PTE Write Essay · Writing section

PTE essay example — Band 79 sample answer.

A complete Write Essay response at Band 79 (Proficient), 248 words, scored 15 out of 15 across Pearson's 7 essay traits. Includes a Band 65 comparison and a trait-by-trait breakdown of what separates them.

Last verified 10 July 2026 · Written for PTE Academic post-August 2025 format · Verified against Pearson's July 2025 Score Guide.

The prompt

Some people believe that university education should be free for all students, funded entirely by government. Others argue that students should contribute financially through tuition fees. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Write between 200 and 300 words.

Word range: 200–300 · Time: 20 minutes · Scored on Content, Form, Development/Structure/Coherence, Grammar, General Linguistic Range, Vocabulary, Spelling.

Model response · Band 79

15 / 15 traits

The band-79 essay (248 words).

The question of whether university education should be free or funded by student fees is a long-standing policy debate. Both positions have defensible reasoning, though I believe a shared-cost model best balances access with sustainability. Advocates of free university argue that education is a public good. When cost is removed, participation rises across income groups, which produces a more skilled workforce and reduces inequality over time. Countries such as Germany and Norway offer working examples of tuition-free tertiary systems that continue to attract strong international demand. From this perspective, tuition fees function as a barrier that filters candidates by wealth rather than ability. Supporters of student contribution respond that universities are expensive to run and that graduates capture a large private benefit from their degree — typically higher lifetime earnings. Asking students to pay a share, often through income-contingent loans, links cost to the individual who gains most and preserves public funds for other services. It also encourages students to treat the degree as an investment and to complete it. In my view the strongest system combines both ideas. Governments should heavily subsidise tuition so that price is not the deciding factor for prospective students, but a moderate contribution — repayable only above an income threshold — is reasonable given the private return. This approach protects access while sharing the cost between the individual who benefits and the society that benefits alongside them. Ultimately the choice is not binary. A well-designed shared-cost model preserves the equity gains of free education while keeping the system financially sustainable in the long run.

Word count: 248. Paragraphs: 5. Sentence types: mix of simple, compound, and complex with subordinate clauses.

Band 79 trait breakdown

What earned each trait score.

Trait	Score	Why it scored there
Content	3/3	Addresses both views and states a clear personal opinion with reasoning. Task fully answered.
Form	2/2	248 words, within the 200–300 range. Continuous prose, no bullet points, no headings.
Development, Structure & Coherence	2/2	Introduction → view 1 → view 2 → own opinion → conclusion. Logical connectives link every paragraph.
Grammar	2/2	Complex sentence structures with correct subject-verb agreement, subordinate clauses and modals.
General Linguistic Range	2/2	Balances discursive verbs (advocate, argue, respond, preserve) with precise nominal phrases.
Vocabulary Range	2/2	Topic-appropriate lexis (public good, income-contingent, private return, subsidise) used naturally.
Spelling	2/2	All spellings correct. British/American consistency maintained.
Total	15/15	Consistent with Band 79 writing on this task.

The Band 65 comparison

Same prompt at Band 65.

University should be free or not is a big question today. Some peoples think it should be free but other peoples think students must pay. I will discuss both sides. Free education is very good because everyone can study. If it is free then poor students also can go to university. This is fair for society. In many country like Germany education is free and students are happy. But some peoples think that free is not good. Universities need money to run classes and pay teachers. If government pay everything then it can be problem because government have many other things to spend on. Also when students pay they take study serious. In my opinion I think both sides have point. Maybe government can pay some part and students pay some part. This way everyone happy. Also students who cannot pay can get help from government. This is the best system. To conclude, this is a difficult question. Both free education and paid education have advantages and disadvantages. I think a mix system is best.

Word count: 215. Traits total: 9/15.

Trait	Score	Why it scored there
Content	2/3	Both views covered but treatment is shallow. Personal opinion stated but reasoning is thin.
Form	2/2	Continuous prose. Word count is short (~215 words) but within range.
Development, Structure & Coherence	1/2	Paragraph structure exists but transitions are missing. Ideas jump rather than build.
Grammar	0/2	Repeated subject-verb agreement errors, missing articles, incorrect plurals ('peoples').
General Linguistic Range	1/2	Mostly simple sentences with limited syntactic variety.
Vocabulary Range	1/2	Vocabulary is basic and repetitive ('very good', 'many things', 'happy').
Spelling	2/2	Spelling is accurate throughout.

Band 65 → Band 79

What separates the two responses.

Dimension	Band 65 pattern	Band 79 pattern
Structure	Ideas stated but not connected. Each paragraph starts fresh.	Every paragraph starts with a connecting move ('Advocates argue…', 'Supporters respond…', 'In my view…').
Argument depth	'Free is good because everyone can study.' Restates the claim.	'Education is a public good. When cost is removed, participation rises across income groups.' Advances a chain of reasoning.
Grammar	'Some peoples think', 'in many country', 'when students pay they take study serious'.	Complex sentences with correct agreement and subordinate clauses.
Vocabulary	'Very good', 'many peoples', 'happy'.	'Public good', 'income-contingent loans', 'private return', 'moderate contribution'.
Personal opinion	'Both sides have point. Maybe government can pay some part.' Hedged and vague.	'A shared-cost model best balances access with sustainability.' Committed and specific.

FAQ

PTE essay examples, answered.

What band is this PTE essay?

The first sample scores approximately 79 (Proficient) — 15 out of 15 across Pearson's 7 essay traits. The comparison sample scores approximately 65 (Competent). Overall PTE Academic scores derive from your task-level performance across the whole test, not from any single essay, but a 15/15 essay is consistent with band-79 writing.

What is the PTE essay word limit?

Between 200 and 300 words. This is a Form zero-gate: essays under 120 words or over 380 words are scored 0 on Content regardless of quality. The safe range is 220–280 to leave a margin. You have 20 minutes to plan, write and check.

How many essay traits does Pearson score?

Seven traits: Content (0–3), Form (0–2), Development / Structure / Coherence (0–2), Grammar (0–2), General Linguistic Range (0–2), Vocabulary Range (0–2), Spelling (0–2). Maximum raw score is 15. Both AI and a human review Content on Write Essay — it is one of the 7 double-marked task types in the current PTE format.

Can I use a memorised PTE essay template?

No — you can use a structural template (paragraph frame, sentence starters) but not a memorised body. Pearson's AI can detect responses that ignore the actual prompt and penalise up to 7 points on Content. The safe pattern is to memorise the moves (introduction, both views, opinion, conclusion) but write the content fresh from the prompt in front of you.

How long should each essay paragraph be?

The band-79 essay uses 5 paragraphs of roughly 40–70 words each: a short introduction, one paragraph per view, a personal opinion paragraph, and a one- or two-sentence conclusion. Each paragraph does one job. Longer paragraphs are fine but each still needs a single controlling idea.

Is 'discuss both views' the only PTE essay type?

It is the most common but not the only one. You may also see 'agree or disagree', 'advantages and disadvantages', 'problem and solution' or 'discuss the causes and effects'. The 4-paragraph frame (intro → point 1 → point 2 → conclusion) fits all of them; only the paragraph purpose changes.

→ PTE essay template — the reusable 4-paragraph frame with sentence starters
→ PTE essay structure guide — how to plan and write in 20 minutes
→ Linking words for PTE — high-value connectives for cohesion marks
→ Take a free scored mock — write an essay under exam conditions and get AI scoring