Written byFizza Butool ZaidiIELTS teacher for 10+ years, PTE for 5Updated 30 October 2026
Which tasks get a human review
From the scoring notes in the PTE Academic Score Guide and Pearson's format pages:
| Task | Human review of | Machine only |
|---|---|---|
| Describe Image | Content | Pronunciation, oral fluency |
| Retell Lecture | Content | Pronunciation, oral fluency |
| Respond to a Situation | Content | Pronunciation, oral fluency |
| Summarize Group Discussion | Content | Pronunciation, oral fluency |
| Summarize Written Text | Content | Form, grammar, vocabulary |
| Write Essay | Content; development, structure and coherence; general linguistic range | Form, grammar, vocabulary, spelling |
| Summarize Spoken Text | Content | Form, grammar, vocabulary, spelling |
| All other tasks | None listed | Whole task |
How AI and humans divide the work
The Score Guide says human experts rate test-taker responses on every speaking and writing question to train the scoring engine, which then replicates their standards. On live tests, humans also score anomalies, meaning unusual responses the machine cannot reliably score, for example because they are quiet or unclear.
Where content is double-scored, a disagreement between the AI and the human goes to a second human, who makes the final judgement.
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PTE Core
The PTE Core Score Guide says PTE Core is computer-based and machine-scored, with human experts used to train the engine on speaking and writing tasks. It does not list tasks with a human content review, as the Academic guide does.
Frequently asked questions
Is PTE speaking marked by a human?+
Content in Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Respond to a Situation and Summarize Group Discussion is also reviewed by a human. Pronunciation and fluency are AI-only.
Is the PTE essay checked by a human?+
Yes. A human reviews content, development, structure and coherence, and general linguistic range.
What happens if the AI and the human disagree?+
A second human makes the final judgement, according to the Score Guide.
Can a human listen if my recording was quiet?+
Pearson says humans score anomalies such as quiet or unclear responses that the machine cannot score reliably.
Does human review slow down PTE results?+
Pearson's handbook says scores are typically available within 48 hours but may take up to 5 days.
Keep reading
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