Understanding the Respond to a Situation Task in PTE Academic, UKVI & Core

The situation will tell you what you need to say in order to give the right answer. You will have twenty seconds to get ready for the PTE Core, and you will have forty seconds to talk. This task tests your ability to say what you want to say in a way that is clear, natural, and appropriate for the setting, whether it's in the workplace or in everyday life.
This test does more than just check your speaking skills; it also checks your ability to explain yourself correctly in this situation. You need to understand what's going on, act quickly, and come up with a creative, well-thought-out answer.
The Respond to a Situation task measures how well you can communicate ideas in real life, so getting good at it could greatly improve your scores on the Speaking part. If you study well and practice a lot, you'll be sure you know how to answer all the questions on the test.

The Respond to a Situation Task is what it sounds like.

For the Academic PTE: Before August 7, 2025, Respond to a Situation was only a task in PTE Core. Since then, it has been added as a speaking task in PTE Academic and UKVI as well. In PTE Academic/UKVI, you'll have 10 seconds to be ready, and in PTE Core, you'll have 20 seconds. Then the microphone will be open for your answer.

What is the Respond to a Situation Task?

In the Respond to a Situation task of the PTE Academic, UKVI & Core Speaking section, you’re assigned a detailed plan or immediate response and expected to respond properly based on the context. You’ll have 10 seconds to prepare in PTE Academic / UKVI & 20 seconds in PTE Core, after which the microphone will open for your response.
This task considers your skill in solving situational cues, responding properly, and speaking in a genuine, fluent style. It simultaneously tests both your understanding and spoken communication talents.
The key challenge is to quickly learn the scenario and deliver a well-structured, clear answer within the given time. You must aim to be brief, readable, and contextually correct in managing the prompt effectively.
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Types of Situations in the Respond to a Situation Task

In the Respond to a Situation task of the PTE Academic, UKVI & Core Speaking section, the methods can vary widely. Comprehending the type of situation allows you to prepare a more relevant and well-structured answer.
Personal or social situations:
Answering a friend's plea, turning down an offer, or giving support are all examples of these types of situations.
Example: You have work to do, and a friend has invited you to a party. You need to reject his invitation.
Situations at work or in a professional setting:
These include, among other things, requests for information, explanations for delays, and comments.
Example: Your friend asked for your help while you were busy with something else. You should politely decline his request.
Academic or Educational Situations:
This includes academic conversation, like when a student asks their teacher about something or when the teacher explains the homework to a student.
Example: A student missed a class and asked the teacher for notes. So, what should this student ask the teacher?
Service or Customer Interactions:
This includes talking to people in customer service situations, like when they need help or want to give comments.
Example: You got the wrong thing in a delivery order. How are you going to fix this?
Solving Problems:
In these cases, you need to deal with tough situations or arguments in a good way.
Example: Your phone needs to be fixed, and you need to talk to customer service about this. How would you explain it?

Length and Structure of the Respond to a Situation Task

There is a precise structure to the Respond to a Situation task, and being prepared can help you perform with confidence.
  • Length of the Prompt: The instructions for this job are usually very short, only one or two sentences at most. This makes it easier to understand what you need to do and what kind of answer is expected.
  • Preparation Time: You have 10 seconds for PTE Academic/UKVI and 20 seconds for PTE Core to get ready before the recording starts. Take this time to think about the most important things that need to be talked about.
  • Time to Speak: You will have 40 seconds to give your organized answer with confidence.
Pro Tip: Start with a strong sentence, answer the question straight, and be sure of yourself. Don't think too much; just stay calm and appropriate.
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In the Respond to a Situation Task, what are the most important parts?

In the Speaking part, you will get one to two "Respond to a Situation" questions.
You can only record one response, and you can't go back and listen to it again.
How you react to something only affects your speaking skill.
If the candidate doesn't speak for more than three seconds, the microphone turns off by itself.

What kinds of situations can be expected during this task?

Personal:
Turning down a dinner invitation because you already have plans;
Professional:
Explaining why you can't help with a report;
Academic:
Asking a professor for missed class notes;
Service/Customer interaction:
Reporting a wrong delivery item;
Problem-solving:
Talking to customer service about a phone issue

Tips for Acing the Respond to a Situation Task

In this task, you will see a text displayed on the screen. You are required to read the text aloud clearly and naturally. You will have 35 seconds to complete your reading, so focus on maintaining clarity, proper pronunciation, and a natural flow.
Try more sample questions for PTE Academic/UKVI
Try more sample questions for PTE Core

Sample Question 1:

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Discuss the process of resolving a conflict with a co-worker or friend in a constructive manner.
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Sample Question 2:

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You are attending a live performance, and the person sitting next to you is talking loudly, disrupting your enjoyment of the show. How would you handle this situation politely?
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Sample Question 3:

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You are the captain of a community sports team and have provided team equipment for everyone's use. After a few weeks,you notice that the equipment is often left outside, not stored properly, and some items are starting to show wear and tear much faster than expected. What would you say to your team?
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Practice more Sample Question
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Tips for Acing the Respond to a Situation Task

Understanding the provided task
figuring out what the main idea is and what you should do in that situation
Quickly plan your response
Use the time you have to prepare to make a simple structure with a clear beginning, your main point, and a natural ending.
Correctly using language:
tone should be semi-formal in business settings and casual in personal ones.
Speak clearly and with confidence.
Don't use fillers, and don't pause for long periods of time when you answer.
Sticking to the time limit given
you have 40 seconds to answer, so make sure your answer is smooth, right, and to the point.

Example Template for Respond to a Situation

  • Opening Statement: Begin by making the situation clear.
    "Thank you for getting in touch with me about this..."
    "I understand your worry about..."
  • Main Response: Give the main answer, paying attention to the situation.
    "Unfortunately, I can't be there at that time because...”
    "I'm glad to help you with that." Could you give me more information?"
  • Conclusion: End with a friendly and appropriate thought.
    "Please let me know if I can help you with anything else."
    "Thank you for getting that."
You can gain the confidence you need to do well on the Respond to a Situation job and ultimately improve your score on the PTE Academic, UKVI, and Core Speaking section by practicing regularly and getting used to different types of methods.

FAQs

Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions.

You can only record once.

No, it's better to use structured, clear, and somewhat formal wording, especially if the situation is at work.

Yes, it does change your pronunciation and fluency, which means it changes your speaking results as well.

Yes, because this has to do with speaking, it does affect your speaking grades.

You can guess that there will be two to three Respond to Situation tasks in the Speaking part.

The mic will go off after 10 seconds for PTE Academic and UKVI and 20 seconds for PTE Core. Make sure you are ready.

Your answer should be short and to the point, and it should last between 35 and 40 seconds at most.

The microphone will shut off after three seconds of silence, and the answer will be taken as unfinished.

Yes, it counts toward your speaking score, taking into account both what you say and how well you say it.