Written byFizza Butool ZaidiIELTS teacher for 10+ years, PTE for 5Updated 30 October 2026
The rule in each task
From the Form criteria in the PTE Academic Score Guide and PTE Core Score Guide:
| Task | Bullet points only | No punctuation | Other Form 0 triggers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Write Essay (Academic) | Form 0 | Form 0 | Under 120 or over 380 words; capital letters; very short sentences |
| Summarize Spoken Text (Academic) | Form 0 | Form 0 | Under 40 or over 100 words; capital letters; very short sentences |
| Summarize Written Text (Academic) | Not a single complete sentence: Form 0 | Not listed | Under 5 or over 75 words; capital letters |
| Summarize Written Text (Core) | Form 0 | Form 0 | Under 5 or over 60 words; capital letters |
| Summarize Spoken Text (Core) | Form 0 | Form 0 | Under 5 or over 40 words; capital letters; very short sentences |
| Write Email (Core) | Not listed | Form 0 | Under 30 or over 140 words; capital letters |
Why the whole answer is lost
Pearson scores Content and Form first. When either is 0, the Score Guide says no score points are given for the response, so the other traits are never added.
The essay's other traits point the same way. Pearson says the best essays contain multiple paragraphs with a clear introduction, body and conclusion, and that you are more likely to get full credit for general linguistic range with complex sentence structures (Pearson).
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The PTE Core email prompt
PTE Core's Write Email prompt lists three bullet points, and Pearson says the details you include should be relevant to them (PTE Core). That is about content, not layout. Pearson scores email conventions on a salutation, an introduction, a conclusion and a farewell, so answer each bullet point in sentences.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use headings in a PTE essay?+
Pearson's criteria do not mention headings. They reward paragraphs with an introduction, body and conclusion, and give Form 0 for bullet-point-only essays.
Is a list inside one sentence allowed?+
The Form 0 rule is about answers that consist only of bullet points or very short sentences. A sentence that lists items is still a sentence.
Can I write my PTE Core email as bullet points?+
The Core Score Guide does not list bullet points for Write Email, but it scores email conventions, organisation and grammar, which need full sentences.
What if I forget punctuation in my essay?+
An essay with no punctuation scores 0 for Form, and the response then gets no points.
Keep reading
Related
- Can you write in capital letters in PTE?
- PTE Summarize Spoken Text scoring
- PTE Core Write Email scoring
- PTE essay practice
- All 3112 guides
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