking Tips to Boost Confidence
Speak out loud daily: Practice for at least 5 minutes each day to get comfortable speaking English fluently.
Shadow native speakers: Listen to English content and try to mimic their pronunciation, tone, and speed. It’s a great way to sound more natural.
Record yourself: Playback your recordings to spot areas for improvement—like where you hesitate or how clear you sound.
Focus on pronunciation: Clear speech is more important than speaking quickly. Practice enunciating each word.
Have a cheat sheet: Keep a list of useful phrases to help you start your responses confidently.
🚫 Mistakes to Avoid
Rushing through your response: Take a moment to gather your thoughts before speaking. It’s better to give a calm, clear answer than rush.
Using too informal language: Keep your tone professional and appropriate for the context.
Giving personal opinions in the summary task: Stick to summarizing what others said, not offering your views.
Overusing fillers like “um,” “like,” or “you know”—they can make you sound uncertain.
Going off-topic: Stay focused on answering the prompt and avoid drifting into irrelevant details.
📌 What to Expect on Test Day
Summarize Group Discussion
Audio: 2–3 minutes
Prep Time: 10 seconds
Speaking Time: ~2 minutes
Goal: Summarize the main points of the discussion neutrally and clearly.
Respond to a Situation
Audio: 20–30 seconds
Prep Time: 10 seconds
Speaking Time: 40 seconds
Goal: Respond appropriately and confidently to the situation.
✅ Final Thoughts
The new PTE Speaking section is designed to test how you use English in real-world situations. The updated tasks are more about communication and fluency than perfect grammar. By using the PTE Academic New Speaking Tips, you’ll not only be ready for the test but also improve your overall English speaking skills. With the right preparation, you’ll be able to speak confidently and naturally.
Start practicing early, stay calm, and aim to sound as natural as possible. That’s the best way to crack the new PTE Speaking format in 2025!
Source: Angel EduNext