PTE Writing guide
PTE Write Essay: Format, Scoring and a Simple Structure
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PTE Academic
Write Essay gives you a short prompt — usually a question or statement to discuss — and asks for an argumentative essay. It is part of PTE Academic and is marked on several traits, so organisation and accuracy matter as much as ideas.
How the task works
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Length
- 200–300 words
- Scored on
- Content, form, development/structure/coherence, general linguistic range, grammar, vocabulary range and spelling
- Counts for
- Writing
Strategies that help
- Spend 2–3 minutes planning: your position and two main reasons, each with an example.
- Use four paragraphs: introduction with your position, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
- Answer the exact question in the prompt — if it asks “to what extent”, say how far you agree.
- Link ideas with clear connectors (however, as a result, for example) and vary your sentence types.
- Leave three minutes to check spelling, grammar and that you are within 200–300 words.
Common mistakes
- Writing outside the word range.
- Memorised templates that do not answer the actual prompt.
- One long paragraph with no clear structure.
- Running out of time before the conclusion.
Example
Prompt: “Some people think homework should be banned in primary schools. To what extent do you agree?” Outline: Introduction — partly agree. Body 1 — young children need time for play and family. Body 2 — short reading tasks still build good habits. Conclusion — limit homework rather than ban it.
A clear position, two developed reasons and a conclusion that answers “to what extent”.
Related guides
More on this skill: PTE Writing practice · All question type guides
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