PTE Respond to a Situation: New Speaking Task in 2025

If you’re preparing for PTE – new changes are starting from August 7, 2025. They introduced a new speaking task – Respond to a Situation in the Speaking section. Since this question only gives points in speaking – once again, our #1 priority is Oral Fluency!

This task simulates real-life communication, testing how well you can respond appropriately and fluently to a given scenario. Whether it’s replying to a colleague, asking for help, or apologizing to a client, your ability to structure and deliver a clear, confident response is crucial.

NOTE: the situation presented in this question will be played to you as an AUDIO – and you can also READ the instructions on the screen as in the above picture.

So don’t worry if you can’t remember the whole situation based on the audio – read the instructions on screen at the same time!

Respond to a Situation – Format

You will hear a short recorded prompt describing a situation – often a work or daily life context. You then have 10 seconds to prepare your response. After that, you must speak for 40 seconds. The key is to provide a relevant, complete, and appropriately toned answer.

PTE Respond to a Situation – Scoring Criteria

Your response is scored across multiple traits:
– Task Fulfillment: Did you respond appropriately and completely to the situation?
– Oral Fluency: Did you speak smoothly, without hesitation or unnatural pauses?
– Pronunciation: Were your words clear and understandable?
– Tone and Language: Was your language appropriate for the situation (formal vs informal)?

Step-by-Step Strategy

Here’s how to approach this task systematically:
1. Listen actively – Understand the who, what, and why of the situation.
2. Identify the tone – Is the scenario professional or casual? Formal or apologetic?
3. Use a structure – Greet or acknowledge, respond to the prompt, explain if needed, then close politely.
4. Use appropriate vocabulary – Match your language to the scenario (e.g., ‘I’m sorry’ for apologies, ‘I appreciate your time’ for requests).

Example Situations and Sample Answers

**Scenario 1 – Apologizing to a client**
*Prompt:* You forgot to attend a scheduled Zoom meeting with a client. Respond appropriately.
*Answer:* ‘Good morning, I sincerely apologize for missing our meeting today. I had an unexpected emergency and couldn’t notify you in time. I understand your time is valuable, and I would be happy to reschedule at your convenience. Thank you for your understanding.’

**Scenario 2 – Giving instructions**
*Prompt:* Your colleague doesn’t know how to access the shared project folder. Respond.
*Answer:* ‘Hi there! No problem. To access the shared folder, just go to the company drive, click on “Team Projects,” then open the folder labeled Q3. Let me know if you need the link or any help navigating it.’

**Scenario 3 – Making a polite request**
*Prompt:* You need to ask your manager for a few extra days to complete a task.
*Answer:* ‘Hello, I wanted to check in regarding the report deadline. I’ve made good progress, but I’d really appreciate two more days to polish the analysis. I want to ensure it’s accurate and well-organized. Let me know if that works for you.’

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

– Too short or vague answers: Always aim to give at least 4-5 full sentences.
– Wrong tone: Don’t sound too casual in formal situations—or too robotic in personal ones.
– No structure: Don’t jump into the response without context. Start with a greeting or acknowledgment.
– Hesitation and fillers: Practice responses aloud daily to eliminate ‘um’, ‘uh’, and long pauses.

Useful Phrases by Scenario Type

Apologies:
– ‘I sincerely apologize…’
– ‘Please accept my apology for…’
– ‘I understand this may have caused inconvenience.’

Requests:
– ‘Would it be possible to…’
– ‘I’d appreciate it if…’
– ‘Can I kindly ask for…’

Offering help:
– ‘I’d be happy to help you with that.’
– ‘Let me walk you through the steps.’
– ‘Feel free to reach out again.’

NOTE: most of the time, you will be answering in 1st person (ex: could I ask you for… may I change the appointment to… excuse me, would you be able to…)

Practice Tips for High Performance

– Record yourself responding to different real-life scenarios.
– Use a timer to practice the 40-second format.
– Focus on tone: Practice formal vs casual language.
– Build a response bank with sample answers for apologies, requests, help, etc.
– Use feedback tools or Dream English’s AI mock tests to identify weak spots.

Building Confidence and Fluency

The more you practice common patterns and situations, the easier this task will become. Use repetition to build fluency, and always review your performance. The goal isn’t perfection, but clarity, structure, and confidence.

Will this REALLY work?

At the time of this blog post, it is not August 7 yet – so we haven’t taken exam yet. But we already took the official PTE Mock Tests from their website and this is the score:

As you can see, our Speaking and Listening are 90/90 – meaning that our NEW 2025 PTE Strategies are working!

So how come Writing is only 65? That’s because PTE became much stricter with template detection in the essay, so we’re already coming up with new strategies for it.

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At Dream English, we provide expert coaching, practice materials, and AI-powered mock tests to help you perfect this new task. If you need further help with your exam prep – reach out to our team.

Good luck with your preparation!
Alex 🙂

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Watch our BRAN NEW Video about this question: