What are Email Conventions in PTE Core Write Email?
Write Email is a PTE Core task: you read a short situation, often with three points to cover, and write an email to the person named. It is scored on seven traits, and Email Conventions is one of them, worth 0 to 2 points.
The Email Conventions scale, in plain English
| Score | Pearson's descriptor (p. 32) | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Conventions "obvious, appropriate and used correctly" for the prompt's format | A greeting that fits the reader, a clear opening purpose, a polite close, a sign-off and your name |
| 1 | Used inconsistently, "too brief or inappropriate register" | One part missing (often the name), or a register that clashes with the reader |
| 0 | "limited or missing" | No greeting and no sign-off: a paragraph, not an email |
Descriptors quoted from the PTE Core Score Guide (January 2026) p. 32; the right-hand column is BandLadder's reading of them.
So the trait checks a short list, which this sheet calls the four convention slots: a greeting with the reader's name, a purpose line, a closing line that expects a reply, and a sign-off plus your name, all in one register that suits the reader. None of them needs ideas or clever vocabulary, which makes this the most reliable 2 points in the task (BandLadder's view).
Premium sheet · 4 more sections
- PTE write email format: filling the four slots
- PTE Core write email examples: one set, three readers
- PTE write email mistakes that cost Email Conventions
- Your turn: Email Conventions check
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Questions
FAQ
What are email conventions in PTE Core Write Email?+
They are the parts that make your text an email: a greeting suited to the reader, a clear purpose, a polite close and a sign-off with your name, in one consistent register. Pearson scores them 0–2 (PTE Core Score Guide, p. 32).
Do I need to write my name at the end of a PTE email?+
Yes. Pearson's comment on a lower-level sample counts missing names against the writer (Score Guide p. 20). Any plausible name is fine.
Should a PTE Core email be formal or informal?+
It depends on the reader in the prompt. A tutor, manager or company needs a formal register; a friend or classmate can have an informal one. An inappropriate register can cap Email Conventions at 1.
Do I need a subject line in PTE Write Email?+
The PTE Core Score Guide does not mention a subject line in its Email Conventions descriptors or samples. Spend the time on the greeting, purpose and sign-off instead.
What is the PTE Core write email word limit?+
Form gives 2 points for 50–120 words and 1 point for 30–49 or 121–140 words; fewer than 30 or more than 140 scores 0, and then no trait earns points (Score Guide p. 32).
Can I use a PTE Core write email template?+
Standard greetings and sign-offs are normal email language. A memorised body is not: Pearson says significant pre-prepared material does not properly deal with the prompt, which scores Content 0.
How long do you get for PTE Write Email?+
BandLadder's PTE timing reference gives 9 minutes per Write Email item, and a PTE Core test has 2–3 Write Email items (Score Guide p. 32).
Sources
- PTE Core Score Guide (January 2026): p. 6 (Content/Form 0, memorised material); p. 7 (Write Email scoring order); pp. 17–19 (seven traits); pp. 20–22 (Pearson's comments on sample emails); p. 32 (Email Conventions and Form descriptors)
- BandLadder's PTE timing reference: Write Email: 9 minutes per item (PTE Core)
- BandLadder Write Email sets: Violin Making and Lutherie (prompts 1 and 3); Basket Weaving and Willow Craft (prompt 1)
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