Are your scores in the PTE listening mock tests not matching your expectations? Do not worry, the problem might not be that you have poor English listening skills. There is a good chance that you are losing marks because of predictable mistakes which can easily be fixed. One thing that most students don’t realise is that PTE listening does not test how well you can listen. Instead, it is about how well you are able to respond to what you hear. This means your score can drop even if you understand the audio perfectly, simply because you either missed one keyword or failed to follow the instructions properly.
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The Listening section of the PTE exam is scored on two primary methods. One is correct/incorrect, and the other is partial credit. Here is what they mean:
Moreover, your marks will be scored on a scale of 10 to 90 with the help of an AI-based automated system. Additionally, PTE has an integrated scoring system. In this, your reading scores will also be influenced by your performance in the Speaking section. This includes:
Here is a breakdown of the eight task types in the PTE listening section, along with their scoring breakdown:
| Task Type | Scoring Method | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Summarize Spoken Text | Partial Credit | Content, Form, Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling |
| Write from Dictation | Partial Credit | 1 point for every correct word spelled correctly |
| Fill in the Blanks | Partial Credit | 1 point for each correctly spelled word |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | Negative Marking | +1 for correct, -1 for incorrect |
| MCQ, Multiple Answer | Negative Marking | +1 for each correct option, -1 for each incorrect |
| Highlight Correct Summary | Correct/Incorrect | 1 point for the correct summary selection |
| MCQ, Single Answer | Correct/Incorrect | 1 point for the correct answer |
| Select Missing Word | Correct/Incorrect | 1 point for the correct choice |
Now let’s take a look at all of these eight PTE Listening question types in more detail below and see where marks are most commonly lost:
In this question type, you have to listen to a short interview or a lecture and then write it down in a summary of around 50-70 words. You will get around 10 minutes to complete this. You can lose marks in this due to inaccurate wording, weak grammar, and poor coherence, even if you write a well-written summary.
Where marks are lost:
For this question type, you will have to listen to a recording and then answer a multiple-choice question by selecting all the correct answer options. One thing to note is that this section is designed to trick you with close options.
Where marks are lost:
Similar to the question type above, but in this, you have to just select a single answer that best summarizes the audio recording. The average prompt length of this is around 30-90 seconds.
Where marks are lost:
This task primarily tests your listening accuracy and vocabulary. In this, you will be given a transcript with multiple missing words. You will then have to listen to an audio recording and then fill in the blanks with the correct words. This question is highly dependent on the accuracy of your answers, so even a small error can cost you full marks.
Where marks are lost:
After listening to an audio recording, you have to choose a paragraph from the different options that best summarises the content of the recording. Your main task here is to choose a summary that summarises the core message and not just a similar-sounding summary.
Where marks are lost:
In this question, you will listen to a short 20 to 70 second audio recording where the final sentence or word will be replaced by a beep sound. In this, your goal is to choose the correct answer from a list of 3-5 choices. This question type checks your ability to predict what comes next in a sentence.
Where marks are lost:
For the highlight incorrect words task, you will get to listen to an audio recording while reading a transcript on your screen. In the transcript, there are some words that do not match what the speaker is saying. Your job here is to click on those words in order to highlight them.
Where marks are lost:
Lastly, in the write from dictation, you will hear a short sentence which will typically be around 3-15 words. You have to type the sentence exactly as spoken in the recording. This task will test listening accuracy, spelling, and grammar under pressure.
Where marks are lost:
Below are some proven and listening section-focused strategies that can help you achieve your desired score in this section.
Summing up, understanding where you can lose marks in the PTE listening questions can help you not just identify your weak points. But it can also help you improve your overall performance. A lot of the test takers generally lose their marks because of small but critical mistakes like misinterpreting paraphrased information, spelling errors, and weak note-taking. By focusing on these areas and practising strategically, you can increase your score significantly.
Moreover, to make your PTE exam preparation more effective, you can take help from experts at Gradding.com. They also offer helpful tools like the PTE Score Calculator, which allows you to estimate your overall score and track progress as you practice.
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