Aatiqua Younus Jan 01, 2026

How to Improve Your Speaking Skills for the PTE Exam

The Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic is an important milestone for international students and professionals who want to study or work abroad. Among its different sections, the speaking test is the one that makes candidates wonder how to improve speaking skills for PTE exam.

Just knowing English grammar or vocabulary won’t guarantee oral fluency for PTE. You are supposed to show the examiner that you can communicate clearly, confidently, and smoothly within a strict time limit. In order to score well, you need to focus on fluency, pronunciation, as well as content delivery. With the right PTE speaking practice techniques and smart strategies, you will be able to improve your overall PTE score.

Understanding the PTE Speaking Section

Before we discuss how to improve speaking skills for PTE exam, know about the PTE Speaking Section. The PTE Speaking section is a comprehensive assessment of your oral English proficiency, which includes several task types that are designed to mimic real-life academic situations. It is very important to understand each task as well as its scoring criteria to prepare in effective way. For PTE exam structure, you can refer to our blog “Everything You Need to Know About the PTE Exam”.

PTE Speaking Tips

The PTE Speaking module is designed well enough to assess how well you can communicate in real-life academic and professional settings. It includes several tasks such as reading aloud, repeating sentences, describing images, and answering short questions.

The PTE Speaking module includes:

Reading a short text displayed on the screen into the microphone and this task assesses your pronunciation as well as oral fluency.
Hear a sentence and then repeat it exactly as you heard it. This tests your listening comprehension as well as the ability to articulate words clearly.
A visual image (e.g., a graph, map, or picture) will appear, and you must describe it in detail. This evaluates your ability to organize thoughts, use descriptive language, and maintain fluency.
You will have to listen to a short lecture and then summarize its key points in your own words. This tests your listening comprehension, note-taking skills, and ability to synthesize information verbally.
You should hear a short question and provide a one- or two-word answer. This assesses your vocabulary as well as your ability to understand and respond quickly to direct questions.

How Scoring Works

PTE speaking is scored by an AI system, and it directly focuses on three primary elements:

1. Oral Fluency

This measures how smoothly and naturally you speak. If your speech is filled with long pauses, hesitations, or repeated words, it can lower your score. Speaking at a steady and comfortable pace shows confidence and makes you easier to understand. Many think that fluency is not about how fast you speak, it has to sound clear, natural, as well as confident throughout your response.

2. Pronunciation

This assesses how accurately you produce English sounds. Are your vowels and consonants clear? Is your word stress and intonation correct? The AI system evaluates whether a native English speaker would easily understand your speech.

3. Content

In order to accomplish a task, what you say when you are given the task will be as important as how you speak. This is especially true in tasks like Describe Image and Re-tell Lecture. The content score reflects whether you have covered the main points, included the right details, and presented your response in a logical and easy-to-follow way. For Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence, accuracy is the main focus, so you need to match the original text or sentence as closely as possible. So the main thing is to stay focused, listen carefully, as well as avoid adding unnecessary words. Strong content improves your score and also shows the examiner that you can communicate ideas very clearly and effectively. Understanding these scoring mechanisms is the first step in formulating your PTE speaking practice plan.

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PTE Speaking Practice Strategies to Boost Confidence

Consistent and focused practice is very important to strengthening PTE speaking skills. To help you get started, here are some practical daily strategies that will improve oral fluency for PTE and also build the confidence you need to perform at your best.

1. Speak English Daily

Make speaking English a habit. Talk to friends, family, or even yourself in English. Describe your day, narrate your actions, or simply think aloud in English. The more you use the language, the more comfortable you will become.

2.Focus on "Read Aloud" Practice

Find diverse texts and practice reading articles, news reports, or academic papers aloud.
Use a voice recorder to capture your reading. Listen back carefully, and you need to make sure to focus on pace, pronunciation, and intonation.
If possible, listen to audio versions of texts and try to mimic the rhythm and stress patterns.

3. Master "Repeat Sentence" with Shadowing

Actively listen and, before repeating, ensure you have truly understood the sentence.
Play short English audio clips (e.g., podcasts, news) and try to repeat the words immediately after the speaker, almost like an echo. This helps with intonation and rhythm.

4. Practice "Describe Image" with Structure

The different image types will require you to develop a mental template.
You have to build a bank of descriptive adjectives, verbs, as well as adverbs relevant to charts, graphs, and pictures.
Set a timer for 25 to 30 seconds to simulate exam conditions.

5. Refine "Re-tell Lecture" through Note-taking

When listening to a lecture, focus on jotting down key nouns, verbs, and numbers. Don't try to write full sentences.
After listening to the lecture, you should try summarizing the lecture in 30 to 40 seconds.
As part of your practice, you should listen to lectures on a variety of academic subjects in order to broaden your vocabulary and understanding of them.

6. Improve Oral Fluency for PTE through Public Speaking

If available, participating in a club or group can significantly boost confidence and fluency.
Give yourself random topics and speak about them for 1 to 2 minutes without preparation, and this simulates the "Answer Short Question" as well as builds quick thinking.

7. Use PTE Pronunciation Tools

Websites and apps can help you identify and correct specific sounds.
Identify sounds that are difficult for you (e.g., 'th,' 'r,' 'l' for some non-native speakers) and dedicate extra practice to them.
Pay attention to how words are stressed in English and how your voice rises, falls in questions versus statements. Always remember that incorrect intonation can affect clarity.

Read Also : Everything You Need to Know About the PTE Exam

Avoiding Common Speaking Mistakes That Lower Scores

There are some common mistakes that you can make even when practicing diligently for your PTE speaking test. If you are aware of these pitfalls, you will be able to avoid them in the future.

Hesitations and Fillers

Excessive "um," "uh," "like," or long pauses impact your fluency score, so practice speaking at a slightly slower and consistent pace rather than rushing.

Monotone Speech

Speaking without variation in pitch or stress makes your speech sound unnatural and robotic, negatively affecting your pronunciation score. Work on intonation and stressing important words.

Incorrect Pronunciation of Common Words

Simple mistakes in frequently used words can signal a lack of proficiency. Regularly check the pronunciation of words you are unsure about.

Deviation from the Topic

In tasks like Describe Image or Re-tell Lecture, ensure your response directly addresses the prompt. Don't go off-topic, as this affects your content score.

Speaking Too Fast or Too Slow

While speed can indicate fluency, speaking too fast can lead to unclear pronunciation. Conversely, speaking too slowly with long pauses will harm your fluency score. Aim for a natural, measured pace.

Lack of Structure

Especially in longer tasks, a disorganized response can make it difficult for the AI to follow your content. Practice using transition words and structuring your points logically.

PTE Course

Edoxi’s 30-hour online PTE course provides a structured and effective approach to preparing for the PTE Academic exam. Covering all four modules of the test, including Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing, the course combines guided lessons, mock tests, and real exam practice to build your skills step by step. You will also get PTE speaking tips from expert trainers. You will benefit from expert strategies, AI-based feedback, PTE pronunciation tips, and personalized coaching to focus on areas that need improvement.

Conclusion

The advantages of taking the PTE exam are many, as highlighted in 8 Reasons to Take the PTE Exam in 2025. With strong speaking skills and the right preparation, you will be well on your way to unlocking global opportunities.

Improving your PTE speaking skills is a process that requires patience, consistent effort, and smart practice. By working on your fluency, sharpening your pronunciation, and making sure your answers are clear and well-structured, you can steadily boost your performance. The best thing is daily practice and learning from your mistakes so you can turn your weaknesses into strengths.

For more information about the PTE course, get in touch with Edoxi.

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FAQs

How much time should I dedicate to PTE speaking practice daily?

Dedicate at least 30-60 minutes of dedicated speaking practice daily. This can be broken down into shorter, focused sessions covering different task types.

Can I improve my PTE speaking score if I'm not a native English speaker?

Yes! You can improve your PTE speaking score if you are not a native English speaker

Aatiqua Younus

English Language Trainer

Aatiqua Younus is an accomplished English language trainer at Edoxi Training Institute, Dubai. With over 5 years of experience, Aatiqua specialises in preparing students for internationally recognized exams like IELTS, PTE, and OET.She holds TEFL and TESOL certifications and has extensive expertise in teaching EFL and ESL learners using innovative and student-focused methodologies.

Aatiqua’s training approach emphasizes tailored lesson plans, adaptive teaching strategies, and comprehensive exam preparation, including grammar proficiency, advanced writing techniques, pronunciation enhancement, and vocabulary building.Aatiqua Younus is adept at delivering customized lessons designed to align with the latest exam standards and incorporates mock tests to ensure learners' confidence. Her previous roles, including supervising remedial teaching at Ek Tara, highlight her leadership and ability to bridge learning gaps effectively.Fluent in English, Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali, she excels at connecting with learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Her certifications, such as Microsoft Office Specialist (Word 2019) and PTE training credentials, further underscore her technical acumen and commitment to continuous professional growth.