PTE Academic and PTE Core

PTE Respond to a Situation practice: sample questions and answers

PTE Respond to a Situation practice for PTE Academic and PTE Core. You read and hear a short everyday situation, then say what you would say in it. Try a free sample question below with the recorded prompt and the real timers, then compare your answer with the sample answer.
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  • 368 questions
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The task

What is Respond to a Situation in PTE?

Prompt
A situation of up to 60 words, shown on screen and played once as audio
Which tests
Both, as of October 2026: PTE Academic (added for tests from 7 August 2025) and PTE Core
Section
Part 1: Speaking and Writing
Preparation
10 seconds after the audio in PTE Academic; 20 seconds in PTE Core
Time to answer
40 seconds
Skills
Speaking
In the test
2–3 items in PTE Academic, 2–4 in PTE Core

Source: Pearson's PTE test-format pages and Score Guides (PTE Academic July 2025, PTE Core January 2026).

Marks

How PTE Respond to a Situation is scored

  • •PTE Academic: Content (0–6), Pronunciation (0–5) and Oral Fluency (0–5). Content asks whether you achieve the communication goal with full consideration of the situation, in situationally appropriate language. A human expert reviews Content.
  • •PTE Core: Appropriacy (0–3), Pronunciation (0–5) and Fluency (0–5). Appropriacy asks whether you perform the language function clearly and politely, in a register that suits the person you are speaking to.
  • •Missing or misreading a detail costs Content: if the situation says you need something by Friday, saying Sunday is a misinterpretation.
  • •Repeating the prompt's words without reformulating them scores low.

In the test

How many Respond to a Situation questions are in the PTE test?

Two or three in PTE Academic, where the task was added for tests from 7 August 2025, and two to four in PTE Core.

Two tests

Respond to a Situation in PTE Academic vs PTE Core

PTE AcademicPTE Core
Questions2–32–4
SituationsEveryday situations, often on campusEveryday life and work
Preparation after the audio10 s20 s
Time to speak40 s40 s
TraitsContent 0–6 (human-reviewed), Pronunciation 0–5, Oral Fluency 0–5Appropriacy 0–3, Pronunciation 0–5, Fluency 0–5

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PTE Respond to a Situation sample question with answer

1

Requesting a Coursework Extension

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Read and listen to the situation below. You have 10 seconds to prepare (20 in PTE Core), then 40 seconds to say what you would say. Answer as fully as you can.

You have fallen ill with severe flu just three days before your history essay is due on Friday. Your doctor has advised you to rest until Monday. You are speaking to your module tutor in person. What would you say to your tutor?

Which test are you taking?

Your recording stays in this browser: it is not uploaded or stored.

From the set Academic and Workplace Deadlines.

Tips

PTE Respond to a Situation tips and tricks

  1. 1

    As you read and listen, note three things: who you are talking to, what you need to achieve, and every detail (a day, a reason, a limit).

  2. 2

    Choose the register: friendly for a classmate or friend, polite and more formal for a tutor, manager or official.

  3. 3

    Open with a greeting that fits, and state your main purpose in the first sentence.

  4. 4

    Deal with every detail from the situation, then add a reason or suggestion of your own.

  5. 5

    Speak for most of the 40 seconds and close politely. Don't restart a sentence to fix a small slip.

75 sets

PTE Respond to a Situation sample questions

All 75 Respond to a Situation sets

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Respond to a Situation: frequently asked questions

Is Respond to a Situation in PTE Academic?+

Yes. As of October 2026 it is in both tests: PTE Academic, where it was added for tests from 7 August 2025 (2–3 items), and PTE Core (2–4 items). PTE Academic gives 10 seconds to prepare after the audio; PTE Core gives 20.

How is Respond to a Situation scored?+

PTE Academic scores Content 0–6 plus Pronunciation and Oral Fluency 0–5 each. PTE Core scores Appropriacy 0–3 plus Pronunciation and Fluency 0–5 each.

Should I be formal or informal?+

It depends on the listener. A tutor, manager or official needs polite, more formal language; a friend or classmate can be relaxed. Register is part of what Content (Appropriacy in PTE Core) measures.

How long should my answer be?+

Aim to speak for 30–40 seconds, roughly 70–100 words: a greeting, your purpose, every detail from the situation, one extra reason or suggestion, and a polite close.

Where can I find Respond to a Situation sample questions with answers?+

Every set on this page has four or five sample situations to read; question 1 is free to answer with the recorded prompt, the real timers, a sample answer and key points. With a free account, the BandLadder app's question bank adds a BandLadder AI score, within the free plan's limits.

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