PTE Academic Official Score Guide 2026

Each replacement, omission or insertion of a word counts as one error. Maximum score: depends on the length of the question prompt

Errors = replacements, omissions and insertions only Hesitations, filled or unfilled pauses, leading or trailing material are ignored in the scoring of content

• Fully and accurately describes the image with clear relationships and nuanced interpretation.
• Uses a wide range of vocabulary naturally and precisely.
• Allows the listener to visualize the image clearly and completely.

• Accurately describes the main features and identifies some relationships, with limited detail.
• Uses a range of vocabulary and expressions appropriately.
• Enables the listener to form a generally accurate mental image, with minor omissions or inaccuracies.

• Provides some accurate simple descriptions and basic relationships, but may miss key features.
• Uses sufficient vocabulary for basic descriptions, with some repetition.
• Allows the listener to form a basic mental image.

• Provides mainly superficial descriptions with minor inaccuracies.
• Uses a limited range of vocabulary with frequent repetition of simple expressions.
• Allows the listener to visualize some elements, but not a cohesive overall picture.

• Provides minimal, superficial descriptions with some inaccuracies.
• Uses very limited vocabulary and simple expressions.
• Allows the listener to visualize a few elements with effort.

• Presents disconnected elements or lists features without description or elaboration.
• Uses highly limited vocabulary and expressions.
• Makes it difficult for the listener to visualize the image.

• Clearly and accurately paraphrases main ideas with full understanding, adding specific details where relevant.
• Uses a wide range of vocabulary and expressions naturally and precisely.
• Presents ideas in a well-organized, logical sequence with smooth and effective cohesion.

• Clearly captures main ideas and some key details with good understanding, with minor inconsistencies.
• Uses a range of vocabulary and expressions appropriately.
• Organizes ideas coherently with effective linking, allowing a generally smooth and easy-to-follow response.

• Captures some main ideas and details with sufficient understanding, but may include inaccuracies or focus on less relevant points.
• Uses sufficient vocabulary for basic expression, with some repetition.
• Shows weak organization and limited cohesion, requiring effort to follow.

• Captures some ideas but with limited accuracy and weak distinction between key points and details; may include irrelevant content or unreformed repetition.
• Uses a narrow range of vocabulary with frequent repetition of simple expressions.
• Lacks organization and cohesion, making the response difficult to follow.

• Mostly inaccurate or incomplete, missing main ideas and focusing on less relevant information; may rely heavily on unreformed repetition.
• Uses very limited vocabulary and simple expressions.
• Lacks coherence and is difficult to follow.

• Repeats isolated words or phrases without meaningful context or communication.
• Uses highly limited vocabulary and expressions.
• Shows no organization or coherence among ideas.

• Clearly and accurately paraphrases main ideas with full understanding, detailing each speaker’s contribution.
• Effectively analyzes and synthesizes different viewpoints.
• Uses a wide range of vocabulary and expressions naturally and precisely.
• Organizes ideas logically with strong cohesion, resulting in a smooth and easy-to-follow response.

• Clearly captures main ideas and key details of speakers with good understanding, with minor inconsistencies.
• Identifies some relationships and partially synthesizes viewpoints, with some gaps.
• Uses a range of vocabulary and expressions appropriately.
• Organizes ideas coherently with effective linking, resulting in a generally smooth and easy-to-follow response.

• Captures main ideas and some speaker details with sufficient understanding, but may include inaccuracies or less relevant points.
• Focuses more on individual perspectives with limited comparison or connection.
• Uses sufficient vocabulary for basic expression, with some repetition.
• Shows weak organization and limited cohesion, requiring effort to follow.

• Captures some ideas with limited accuracy and weak distinction between key points and details; may include irrelevant or unreformed repetition.
• Includes some correct information but misses the overall direction of the discussion.
• Uses a narrow range of vocabulary with frequent repetition of simple expressions.
• Lacks organization and cohesion, making the response hard to follow.

• Mostly inaccurate or incomplete, missing main ideas and focusing on less relevant information; may rely on irrelevant content or unreformed repetition.
• Uses very limited vocabulary and simple expressions.
• Lacks coherence and is difficult to follow.

• Repeats isolated words or phrases without meaningful context or communication.
• Uses highly limited vocabulary and expressions.
• Shows no organization or coherence among ideas.

• Effectively addresses the situation, fully achieving the communication goal with clear awareness of context.
• Communicates fluently and precisely, providing a well-developed and persuasive response beyond the prompt.

• Adequately addresses the situation, achieving the main communication goal with minor omissions or misinterpretations.
• Communicates clearly with a range of appropriate expressions, with only minor limitations or inaccuracies.

• Partially addresses the situation, achieving the main communication goal with some omissions or misinterpretations.
• Communicates adequately with some limitations in expression and minor inaccuracies, but generally meets the demands of the situation.

• Addresses only the basic communication goal with limited awareness of context.
• Communication is functional but limited, with inaccuracies or inappropriate expressions; may rely on unreformed repetition from the prompt.

• Includes some relevant content but fails to achieve the main communication goal or address the context.
• Communication is limited and inaccurate, often relying on unreformed language from the prompt.

• Relevant but fails to achieve the main communication goal or address context, showing limited understanding; may repeat prompt language without meaningful development.
• Communication is highly restricted with inaccuracies that hinder meaning.
• OR: Minimally addresses the task, achieving the basic goal with no elaboration or support.

• Comprehensively summarizes the text with full understanding.
• Uses effective paraphrasing to present all key ideas clearly, concisely, and without irrelevant details.
• Flows smoothly with strong cohesion and varied, appropriate linking.

• Adequately summarizes the text with good understanding.
• Uses paraphrasing with some inconsistency; includes minor omissions or unnecessary details, with limited synthesis.
• Organized logically with simple or repetitive linking.

• Partially summarizes the text with basic understanding.
• Lacks distinction between key and minor details; relies heavily on unreformed repetition with limited synthesis.
• Uses repetitive or inappropriate linking, making the response hard to follow.

• Relevant but lacks meaningful summarization, showing limited understanding.
• Consists of disconnected ideas or excerpts with no synthesis; main ideas are missing or misrepresented.
• Lacks coherence and is difficult to follow.

• Fully addresses the prompt with a clear, well-developed argument and precise elaboration.
• Supports ideas convincingly with relevant points and examples throughout.

• Adequately addresses the prompt with a clear and generally persuasive argument.
• Presents main points with relevant supporting details, with minor gaps.

• Addresses the main point with a generally convincing but limited argument.
• Provides inconsistent supporting details, with some points underdeveloped.

• Relevant to the prompt but fails to address key points adequately.
• Supporting details are often missing or inappropriate.

• Attempts the task superficially with limited relevance, often relying on generic or repeated prompt language.
• Includes few supporting details, with weak or unclear connection to the topic.

• Shows incomplete understanding, relying on generic or repeated prompt language.
• Uses disjointed supporting details with no clear relevance to the topic.

• Demonstrates a clear, logical structure with smooth flow and easy readability.
• Presents a well-developed, cohesive argument with effective introduction and conclusion.
• Uses a range of linking devices effectively to connect ideas.

• Follows a conventional structure with generally logical progression.
• Presents a clear argument with some well-developed points.
• Uses linking devices to create coherence, though transitions may be uneven.

• Shows mostly conventional structure, though some elements are missing or unclear.
• Presents an argument with limited development and uneven paragraphing.
• Demonstrates weak cohesion, making ideas difficult to follow.

• Shows basic structure but mainly presents simple or disconnected ideas.
• Includes a position, but it is underdeveloped and lacks clarity.
• Demonstrates limited organization and weak cohesion, making it difficult to follow.

• Shows little clear structure with disorganized, hard-to-follow ideas.
• Presents an unclear or underdeveloped position with weak coherence.
• Uses simple linking (e.g., “and”, “but”, “because”).

• Presents disconnected ideas with no clear organization or coherence.
• Lacks a clear position or opinion.
• Uses only basic linking (e.g., “and”, “then”).

• Uses a wide range of vocabulary and expressions with ease and precision.
• Communicates without noticeable limitations.
• Errors are rare and minor, with meaning fully clear.

• Uses a range of vocabulary and expressions appropriately.
• Ideas are clear with minimal restriction.
• Occasional errors do not affect overall meaning.

• Uses sufficient vocabulary to express basic ideas.
• Shows limitations with complex ideas, leading to repetition or imprecision.
• Errors occasionally affect clarity, but overall meaning remains clear.

• Uses a narrow range of vocabulary with repeated simple expressions.
• Communicates only basic ideas.
• Errors cause some disruption to understanding.

• Uses limited vocabulary and simple expressions.
• Communication is partly unclear with some loss of meaning.
• Frequent basic errors cause breakdowns and misunderstanding.

• Uses highly limited vocabulary with very restricted expression.
• Communication is unclear and ideas are difficult to understand.
• Frequent errors significantly impede meaning.

(for each correctly completed blank)

1 Each correctly completed blank

0 Minimum score

1 Each correct response 

-1 Each incorrect response 

0 Minimum score

1 Each pair of correct adjacent textboxes

0 Minimum score

1 Each correctly completed blank

0 Minimum score

1 Each correctly completed blank 

0 Minimum score

• Comprehensively summarizes the text with full understanding.
• Uses effective paraphrasing to present all key ideas clearly and concisely, without unnecessary details.
• Flows smoothly with strong cohesion and varied, appropriate linking.

• Adequately summarizes the text with good understanding.
• Uses paraphrasing with some inconsistency; includes minor omissions or unnecessary details, with limited synthesis.
• Organized logically with simple or repetitive linking.

• Partially summarizes the text with basic understanding.
• Fails to distinguish key points from details; relies on unreformed repetition with limited synthesis.
• Uses repetitive or inappropriate linking, making the response hard to follow.

• Relevant but lacks meaningful summarization, showing limited understanding.
• Consists of disconnected excerpts with no synthesis; main ideas are missing or misrepresented.
• Lacks coherence and is difficult to follow.

(for each correct response. Points deducted for incorrect options chosen)

1 Each correct response

-1 Each incorrect response

0 Minimum score

(for each word spelled correctly

1 Each correct word spelled correctly

0 Minimum score

1 Correct response

0 Incorrect response

1 Correct response

0 Incorrect response

1 Correct response

0 Incorrect response

(For each word. Points deducted for incorrect options chosen)

1 Each correct word

-1 Each incorrect word

0 Minimum score

1 Each correct word spelled correctly

0 Each incorrect or misspelled word

• Pronunciation is clear and easily understood, with accurate vowel and consonant production.
• Uses connected speech features (e.g., assimilation and deletion) appropriately.
• Applies correct word stress and natural sentence-level stress throughout.

• Pronunciation is clear with minor distortions that do not affect understanding.
• Most words are easily understood, with slight issues in some sounds or clusters.
• Word stress is generally correct, with acceptable sentence-level stress.

• Most vowels and consonants are correct, though some consistent errors may affect clarity of a few words.
• Certain consonants may be regularly distorted, omitted, or mispronounced.
• Some stress-related vowel reduction errors may occur.

• Some vowels and consonants are consistently mispronounced, but most speech remains intelligible.
• Consonants may be omitted or simplified, especially in clusters.
• Stress is sometimes incorrect or unclear.

• Many vowels and consonants are mispronounced, creating a strong foreign accent that reduces intelligibility.
• Frequent distortion or omission of consonants and non-English consonant clusters.
• Stress patterns are unnatural, with misplaced stress and missing or added syllables.

• Pronunciation strongly reflects another language, with frequent mispronunciation, omission, or misordering of sounds.
• A large portion of speech is difficult to understand.
• Stress and syllable patterns are non-English, with incorrect syllable counts in some words.

• Speech is smooth with natural rhythm and phrasing.
• No hesitations, repetitions, false starts, or simplifications.

• Speech shows acceptable rhythm with appropriate phrasing and word stress.
• Very few disruptions (e.g., one hesitation, repetition, or false start).
• No significant phonological simplifications.

• Speech is generally at an acceptable speed but may be uneven.
• Includes some hesitations, with mostly continuous phrasing.
• Few repetitions or false starts, with no long pauses or staccato delivery.

• Speech may be uneven or staccato.
• Includes at least one smooth 3-word phrase, with limited hesitations or repetitions.
• May have one long pause, but not multiple.

• Speech shows irregular phrasing and rhythm, with uneven or discontinuous delivery.
• Frequent hesitations, repetitions, or staccato/syllabic speech reduce fluency.
• May include long pauses and inappropriate sentence-level stress.

• Speech is slow and labored with little clear phrasing.
• Frequent hesitations, pauses, and false starts.
• Words are mostly isolated, with possible multiple long pauses.