Pearson PTE Academic Speaking Speaking Practice

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ⚠️Speaking too fast causing unclear articulation - AI penalizes rushed speech
• ⚠️Speaking too slowly with long pauses - 3+ second silence ends recording automatically
• ⚠️Excessive plosive sounds on P and B creating microphone distortion
• ⚠️Loud breathing noises between sentences affecting fluency score
• ⚠️Robotic, unnatural stress patterns from over-rehearsing
• ⚠️Using memorized templates detected by AI and human reviewers (post-Nov 2024)
• ⚠️Read Aloud: Adding or omitting words from the text - must read exactly as written
• ⚠️Read Aloud: Incorrect word stress changing meaning (REcord vs reCORD)
• ⚠️Repeat Sentence: Trying to memorize word-for-word instead of grasping meaning
• ⚠️Repeat Sentence: Adding filler words or changing grammar structure
• ⚠️Describe Image: Not using full 40 seconds - stopping at 20-30 seconds
• ⚠️Describe Image: Only describing without analyzing trends or implications
• ⚠️Describe Image: Poor structure - jumping randomly between elements
• ⚠️Re-tell Lecture: Poor note-taking leading to content gaps
• ⚠️Re-tell Lecture: Including minor details while missing main points
• ⚠️Answer Short Question: Giving long explanations instead of 1-2 words
• ⚠️Grammar: Inconsistent tense usage within responses
• ⚠️Grammar: Subject-verb disagreement in complex sentences
• ⚠️Pronunciation: Mispronouncing key academic vocabulary
• ⚠️Content: Going off-topic or not addressing the task fully
• ⚠️Cultural: Trying to imitate native accent instead of clear natural speech
• ⚠️Technical: Speaking too close/far from microphone affecting recording quality