Complete Guide on PTE Short Answer Questions & 100+ Examples
Last updated: Jul 18, 2025
Pearson Test of English or PTE is a globally recognized and accepted language proficiency test for candidates who want to move to any English-speaking country for study or work purposes. It has 3 main parts-
Part 1 - Speaking and Writing: 69-82 Minutes
Part 2 - Reading: 30 Minutes
Part 3 - Listening: 30 Minutes
Again, each segment has multiple types of questions, and in this blog, we will examine the "PTE short answer questions" from the Part 1 - Speaking and Writing section.
If you are here, you might be planning to appear for the most renowned language proficiency test - the Pearson Test of English or PTE exam, right? So, let's take a quick insight into an important part of this test- PTE short answer questions.
This is a type of question from the "Speaking and Writing" section of the test. In this segment, you will be hearing a question and have to answer that in a single or few words. The prompt duration is usually 3-9 seconds, and you get 10 seconds to answer it. This question has 3 phases:
Questioning Phase - An audio or an image is displayed in the form of PTE short questions
Recording Phase - After the audio, the microphone opens, the recording starts, and the "Recording" status is displayed on the screen
Submission Phase - The recording stops automatically within 10 seconds, and the "Completed" status is shown on the screen
If you enrol in online PTE coaching or take up offline classes with experts like gradding, you might already know about the PTE exam pattern and the importance of this question type. If not, you can check it out after reading this blog. For now, let's learn more about how to answer this.
How to Answer Short Questions in the PTE Test?
Now, let's take a quick look at some important facts about the PTE and answer short questions that every candidate must know before appearing for the test. These will help you answer them in the right way:
Audio plays automatically; you don't have to do anything but just wait for a few seconds.
You cannot replay the audio, so listen to the question carefully.
The time duration for short answer questions PTE is enough to say a few words, so, don't rush.
Make sure to answer the question promptly, as, after 3 seconds of waiting, the status changes to "completed" if you don't answer anything.
Also, your wait period between the answers should not be more than a second for the PTE short answer questions.
Speak clearly and answer thoughtfully, as you cannot re-record your answer after it's done.
The answer must be accurate, short, and relevant; remember, there are no extra marks for long answers.
Finish speaking before the "recording" status changes to "completed" to avoid missing out on the opportunity.
There is no negative marking or any credits for incorrect answers, so try to answer all of the questions.
Keep these things in mind when you answer short questions in PTE. Also, this impacts your listening, speaking, and vocabulary sections of the test, so focus on these well. Now, let's take a quick look at a few sample questions with answers for a better understanding!
Here is a list of 50+ short questions and answers to give you an insight into the type of audio or images you come across in the PTE speaking and writing section of the exam:
In which article of Indian constitution, right to live with dignity defines? Art. 21
What do we call the political ideology where private individuals or companies own the means of productions? Capitalism
A set of fundamentals principles that draws basic structures, powers and duties for the citizens and government called as? Constitution
What do we call a system where power is shared between a president and a prime minister, responsible to the legislature? Semi-presidential republic
Which power is used by the president to reject or hold a bill? Veto
How many countries in Asia are land locked? 12
Which country has the maximum active volcanoes in the world? Indonesia
Which continent is known as the “Dark Continent”? Africa
What do you call a narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses? Isthmus
Where is the Great Barrier Reef located? Off the coast of Queensland, Australia
What is the capital of Egypt? Cairo
Which mountain range separates Europe and Asia? The Ural Mountains
Which river flows through the city of Paris? The Seine River
Who is considered the founder of microeconomics? Adam Smith
Goods produced to produce yet other goods are known as? Capital
Which form the following economics resources cannot be converted into commodity? Labour
Subsidies are used to encourage? Production
Which economic term is used to measure the overall performance of an economy? GDP
Which part of the brain controls balance and coordination? Cerebellum
Which gas do plant take during photosynthesis? Carbon dioxide
What is the Ph level of pure water? 7
What force opposes motion between two surface in contact? Friction
What type of wave requires a medium to travel through? Mechanical wave.
Which is the rarest blood group? AB negative
Which type of sugar is found in honey? Fructose
How many chromosomes are in the human gene? 46
The longest and largest bone in the human body is? Femur
What is the chemical name of washing soda? Sodium carbonate
How many biodiversity hotspots exist in the world? 36
When is World Environment Day celebrated? 5th June
Name the sea that is commonly referred to as an oceanic desert- Sargasso Sea
Who discovered the term "ecosystem'? Arthur G Tansley
Which is the following is the largest ecosystem in the world? Ocean Ecosystem
Which ecosystem constitutes a link between terrestrial and marine ecosystems- Mangrove forest
What is the smallest unit of data in a computer? Bit
What type of software is used to surf the web? Web browser
What does SSD stand for? Solid-state drive
Which key is used to refresh a webpage? F5
What does FTP stand for? File Transfer Protocol
How many years are there in one Millennium? 1000 Years
Name a bird that lays the largest eggs? Ostrich
Who gave the theory of relativity? Albert Einstein
In which year did the Titanic sink? 1912
What is the boiling point of water? 100 degrees Celsius
Who painted the Mona Lisa? Leonardo da Vinci
Which animal is known for its intelligence and ability to use tools? Chimpanzee
At which place on earth are there days and nights of equal length always? Equator
Which ancient civilization is known for its pyramids? Egyptian Civilization
Who wrote the famous book " Harry Potter”? J.K. Rowling
Who is known as the 'father of modern Indian art’? Raja Ravi Verma
The Hundred Years’ War was fought between which two countries? England and France
Hitler was the dictator of which country? Germany
Which is the largest river island in the world? Majuli Island
Which country is called the ‘Coffee Bowl of the World’? Brazil
In which year was the paper currency first introduced in India? 1861
Who was the first woman to head a democratic government in Pakistan? Benazir Bhutto
Where is the Cape of Good Hope located? South Africa
Most of the Amazon River flows through which country? Brazil
Which strait divides Europe from Africa? Gibraltar
Which mountain is located between India and Nepal? Kanchenjunga
Where is Mount St. Helens located? USA
What is the name of the first Indian missile? Prithvi
Which country has decided to leave the International Space Station in 2024? Russia
Which location was declared the Eighth Wonder of the World in November 2023? Angkor Wat
Which organisation releases the Human Development Index (HDI)? UNDP
The last remaining habitat of the Asiatic Lion is? Gir National Park
Which plant hormone helps in cell division? Cytokinin
Which of the following kingdoms consists of prokaryotic cells? Monera
In how many groups are plants divided? 5
The essential organs in a flower for reproduction are The stamen and pistil.
A person with high blood pressure is advised to reduce the intake of - Sodium.
Which cells of our body cannot respire anaerobically? Mature RBC.
Which blood group is known as the universal donor? O negative
One can save the lives of twelve people by donating blood how many times a year? Four
Calcium deficiency in old age leads to which disease? Osteoporosis
Which vaccines are 85% effective against monkeypox? Jynneos
Colour blindness and Haemophilia disease in humans are due to - Recessive genes present on the X chromosome.
The BCG vaccine for tuberculosis immunization was developed by? Albert Calmette and Camile Guerin
Which of the following is called the first line of Immunity? Innate Immunity
Which food component helps in protecting the body from infections? Vitamins and minerals
Which semi-essential amino acid plays an important role in your body’s immune function, digestion, sleep and sexual function? Histidine
What is the chemical name for Vitamin B7? Biotin
Napoleon Bonaparte is known by the nickname? Man of Destiny
Bhupen Hazarika, Bharat Ratna winner, is related to which field? Art
In the first cabinet of independent India, who held the portfolio of commerce? C.H. Bhabha
Who has become the first woman officer, hailing from Rajasthan, to be posted at the world’s highest battlefield, the Siachen Glacier? Capt. Shiva Chauhan
The race of my life is the autobiography of a famous Indian athlete. - Milkha Singh
Which famous cricketer authored the book ‘Straight from the Heart’? Kapil Dev
Individuals who are the founders of the business and conceptualise a business plan by putting effort into making the plan a success are known as? Pure Entrepreneurs
Which country, as represented by the Global Entrepreneurship Index, has the highest level of entrepreneurial activity? The USA
In which year was the communication in 2G launched in the market? 1988
Which of the following protocols enables access to the internet from a mobile device? Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
A 4G communication supports the data rates of? 1024
In the context of mobile communication, what is the full form of LTE? Long Term Evolution
What company does Sundar Pichai serve as CEO of? Alphabet (Google)
George Kurian, who is an Indian- American business executive, serves as the CEO of which organization? Net App
The inspirational leader behind the founding of the All India Women’s Conference was? Margaret Cousins
Who has written the book named ‘Gulamgiri’? Jyotirao Phule
Which space agencies use a spacecraft named Hayabusa? Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
100.Which woman astronaut has set the world record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman? Christine Koch
Now that you've checked out the sample questions, you can either practice these or appear for a free PTE mock test to check your progress. When you turn to professionals, they can help you prepare for all question types like Table chart PTE, long paragraph answers, and more. Moving back to short questions and answers, you can check out the tips shared by experts in the section below!
10+ Tips from Experts for PTE Answer Short Questions!
The most crucial part of the PTE speaking test is the short questions because they are time-constrained and require a lot of focus. So, if you want to make the best and answer it well, follow these simple yet effective tips shared by the experts for each phase:
Pre-test Phase
This is the phase when the exam has not yet begun, and you are planning to appear for the PTE academic test. It can be any time ranging from a few hours to weeks, and the tips to follow in this tenure for better results in the PTE answer short questions segment are:
Build Your Vocabulary and Learn New Words Every Day
Work on Your Pronunciation and View News Channels or Movies
Practice Grammar and Active Listening with Audio Clips
Use Different Methods to Remember What You Learn and Practice
Appear for Mock Tests and Track Your Progress Regularly
Questioning Phase
This is the second segment of the answer short question in the PTE exam. Here, the question is being played in the form of audio, and the candidate must get ready to answer it. So, the tips that one should follow during this stage of the PTE short answer questions are:
Stay calm and concentrate
Listen to the audio carefully
Focus completely on the question
Understand the main purpose
Visualize the structure of the answer
Answering Phase
The next phase in the short answer questions PTE is the answering part. Here, the mic is turned on, and the recording starts for the candidate to speak. The tips to be followed here include:
Answer in a simple and easy way
Speak clearly and with fluency
Ensure you answer within the time
Focus on pronunciation and vocabulary
Make sure it is relevant and to the point
Now, after learning the tips for answering PTE short answer questions, you can be sure of scoring good grades. What next? Check out the following section to understand it better.
Join Our PTE Coaching to crack Exam in First attempt!
Enroll for the best PTE Coaching classes online and get desire score in your first Attempt
What to Do After Short Questions and Answers in PTE?
You might be wondering what happens after the PTE short answer questions, right? The next section after this segment is “Summarize spoken test PTE,” where you need to summarise a text in one sentence. Other than this, there are also a few other segments in the speaking and writing segment of this exam, such as:
These are the other segments of the PTE speaking and writing segments. However, if you look into the listening and reading segments, you might come across other topics too such as process chart, bar graphs, multiple choice, PTE collocations list, True or False questions, and a lot more. So, if you want help with PTE short answer questions or any other, feel free to reach out to our experts for the best assistance.
Conclusion
The most common queries of candidates appearing for PTE answer short questions are now resolved in this blog. However, if there is still something you want to know or learn about, feel free to check our blog section or drop a comment below. Moreover, if you are appearing for the Pearson Test of Language Proficiency and need an expert to help you prepare, our experts would be more than happy to help you. Just let us know, and we guarantee you the top grades!
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Much Time Do I Have to Answer the Question?
You have 10 seconds to record your answer, but you shouldn't be silent for more than three seconds at the beginning or one second at the middle of the answer. Otherwise, the recording will be marked as completed.
How Long Should My Answer Be?
Your answer should be one or a few words. Moreover, it should be completed in 10 seconds.
What If I Don't Know the Answer?
Try to focus on the question and find out if anything sounds familiar. Even if you do not know the right answer, you can attempt the question as there would be no negative marking.
How to Improve My Chances of Scoring Better?
Read books and newspapers regularly. You can also give mock tests to track your progress. This way, you can improve your practice and learning.
What to Do If I Give a Wrong Answer?
You cannot re-record your answer; so, you must do it carefully. However, if you give the wrong answer, then just move on to the next question.
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