The PTE Academic exam is a crucial assessment for individuals seeking to demonstrate their English proficiency. Summarizing spoken test is a key task in the listening section, where students must listen to a recording and summarize it in their own words.

To succeed in this part, you should practice for the PTE test. With the actual test material and a focus on key strategies, you can enhance your ability to quickly and effectively capture the main ideas. Summarizing the spoken test not only boosts your score but also improves your overall performance in the PTE Academic test.

What is Complicated at First with Summarizing a Spoken Text?

This test consists of both listening and writing. You’ll listen to a lecture and then write a brief summary of 50-70 words. The main goal is to listen to and record clearly, and write it again with advanced vocabulary. When you summarize it, you should focus on grammar mistakes, as they can lower your score.

What Should You Expect on Exam Day?

You’ll have one minute to listen to the recording.

You’ll have to complete this task in 10 minutes.

However, the recording time is included in this timeframe, giving you over 8 minutes to write your report.

What is the Scoring Criteria?

Five key areas will be graded for the Summarize Spoken Text task, and each one is worth two marks. It’s essential to focus on all of them to get the full score:

1. Form
    Your summary should be between 50 and 70 words. If you write more than 75 words, you’ll get no marks. Writing less than 50 words will also affect your score.
2. Content
    The content focuses on clearly showing the main points from the audio. At the end of your summary, ask yourself:

• Did I cover all the main points from the lecture?
• Did I interpret the audio correctly?

1. Grammar
    Good grammar is essential, as mistakes will lower your score. Try to use a variety of sentence structures to show your grammar skills.
2. Vocabulary
    Use words that fit the topic. Using good, unique words can boost your score, but make sure your spelling is accurate.
3. Spelling
    Spelling is worth two points. If you get more than two spellings wrong, you won’t receive any points for spelling. Therefore, it’s essential to allocate sufficient time to proofread your summary.

Summarize Spoken Text Tips and Strategy:

These strategies are divided into three parts, which will prepare you better.

Step 1: Before the Audio Begins:

Before starting to summarize Spoken Text, you have 12 seconds that you can use to prepare yourself.

Grab Your Tools:

You should have a pen and a notebook. This way, you can quickly write key points of recording audio.

Mental Preparation:

Take a moment to calm and relax. A few breaths will calm you, and you’ll improve your concentration easily.

Focus on the Task:

Use this time only for preparation. Avoid trying to guess the topic or plan your summary just yet, as it might distract you.

Step 2: While the Audio is Playing

During summarizing spoken text, active listening is the key strategy. Here are some techniques and tips to follow during the PTE listening task.

Attentive Listening:
You should actively listen to the voice and stay focused throughout.

Keyword Identification:

When focusing on overall speaking audio, write some key points.

Recognize Emphasis:

Notice words that the speaker emphasizes or repeats. These are often key to understanding the main ideas.

Adjectives, Verbs, and Nouns

Take focus on important adjectives, verbs, and nouns, as they help convey the meaning and tone of the content.

Step 3: After Completing Audio

The next step in the PTE Summarize Spoken Text task is to turn your notes into a clear response of 50 to 70 words. Start by thinking about the main topic of the audio you just listened to. Use your notes and memory to identify the key point from the lecture, which will give you your central idea.

First Minutes

Think about the main idea from the keywords you wrote down for PTE Academic. Take a moment to plan your response, including the introduction, body, and conclusion. Decide which keywords you’ll use in each part of your summary.

Response Typing

Start typing your response using the provided template. This structure will help organize your ideas logically. Focus on summarizing the main points clearly and concisely.

Last Few Minutes – Editing and Refining

Use the last few minutes to review and polish your response. Review your grammar, punctuation, and spelling to ensure everything is accurate. Also, make sure your word count is between 50 and 70 words.

Time Management Tip

If you finish early, remember that any extra time doesn’t carry over to the next task. Use any saved time to make your summary even better.

Conclusion

The PTE Academic exam tests your English skills, with the Summarize Spoken Text task being a key part of the listening section. If you prepare regularly and focus on areas such as grammar, vocabulary, and spelling, you can significantly improve your performance. By using the right strategies, you can easily summarize a spoken test.