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PTE Academic · Speaking · S5

PTE Academic Speaking: Answer Short Question

Answer Short Question plays a spoken question of about 3 to 9 seconds, and you reply with one word or a short phrase within 10 seconds. The questions test everyday general knowledge and vocabulary. PTE Academic has 5 to 6 of them, contributing to Listening and Speaking.

Items per test
5–6
Prompt length
About 3–9 seconds
Response time
10 seconds
Answer length
A single word or a few words
Scores
Listening and Speaking

How it works

  1. 1The question plays once; occasionally an image is shown with it.
  2. 2The microphone opens when the audio ends.
  3. 3You give a short answer. Full sentences are not needed.
  4. 4Recording stops after 10 seconds or a short silence.

Sample task

Original sample · not from an official test

You hear: "What do we call the person who flies an aeroplane?"

Show a strong response

Outline: A pilot.

One or two words is enough. 'The person who flies an aeroplane is a pilot' would also be acceptable, but it adds time and a chance to stumble without adding marks.

Tips that work

  • Answer in one to three words. The content is judged on whether the key word is right.
  • Listen to the last part of the question carefully; it often narrows the answer ('how many…', 'which season…').
  • If you are unsure, give your best guess rather than staying silent; a guess can score and silence cannot.
  • Build everyday vocabulary sets: jobs, tools, body parts, shapes, weather, time words and school or university terms.

Common mistakes

  • Explaining your reasoning instead of stating the answer.
  • Hesitating so long the recording closes.
  • Mishearing 'how many' questions and answering with a word instead of a number.

Questions candidates ask

Do I need to answer in a full sentence?

No. A single word or short phrase is expected, and it is the quickest way to avoid errors.

Are British and American words both accepted?

Standard British, American and Australian variants are all fine. What matters is giving the right word clearly.

How can I practise Answer Short Question?

EnglishHub has exam-style practice for this task with one-play audio and a 10-second response window.

Other PTE Academic Speaking tasks

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