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PTE Academic · Listening · L1

PTE Academic Listening: Summarize Spoken Text

Summarize Spoken Text opens the PTE Academic Listening part. You hear a short academic recording of about 60 to 90 seconds once, then have 10 minutes to type a summary of 50 to 70 words. There is one item per test, and it contributes to Listening and Writing.

Items per test
1
Recording
About 60–90 seconds, played once
Time to write
10 minutes
Length
50–70 words
Scores
Listening and Writing

How it works

  1. 1The recording plays once; you can take notes while it plays.
  2. 2A text box with a word count and a 10-minute timer appears.
  3. 3You write a summary of the main point and key supporting ideas.
  4. 4Your text is submitted when you move on or the timer ends.

Sample task

Original sample · not from an official test

Talk extract: "Many people assume that multitasking saves time. But studies of office workers show that switching between tasks carries a cost: each switch takes a few seconds of refocusing, and those seconds add up. Workers who grouped similar tasks together finished sooner and made fewer errors. The speaker's advice is to schedule blocks of time for email rather than checking it constantly." Summarise the talk in 50–70 words.

Show a strong response

Outline: The speaker argues that multitasking does not really save time. Research on office workers shows that each switch between tasks requires refocusing, and these small delays accumulate. People who grouped similar tasks finished faster and made fewer mistakes. The speaker therefore recommends setting aside specific blocks of time for tasks such as email instead of checking it continuously.

The summary is 58 words. It gives the main claim, the evidence, the result and the recommendation, in the same order as the talk, using full sentences.

Tips that work

  • Note the speaker's main claim in the first 15 seconds; it is usually stated or strongly implied early.
  • Write your notes in a simple four-line frame: topic, point 1, point 2, conclusion or advice.
  • Use full sentences and linking words. Unlike Summarize Written Text, you can write more than one sentence here.
  • Keep two minutes at the end to check spelling and the word count against 50–70.

Common mistakes

  • Writing a single run-on sentence out of habit from Summarize Written Text.
  • Including your own opinion about the topic.
  • Missing the conclusion because notes stopped halfway through.

Questions candidates ask

Can I write more than one sentence?

Yes. Use several clear sentences. The one-sentence rule applies to Summarize Written Text, not this task.

Is the 10 minutes part of the Listening timer?

This item has its own 10-minute writing time, separate from the rest of the Listening part.

Can EnglishHub mark my summary?

Yes. Written practice responses on EnglishHub receive AI feedback on content, form and language. It is a practice guide, not a Pearson score.

Other PTE Academic Listening tasks

PTE Academic overviewPTE Academic Listening: all partsPTE Academic full mock testsPTE Academic articles on the blog