In Repeat Sentence, you hear a sentence of 3 to 9 seconds once, then repeat it exactly. You have up to 15 seconds to speak, but the microphone closes if you stay silent for 3 seconds. It scores both Speaking and Listening and usually appears 10 to 12 times. By Pearson's question weightings it is 16% of Speaking and 17% of Listening, which makes it one of the most valuable tasks in the whole test.
How Repeat Sentence is scored
| Criterion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Content | How many words you repeat in the correct order |
| Oral fluency | Smooth, natural rhythm without hesitations or restarts |
| Pronunciation | Clear, understandable sounds and stress |
Fluency and pronunciation are marked even if you miss some words. A confident, smooth answer that drops two words often scores better than a hesitant answer that repeats everything.
9 tips that actually move your score
- Listen in chunks, not words. Hear the sentence as three or four meaning groups: "The library will be closed / for renovations / during the summer break."
- Start within a second. Waiting lets the sentence fade from memory.
- Copy the rhythm. Imitate the speaker's pace and stress. Your rhythm matters as much as the words.
- Never stop mid-sentence. If you forget a word, replace it with something close and keep going.
- Do not self-correct. Going back costs fluency marks.
- Keep the ending strong. Many students trail off at the end. Finish clearly.
- Ignore the notepad. Writing during Repeat Sentence splits your attention.
- Practise with academic sentences. Topics like campus life, lectures and research are common.
- Record and compare. Play the original, then your version. Fix rhythm first, words second.
What to do if you miss most of the sentence
Say the parts you remember, in order, with steady rhythm. Silence for 3 seconds closes the microphone and scores zero. A partial answer said smoothly still earns fluency and pronunciation marks.
A 10-minute daily drill
- 2 minutes: shadow a short academic audio clip, speaking along with it.
- 6 minutes: 15 Repeat Sentence items, recording each one.
- 2 minutes: listen back to three of your recordings and note one rhythm problem.
Short daily practice beats one long session a week. Repeat Sentence is a memory and rhythm skill, and both improve with repetition.
Frequently asked questions
How many Repeat Sentence questions are there in PTE?
Usually 10 to 12, which is why it has such a big effect on Speaking and Listening.
What happens if I pause in Repeat Sentence?
Short pauses reduce fluency marks. Three seconds of silence closes the microphone.
Is Repeat Sentence harder for Nepali speakers?
Not because of accent. The common problems are pausing to remember and dropping word endings like plural "s". Both improve quickly with recording practice.
Want someone to listen to your recordings and tell you exactly what to fix? See our courses or send us a recording on WhatsApp. Next, read our Write from Dictation guide, the other high-value memory task.