Tips & Strategies
    Writing · 2 question types

    PTE Writing — Official Tips & Strategies

    Every official Pearson tip for both writing tasks — Summarize Written Text and Write Essay — with illustrated sticky-note strategies for each move.

    Before you start

    General advice for Writing

    Three habits Pearson highlights for every writing task.

    Use correct punctuation

    Full stops, capital letters, commas — they are scored. Never write entirely in capitals; only capitalise where needed.

    Stay strictly within the word limit

    Under or over the word range = no score. Keep the on-screen 'Total Word Count' visible while you type.

    Keep the response on-topic

    Your content score depends on relevance. A beautifully written essay on the wrong topic still earns zero for content.

    SpeakingWritingReadingListening
    1Summarize Written Text2Write Essay
    1
    Writing · Task 1 of 2

    Summarize Written Text

    Read a short passage and condense its main idea + key detail into a single sentence (5–75 words).

    Instructions

    • Read the passage in the time provided.
    • Write a summary in one sentence only.
    • Use 5–75 words — fewer or more will not be scored.
    • Use the 'Total Word Count' counter under the response box.
    Illustrated notes · Writing

    Strategy deep-dive

    Hand-picked sticky notes — colour-coded so each move is easy to spot.

    01 / 04

    Practise compound and complex sentences

    1. 1Use 'which / that / who' to attach a relative clause to the main point.
    2. 2Use 'and / but / so' to join two short ideas.
    3. 3Avoid two full stops — only one is allowed.
    02 / 04

    Make sure your response is in the correct form

    1. 1Start with a capital letter.
    2. 2End with exactly one full stop.
    3. 3Check that you are not over 75 or under 5 words using the counter.
    4. 4Re-read once for subject–verb agreement and tense.
    03 / 04

    Find the main idea, then prune

    1. 1Identify the topic sentence (usually first or last sentence of the passage).
    2. 2Mark 1–2 supporting reasons.
    3. 3Drop examples, statistics, and the author's opinion.
    4. 4Rewrite in your own words — copying long phrases triggers low form scores.
    04 / 04

    Common pitfalls to avoid

    1. 1Writing two sentences.
    2. 2Adding your own opinion.
    3. 3Using bullet points or capitals only.
    4. 4Forgetting to check spelling — every spelling error costs a written-form mark.

    Do

    • Read the whole passage once before writing anything.
    • Underline the topic sentence and 1–2 supporting points on the erasable whiteboard.
    • Use linking words (which, and, but, while, because) to merge ideas into one sentence.
    • Leave 1–2 minutes at the end to check grammar, spelling and punctuation.

    Don't

    • Write more than one sentence — even a second full stop drops your form score to zero.
    • Copy long phrases verbatim — paraphrase in your own words.
    • Use bullet points, lists, or all capital letters.
    • Add personal opinions or information not in the passage.
    Quick check

    Summarize Written Text — 5 questions

    Answer all 5 to unlock the next question type. There's no penalty for retrying.

    1. 1

      What is the strict word range for Summarize Written Text?

      Single answer

    2. 2

      How many sentences must your response contain?

      Single answer

    3. 3

      Which of these are valid ways to combine ideas into a single sentence? (Select all that apply.)

      Select all that apply

    4. 4

      True or false: copying long phrases from the passage is safe as long as the meaning is correct.

      True / False

    5. 5

      Which content should you DROP from the original passage?

      Select all that apply

    Next: Write Essay
    2
    Writing · Task 2 of 2

    Write Essay

    Plan, write and revise a 200–300 word essay in 20 minutes that develops a clear position.

    Instructions

    • You have 20 minutes to plan, write and revise.
    • Write 200–300 words — outside the range will not be scored.
    • Your response is judged on position, organisation, supporting detail, and standard written English.
    • Stay strictly on the topic in the prompt.
    Practice prompt

    Tobacco, mainly in the form of cigarettes, is one of the most widely-used drugs in the world. The long-term health costs are high — for smokers themselves, and for the wider community in terms of health care costs and lost productivity. Do governments have a legitimate role to legislate to protect citizens from the harmful effects of their own decisions to smoke, or are such decisions up to the individual?

    Illustrated notes · Writing

    Strategy deep-dive

    Hand-picked sticky notes — colour-coded so each move is easy to spot.

    01 / 04

    Start by analyzing the task

    1. 1Key words (time limit, genre, word limit).
    2. 2Topic — what is the essay actually about?
    3. 3Key points to cover (named issues in the prompt).
    4. 4Points of view to present and discuss. Doing this for 60 seconds saves 5 minutes of confused writing.
    02 / 04

    Know the essay forms

    1. 1Agree/disagree with a statement.
    2. 2Compare how different groups feel about a situation.
    3. 3Argue for AND against an opinion.
    4. 4Discuss advantages AND disadvantages. Always read the question after the statement — that's the part you must actually answer.
    03 / 04

    Structure: 4 paragraphs in 20 minutes

    1. 1Intro (2–3 sentences) — paraphrase the prompt, state your position.
    2. 2Body 1 — first reason + example.
    3. 3Body 2 — second reason / counter-argument + example.
    4. 4Conclusion — restate position, no new ideas. Aim for ~250 words: that's the sweet spot.
    04 / 04

    Common pitfalls to avoid

    1. 1Memorised templates — content that doesn't address the prompt scores ZERO.
    2. 2Writing under 200 or over 300 words.
    3. 3Writing in all capitals.
    4. 4Forgetting to revise — leave 2 minutes for grammar, spelling and punctuation checks.

    Do

    • Spend the first 2–3 minutes planning: thesis + 2 body ideas + examples.
    • Use linking phrases (firstly, however, in addition, on the other hand, in conclusion).
    • Use a range of sentence lengths and complex structures — both are scored.
    • Leave the last 2 minutes to check word count, spelling, capitals and full stops.

    Don't

    • Memorise an essay before test day — pre-prepared content scores nothing.
    • Drift off-topic — the content score depends on addressing the exact prompt.
    • Use all capital letters — only capitalise where required.
    • Click Next before you've finished — you cannot return to the essay.
    Quick check

    Write Essay — 5 questions

    Answer all 5 to unlock the next question type. There's no penalty for retrying.

    1. 1

      How long do you have to plan, write AND revise the essay?

      Single answer

    2. 2

      What is the scored word range?

      Single answer

    3. 3

      Which of these are scored aspects of the essay? (Select all that apply.)

      Select all that apply

    4. 4

      True or false: a memorised template essay always earns a safe score.

      True / False

    5. 5

      Which paragraph structure best fits a 20-minute, 250-word essay?

      Single answer