Written byFizza Butool ZaidiIELTS teacher for 10+ years, PTE for 5Updated 30 October 2026
The task and its timing
On Pearson's PTE Core page, the 3–9 second sentence plays once and the microphone opens when it ends, with no short tone. The page lists the time to answer as 40 seconds. Finish before the progress bar ends; the three-second silence rule also applies.
| Content score | PTE Core Score Guide description |
|---|---|
| 3 | All words from the prompt, in the correct sequence |
| 2 | At least 50% of words from the prompt in the correct sequence |
| 1 | Less than 50% of words from the prompt in the correct sequence |
| 0 | Almost nothing from the prompt |
What counts as an error
The Score Guide says content errors are replacements, omissions and insertions only. Hesitations, filled or unfilled pauses and leading or trailing material are ignored for content, though they still count against fluency. No credit is given for no response or an irrelevant one.
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Core compared with Academic
The content scale, item count and skills are the same in the PTE Academic Score Guide. Pearson's Academic page mentions a short tone and lists 15 seconds to answer, while the Core page mentions no tone and lists 40 seconds (Academic, Core).
Frequently asked questions
Is there a beep in PTE Core Repeat Sentence?+
Pearson's Core page says there is no short tone. Start when the status shows 'Recording'.
How many Repeat Sentence items are in PTE Core?+
10 to 12.
Do pauses lower my content score?+
No. Pauses and hesitations are ignored for content but affect fluency.
Which skills does it count towards?+
Listening and Speaking.
Keep reading
Related
- PTE Academic Repeat Sentence scoring
- Speaking before the tone in PTE
- Repeat Sentence practice
- All 3112 guides
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