PTE Speaking guide
PTE Summarize Group Discussion: Format, Scoring and Tips
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PTE Academic
Summarize Group Discussion plays a recorded discussion between three speakers, and you summarise it in your own words. The skill is following several viewpoints at once and reporting who said what. It is part of PTE Academic.
How the task works
- Audio
- A discussion between three speakers, up to 3 minutes
- Preparation
- 10 seconds after the discussion ends
- Response
- Up to 2 minutes of recording
- Scored on
- Content, pronunciation and oral fluency
- Counts for
- Speaking and Listening
Strategies that help
- Take notes in three columns, one per speaker, with their main point and one reason.
- Start with the topic, then give each speaker’s view, then say where they agreed or disagreed.
- Use reporting phrases: “The first speaker argued that…”, “By contrast, the second speaker felt…”.
- You have up to two minutes — aim for a complete, steady summary rather than speaking as fast as possible.
Common mistakes
- Summarising only one speaker.
- Mixing up who said what.
- Finishing in 30 seconds when there is time to cover every viewpoint.
Example
The discussion was about whether universities should move classes online. The first speaker supported it because students save travel time. The second disagreed, saying students learn better face to face. The third suggested a mix of both. Overall, they agreed that flexibility matters but differed on how much should be online.
Topic → each speaker → where they agree and differ.
Related guides
More on this skill: PTE Speaking practice · All question type guides
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