Speaking task
PTE Retell Lecture practice
Retell Lecture plays a short academic lecture and asks you to re-tell it in 40 seconds. It scores both Listening and Speaking, and it is won or lost in the note-taking: you cannot retell what you did not capture.
Audio
Up to 90 sec
Prepare
About 10 sec
Speak
40 sec
Scored
Listening + Speaking
Based on the current PTE Academic format (updated 7 August 2025). Last reviewed 14 June 2026.
The basics
What is PTE Retell Lecture?
You hear a lecture of up to about 90 seconds, often with an image on screen. When it ends you get about 10 seconds to prepare, then a tone plays and you have 40 seconds to retell what you heard. A test usually has 2 to 3 Retell Lecture items.
It is an integrated task: it contributes to both your Listening score (did you understand the lecture) and your Speaking score (how well you deliver the retell). Content is reviewed by both the AI and a human examiner.
Scoring
How Retell Lecture is scored
- Content: whether you capture the main idea and the key supporting points and relationships. Scored by the AI and confirmed by a human examiner.
- Oral Fluency: a smooth, continuous 40-second retell with no long pauses while you decode your notes.
- Pronunciation: clear, intelligible delivery.
- It feeds both Listening (comprehension of the lecture) and Speaking (your delivery), so strong notes lift two skills at once.
Key insight: Note-taking is the whole task. While listening, capture the topic plus three or four supporting points or keywords. If your notes are good, the 40-second retell almost delivers itself.
The method
How to do well in Retell Lecture
A repeatable approach you can apply to every item of this type.
- 1
Take structured notes while listening
Do not try to remember the lecture. Write the topic at the top, then three or four supporting points as short keywords, plus any example or conclusion. Abbreviate aggressively so you keep listening.
- 2
Organise in the 10-second prep
Glance at your notes and decide the order: main idea first, then the supporting points, then the conclusion. A clear order is what keeps you fluent under time pressure.
- 3
Open with the main idea
Start on the tone with one sentence stating what the lecture was about, for example 'The lecture discussed X and how it affects Y.' This signals strong comprehension immediately.
- 4
Deliver the supporting points in order
Move through your noted keywords one by one in full sentences. You do not need every detail; the main idea plus a few accurate supporting points is what scores.
- 5
Finish with a conclusion
Close with the lecture's takeaway or your own one-line summary. Keep talking smoothly for the full 40 seconds rather than stopping early once your points run out.
Avoid these
Common Retell Lecture mistakes
- Trying to memorise the lecture instead of taking notes, then freezing in the retell.
- Writing full sentences while listening, so you miss the next point.
- Spending most of the 40 seconds on one point and never reaching the rest.
- Long pauses while trying to read or decode your own notes.
- Using a memorised template with no real content from the lecture, which can score 0 on content.
Practice Retell Lecture with instant scoring.
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FAQ
PTE Retell Lecture, answered
On Content (capturing the main idea and key supporting points), Oral Fluency (a smooth 40-second retell) and Pronunciation. It is an integrated task that contributes to both your Listening and Speaking scores, and Content is human-reviewed.
Up to about 90 seconds, sometimes with an image on screen. After it ends you get roughly 10 seconds to prepare and then 40 seconds to retell. There are usually 2 to 3 items per test.
Yes, and you should. Note-taking is the core skill: capture the topic plus three or four supporting keywords while you listen. The quality of your notes largely determines your score.
The main topic, three or four supporting points as short keywords, and any example or conclusion. Abbreviate so you can keep listening. Do not try to transcribe full sentences.
Yes. It is an integrated task that feeds both Listening (did you understand the lecture) and Speaking (how well you retell it), so improving it helps two skills at once.
Retell what you did capture, clearly and fluently. The main idea plus a few accurate supporting points scores well. A confident partial retell beats a hesitant attempt to cover everything.
A light opening and closing frame is fine, but the body must contain the real points from the lecture. A pure template with no actual content can score 0 on the content trait.
Usually because your notes were too thin. With three or four solid supporting keywords plus a conclusion, you will have enough structured material to speak smoothly for the full 40 seconds.
Use our free Retell Lecture drill: you hear a real lecture, take notes, retell it, and get an AI score on fluency and pronunciation with a model answer to compare. No signup required.