PTE Retell Lecture
Audio or video lecture up to 90 seconds. Learn what the task asks, why it matters, and how to practise it without turning a planning heuristic into a score promise.
Start here
Quick facts
These format and scoring facts are paraphrased from Pearson sources. Keep them separate from PTEFlow’s practice advice.
| Section | Speaking & Writing |
|---|---|
| Prompt | Audio or video lecture up to 90 seconds. |
| Skills | Listening and Speaking. |
| Timing | 10 seconds preparation after audio; 40 seconds speaking. |
| Scoring | Content, Pronunciation, and Oral Fluency with partial credit; Content is also reviewed by a human expert. |
Why this task matters
It combines listening, note capture, and spoken organization, influencing both Listening and Speaking on an average test.
Average contribution is contextual data for study priority. It is not a fixed allocation of PTE points.
Pearson official
Score contribution
Overall
~6%
Listening
~13%
Speaking
~13%
These percentages describe an average test and help explain relative study priority. They are not fixed PTE points, a score formula, or a guarantee for a particular test form.
Relative context
Where this task sits among related tasks
The comparison uses the same average-weighting dataset as the contribution card. It explains relative importance, not a deterministic score conversion.
Listening contribution
- Summarize Group Discussion~20%
- Repeat Sentence~17%
- Retell Lecture~13% · YOU ARE HERE
- Write from Dictation~13%
- Summarize Spoken Text~10%
- Fill in the Blanks (Type In)~8%
- Highlight Incorrect Words~8%
- Answer Short Question~4%
- Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers~3%
- Highlight Correct Summary~2%
- Multiple Choice, Single Answer~2%
- Select Missing Word~1%
Speaking contribution
- Describe Image~31%
- Summarize Group Discussion~19%
- Repeat Sentence~16%
- Retell Lecture~13% · YOU ARE HERE
- Respond to a Situation~13%
- Read Aloud~9%
Pearson official tips
- Use any accompanying image to predict the topic before listening.
- Use the 40 seconds for main points instead of repeating or correcting yourself.
- Take notes while the audio plays.
What the learner has to do
It combines listening, note capture, and spoken organization, influencing both Listening and Speaking on an average test.
PTEFlow strategy
- 1Write a short topic label first.
- 2Capture 3–5 content anchors: main idea, points, and example or result.
- 3Speak from notes in logical order and paraphrase.
- 4Keep moving if one detail is missing.
Template or technique
The lecture discusses [topic]. The speaker explains [main point]. First, [point 1]. In addition, [point 2]. The speaker also mentions [example/result]. Overall, [conclusion].
Use a framework only when it fits the prompt. PTEFlow does not recommend irrelevant or unoriginal memorized responses.
Worked example
If the lecture discusses sleep and memory, summarize the relationship, one study or result, and the conclusion rather than reproducing every detail.
Review before test day
Common mistakes
- Writing full sentences while listening and missing later information.
- Trying to include every detail.
- Repeating notes without connecting them.
- Stopping to correct grammar mid-response.
Target-score strategy
Practice benchmark
Consistent coverage of the main content with controlled fluency and grammar.
Study emphasis
Reduce omissions, disruptive hesitations, and avoidable errors.
This is a PTEFlow planning heuristic. It changes study emphasis, not Pearson’s rules, and it does not convert correct answers into a guaranteed score.
Personal notes
Private notes are planned for a future authenticated persistence layer. This public guide intentionally does not write notes to anonymous browser storage or expose them in canonical HTML.
Continue learning
Related guides
Source register
Official sources and verification
Last verified against Pearson: 2026-09-20