PTE Syllabus
The full PTE Academic syllabus broken down by section and task type, with what each task actually assesses and how much it is worth.
What the syllabus actually covers
There is no content syllabus in the sense of topics to memorise. PTE assesses language ability through 22 task types, and what you can prepare is the method for each task rather than subject matter. Passages and recordings draw on general academic topics across the sciences, social sciences and humanities.
Where the marks concentrate
Marks are not evenly distributed across task types. In Reading, both Fill in the Blanks types carry disproportionate weight. In Listening, Write from Dictation feeds two skill scores. In Speaking, the tasks with longer responses give oral fluency more to assess. Practising in proportion to the exam's weighting beats practising evenly.
Vocabulary and grammar
Vocabulary breadth matters most in Answer Short Question and the Fill in the Blanks tasks, where collocation knowledge decides the answer. Grammar is assessed directly in the writing tasks and indirectly everywhere else through the enabling skills.