PTE Academic Speaking Updates 2026: What Nepali Students Need to Know If your PTE preparation materials are based entirely on older question formats, it is time to update your…
PTE Academic Speaking Updates 2026: What Nepali Students Need to Know
If your PTE preparation materials are based entirely on older question formats, it is time to update your study plan.
PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI now include two additional speaking question types: Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation. Pearson introduced these tasks for tests taken from 7 August 2025, and they remain part of the current PTE Academic format in 2026.
For students in Nepal planning to study abroad, this means PTE preparation should focus not only on memorising structures but also on understanding prompts, organizing ideas, responding appropriately and speaking clearly under time pressure.
At Grace International Consultancy, we recommend starting with three questions:
- What PTE test does your university or institution accept?
- What overall and individual skill scores do you need?
- Which speaking tasks are currently weakest for you?
Once these are clear, you can build a preparation plan around your actual application timeline.
What Has Changed in PTE Academic?
Pearson added two new question types to the Speaking & Writing section:
- Summarize Group Discussion
- Respond to a Situation
The existing question types remain, meaning students should continue preparing for the complete PTE Academic test rather than studying only the new tasks. Pearson's current format lists 22 question types across Speaking & Writing, Reading and Listening, with the test taking approximately two hours.
The current Speaking & Writing section includes:
- Read Aloud
- Repeat Sentence
- Describe Image
- Retell Lecture
- Answer Short Question
- Summarize Group Discussion
- Respond to a Situation
- Summarize Written Text
- Write Essay
The two new speaking tasks are designed to give test takers more opportunities to demonstrate communication in situations that resemble academic, social and professional interactions.
PTE Academic vs PTE Core
Students should also avoid mixing preparation materials for different PTE tests.
PTE Academic is used for academic English purposes, while PTE Core is a separate test with a different format and purpose. The two new tasks discussed in this article relate to PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI, not PTE Core.
1\. Summarize Group Discussion
Summarize Group Discussion requires you to listen to a discussion involving multiple speakers and explain the main ideas in your own words.
Pearson currently specifies up to three minutes of discussion recording followed by two minutes to give your response. The task assesses listening and speaking, along with pronunciation and oral fluency.
What should you focus on?
You do not need to repeat every sentence you hear.
Instead, try to identify:
- The main topic
- Each speaker's main idea
- Important supporting points
- Areas of agreement or disagreement
- Suggestions or possible solutions
- Relationships between the speakers' ideas
Pearson advises that strong responses summarize and paraphrase the discussion rather than simply repeating it in chronological order.
A practical note-taking method
During practice, divide your notes into three sections:
Speaker 1 | Speaker 2 | Speaker 3
Under each name, write only keywords.
For example:
Topic: Extending university library hours
- Speaker 1 → more evening study space
- Speaker 2 → staffing concerns
- Speaker 3 → trial during exam period
Your final response should connect these ideas rather than simply listing them.
Original practice example
Imagine three students are discussing whether a university library should remain open later during examination periods.
- One student supports longer opening hours because many students need a quiet place to study.
- Another is concerned about additional staffing requirements.
- The third suggests testing extended hours during examination weeks before making a permanent change.
A good practice response should explain the main issue, summarize each viewpoint and mention the proposed trial.
This is an original practice scenario created for this article, not an official Pearson question.
The most important habit
After recording your response, check accuracy before speed.
Ask yourself:
- Did I correctly identify each speaker?
- Did I confuse a suggestion with a final decision?
- Did I include the major ideas?
- Did I paraphrase rather than repeat?
- Did I maintain a clear flow?
Once your content becomes more accurate, work on fluency and timing.
2\. Respond to a Situation
Respond to a Situation asks you to read and listen to a description of a situation and then give a spoken response explaining what you would say or do.
Pearson currently specifies a prompt of up to 60 words, followed by 10 seconds of preparation and 40 seconds of speaking time.
This task is different from simply describing a topic.
You need to understand the situation and respond appropriately.
Before speaking, identify three things
Ask:
Who am I talking to?
For example:
- Teacher
- Classmate
- University staff member
- Supervisor
- Friend
What do I need to communicate?
For example:
- Request something
- Explain a problem
- Ask for information
- Make an apology
- Give an explanation
- Suggest a solution
What details must I include?
Focus on information specifically mentioned in the prompt.
Example practice situation
Imagine that you borrowed a university library book and accidentally damaged it. You want to report the damage before returning the book.
Your response should:
- Identify the book.
- Explain what happened.
- Acknowledge the damage honestly.
- Ask what you should do next.
You do not need a long introduction about libraries or education.
The objective is to respond directly to the situation.
Match your language to the situation
Pearson's scoring guidance emphasizes relevance, appropriate expressions and suitable formal or informal language.
For example:
Formal situation:
"Excuse me, I wanted to inform you that I accidentally damaged the book. Could you please advise me on the procedure for returning it?"
Informal situation:
"Hi, I wanted to let you know that I accidentally damaged the book. What should I do when I return it?"
The exact wording is less important than responding appropriately to the prompt.
3\. Don't Ignore the Existing Speaking Tasks
The new tasks do not replace the rest of your PTE preparation.
Students should continue practising:
- Read Aloud
- Repeat Sentence
- Describe Image
- Retell Lecture
- Answer Short Question
- Summarize Group Discussion
- Respond to a Situation
Pearson's current Speaking & Writing format includes these seven speaking-related task types alongside the writing tasks in Part 1.
Read Aloud
Focus on:
- Clear pronunciation
- Natural rhythm
- Appropriate pauses
- Consistent speaking speed
Pearson notes that oral fluency is affected by hesitations, repetitions and false starts.
Repeat Sentence
Do not focus only on pronunciation.
You also need to listen carefully and reproduce as much of the original sentence as possible while maintaining understandable pronunciation and fluency.
Describe Image
Practise identifying:
- Main subject
- Important trends
- Comparisons
- Key numbers
- Overall conclusion
Avoid describing every tiny visual detail.
Retell Lecture
Train yourself to listen for:
- Topic
- Main ideas
- Supporting information
- Relationships between ideas
- Conclusions
Your response should communicate the important information rather than attempting to reproduce the lecture word-for-word.
Answer Short Question
Keep the answer short and accurate.
Pearson specifically notes that additional unnecessary words do not provide extra marks for this task.
4\. Understand How Speaking Is Scored
PTE Academic uses automated scoring alongside human expertise for certain content reviews.
For the two new speaking tasks, Pearson states that Content, Pronunciation and Oral Fluency are AI-scored traits, while a human expert also reviews Content before the final task score is confirmed.
This is important because students should not prepare only for a particular "template."
Your response needs to be:
- Relevant
- Understandable
- Appropriately structured
- Based on the actual prompt
- Delivered with appropriate fluency
- In your own words
Pearson also states that unoriginal responses can receive no credit on applicable tasks, reinforcing the importance of producing your own response rather than relying on memorized material.
5\. Should You Memorise PTE Speaking Answers?
Memorising complete answers is not a reliable preparation strategy.
Instead, learn flexible structures.
For example, for Respond to a Situation, your mental structure could be:
Greeting → Situation → Key information → Request/solution → Closing
For Summarize Group Discussion:
Topic → Speaker 1 → Speaker 2 → Speaker 3 → Relationship/conclusion
These structures help you organize your thoughts without forcing the same answer onto every question.
The actual content should always come from the prompt.
6\. A Practical 7-Day PTE Speaking Study Plan
A simple weekly routine can help you identify weaknesses and build consistency.
Day 1 — Baseline Test
Complete one practice response for each major speaking task.
Record yourself.
Do not worry about achieving a perfect result.
Instead, identify your starting problems.
Day 2 — Listening and Note-Taking
Focus on:
- Summarize Group Discussion
- Retell Lecture
- Repeat Sentence
Practise taking short keyword notes without trying to write complete sentences.
Day 3 — Summarize Group Discussion
Complete several practice discussions.
After every response, check:
- Content accuracy
- Speaker attribution
- Main ideas
- Paraphrasing
- Fluency
Day 4 — Respond to a Situation
Practise different situations involving:
- Requests
- Problems
- Apologies
- Explanations
- Suggestions
- University communication
Focus on responding directly to the situation.
Day 5 — Traditional Speaking Tasks
Rotate through:
- Read Aloud
- Repeat Sentence
- Describe Image
- Retell Lecture
- Answer Short Question
Day 6 — Timed Practice
Complete a mixed speaking session under realistic time limits.
Avoid stopping every time you make a small mistake.
Train yourself to continue speaking naturally.
Day 7 — Review
Listen to your recordings.
Create a mistake list:
| Problem | Example | Improvement |
|---|---|---|
| Long pauses | 3–4 second gaps | Practise keyword planning |
| Repetition | Same phrase repeated | Use simpler sentence structures |
| Missing information | Key point omitted | Improve note-taking |
| Pronunciation | Difficult word unclear | Record and repeat |
| Off-topic response | Answer doesn't match prompt | Read the situation again |
Repeat this cycle every week and update the plan based on your recurring mistakes.
7\. A 30-Minute Daily PTE Speaking Routine
If you have limited preparation time, you do not necessarily need several hours every day.
A focused 30-minute session can include:
5 minutes: pronunciation and warm-up
10 minutes: one listening-based task
10 minutes: two recorded speaking responses
5 minutes: review and mistake tracking
The important part is consistency.
Also continue preparing Reading, Writing and Listening, because PTE Academic assesses all four communicative skills.
8\. Use Updated Practice Materials
Students preparing in 2026 should check whether their preparation materials include the two current speaking tasks.
Pearson provides updated preparation resources, including:
- Scored Practice Tests
- Example questions
- Sample answers
- Test tips
- Updated score guidance
- Lesson resources
Pearson's official practice resources specifically include materials for Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation.
Older books can still be useful for general English practice and existing question types, but they should not be your only source for understanding the current PTE Academic test format.
9\. Check Your Required PTE Score Before You Start
There is no single PTE score that works for every student.
Your required score can depend on:
- University
- Course
- Qualification level
- Destination
- Intake
- Visa route
- Individual skill requirements
Before booking your test, create a simple requirement sheet:
Institution:
Course:
Intake:
Overall PTE requirement:
Minimum Speaking:
Minimum Reading:
Minimum Writing:
Minimum Listening:
Application deadline:
Visa English requirement, if applicable:
Pearson advises students to check the requirements of their chosen institution and, where relevant, the appropriate immigration authority before selecting a test.
10\. PTE Academic Score Validity
A PTE Academic score is generally valid for two years from the test date, although institutions or authorities may apply their own requirements. Students should therefore check the validity requirements relevant to their application before relying on an older result.
This matters when planning your test date.
Taking the test too early may create a timing issue if your score expires before it is needed.
11\. Common PTE Speaking Preparation Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using only old materials
Older practice materials may not cover the two new speaking tasks.
Mistake 2: Memorising complete answers
A memorised response may not address the actual prompt.
Mistake 3: Speaking too quickly
Speed does not automatically mean fluency.
Focus on understandable, natural speech.
Mistake 4: Ignoring content
Good pronunciation cannot compensate for an answer that does not address the question.
Mistake 5: Giving irrelevant information
Especially in Respond to a Situation, stay focused on what the prompt asks you to communicate.
Mistake 6: Practising without recording
You may not notice your own pauses, repetitions or pronunciation problems while speaking.
Mistake 7: Preparing Speaking only
PTE Academic measures Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, so your preparation should cover the complete test.
12\. How Grace International Consultancy Can Help With PTE Preparation
At Grace International Consultancy, we can help students connect their English-test preparation with their wider study-abroad application plan.
1. Initial Profile Discussion
We can review your:
- Academic background
- Intended destination
- Preferred course
- Target intake
- Current English-test status
- Application timeline
This helps establish what you need before beginning the application process.
2. PTE Requirement Check
Instead of assuming that one score applies to every university, we can help you identify the relevant English-language requirement for your shortlisted institutions and courses.
3. Preparation Planning
Based on your timeline and current practice performance, we can help you create a preparation schedule covering:
- Speaking
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Practice tests
- Revision
4. Updated Speaking Task Guidance
Students preparing for PTE Academic in 2026 should be familiar with:
- Summarize Group Discussion
- Respond to a Situation
- Read Aloud
- Repeat Sentence
- Describe Image
- Retell Lecture
- Answer Short Question
We can help students understand how these tasks fit into the current test format.
5. Practice and Performance Review
Regular practice can help identify recurring problems such as:
- Hesitation
- Poor pronunciation
- Weak note-taking
- Missing key information
- Limited vocabulary
- Poor response organization
- Difficulty managing time
6. University and Course Planning
PTE is only one part of a study-abroad application.
Once your target score and English-test plan are clear, Grace can also support students with:
- Course selection
- University shortlisting
- Application documentation
- Admission application support
- Scholarship information
- Visa documentation guidance
- Pre-departure preparation
7. Application Timeline Support
We can help you organize your PTE preparation around your intended intake so that English testing, university applications and documentation are planned together.
Important: PTE preparation does not guarantee a particular score, admission outcome or visa decision. Test results are determined through the official testing process, while admission and immigration decisions are made by the relevant institutions and authorities.
13\. Your PTE Preparation Checklist
Before booking your test, make sure you have:
- Confirmed the correct PTE test
- Checked whether your university accepts PTE Academic
- Confirmed the required overall score
- Checked individual skill requirements
- Confirmed any relevant visa English requirement
- Reviewed the current 2026 test format
- Practised both new speaking tasks
- Completed a baseline practice test
- Started recording your speaking responses
- Identified your weakest skill
- Created a realistic study schedule
- Checked your application deadline
- Confirmed that your test result will remain valid when needed
Frequently Asked Questions About PTE Speaking in 2026
What are the new PTE speaking questions?
The two new PTE Academic question types are Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation. They were introduced from 7 August 2025 and remain part of the current test format.
How long do I have to answer Respond to a Situation?
Pearson currently provides 10 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to speak after the situation is presented.
How long is Summarize Group Discussion?
The discussion recording can be up to three minutes, followed by two minutes to provide your response.
Can I still use old PTE preparation books?
Yes, older materials can still be useful for existing question types and general English practice. However, make sure your preparation also includes the current question types and updated official materials.
Should I memorise PTE speaking answers?
It is better to learn flexible response structures and practise generating your own answers from the prompt rather than memorising complete responses.
Is PTE Academic the same as PTE Core?
No. PTE Academic and PTE Core are different tests designed for different purposes and have different test formats.
How long is a PTE Academic score valid?
A PTE Academic score is generally valid for two years from the test date, subject to the requirements of the institution or authority receiving it.
Final Takeaway
The biggest PTE Speaking change students preparing in 2026 need to understand is not simply that there are two additional questions. The more important change is the need to demonstrate relevant, spontaneous and appropriately structured communication.
Prepare for the current test rather than relying entirely on older templates.
Practise Summarize Group Discussion by listening for relationships between speakers and summarising their main ideas. Practise Respond to a Situation by identifying who you are speaking to, what you need to communicate and which details from the prompt must be included.
Most importantly, build your PTE preparation around your actual university, course and application requirements.
If you are planning to study abroad from Nepal and need help connecting your PTE preparation, university selection and application timeline, Grace International Consultancy can help you organize the process step by step.
Sources
- Pearson PTE — Updates to PTE Academic
- Pearson PTE — PTE Academic & UKVI Test Format
- Pearson PTE — Enhanced PTE Academic Research Report
- Pearson PTE — Updated Preparation Resources
- Pearson PTE — PTE Academic Overview and Score Information
Written by Grace Admin.
