Test day rules · 2025 handbook
PTE test day checklist: official 2025 rules from Pearson's handbook
Every item on this page is drawn directly from Pearson's PTE Academic Test Taker Handbook (July 2025) and PTE Core Test Taker Handbook (October 2025). We do not summarise, guess or paraphrase around the rules. If something is not in the handbook, it is not on this page. Use it as a pre-test checklist so nothing surprises you at the Pearson centre.
Sources: Pearson PTE Test Centre Rules, Pearson: On test day. Handbook editions: PTE Academic July 2025, PTE Core October 2025.
Bring these
What to bring to the Pearson test centre
Almost nothing enters the test room. Personal items (phone, wallet, bag, watch, notes) all go into the locker at check-in. Only your passport, and any pre-approved medical items, come with you to the booth.
Valid passport (non-expired)
The name on your passport must EXACTLY match the name you used at booking. No driving licence, national ID, Aadhaar, PAN or digital copy is accepted for PTE Academic. If the name does not match, you will be refused entry and forfeit the fee.
Arrive at least 30 minutes early
Pearson advises arriving 30 minutes before the scheduled start so check-in (photo, digital signature, palm vein scan, locker allocation) finishes on time. Late arrivals may be refused entry with no refund.
Any prescribed medical items you need during the test
Insulin pumps, hearing aids and other medical devices are permitted (see Allowed comfort aids below). Bring the item, notify the Test Centre Administrator (TCA) at check-in, and follow their placement instructions.
Name-match rule
Check your Pearson account profile against your passport BEFORE test day: first name, middle names, last name, spelling, date of birth. Even a spelling difference will be refused at the door. If you spot a mismatch, contact Pearson support at least 48 hours before your slot.
Allowed inside the booth
Comfort aids Pearson explicitly permits
Pearson's handbook lists specific comfort aids that may enter the testing room. Every item on this list is subject to visual inspection by the Test Centre Administrator at check-in. Show them proactively, do not try to smuggle anything in.
| Allowed item | Rule / condition |
|---|---|
| Tissues | Loose tissues are fine. TCA may inspect the pack before you carry it in. |
| Cough drops or lozenges | MUST be unwrapped before you enter the testing room. Wrappers are not allowed in the booth. |
| Pillow | For neck, back, or an injured limb. Show it to the TCA at check-in for inspection. |
| Sweater, sweatshirt or blazer | Pockets MUST be empty. Test rooms are often cold; layering is fine as long as pockets are visibly empty. |
| Eyeglasses | Standard prescription glasses are permitted. Smart glasses with a camera or connectivity are not. |
| Hearing aids | Notify the TCA at check-in. You will keep them in during the test. |
| Neck brace | Medically necessary neck braces are permitted. Bring documentation if asked. |
| Insulin pump | Permitted. Show it to the TCA at check-in and place it as instructed. |
Practical tip
Unwrap two or three cough drops at home and put them in a small clean container. Rooms are cold, dry throats are common, and unwrapping a lozenge with the microphone on wastes fluency-scored time in Speaking. Same idea for a spare tissue tucked into your sweater cuff.
Do NOT bring into the booth
Prohibited items and behaviour
The following items and actions are explicitly prohibited inside the testing room. Most result in the score being cancelled, sometimes with a temporary or permanent ban on future bookings. When in doubt, leave it in the locker.
Mobile phones and any electronic device
Score can be revoked even if the device is off. Store in your locker.
Smartwatches or any watch
Analogue watches included. The on-screen timer is your clock.
Jewellery thicker than 1/4 inch (1/2 cm)
Thick rings, chains, bangles or brooches must go in the locker before entry.
Wallets, purses and bags
All personal storage goes in the locker. Only your passport enters the room.
Hats, caps and hoods
Religious head coverings are permitted; you may be asked to allow visual inspection.
Coats and outerwear
Store in the locker. Layer with a sweater or blazer inside the room instead.
Books, notes, study materials
Bringing any reference material into the room is considered malpractice.
Eating, drinking or chewing gum
Not permitted inside the booth. Water and snacks stay in the locker.
Smoking or vaping
Not permitted anywhere in the test centre.
Chatting with other test takers
Any communication with other candidates during the test is prohibited.
Critical
A phone in your pocket, even switched off, is treated identically to a phone on the desk. The TCA will spot the outline during check-in pat-down. Store it in the locker BEFORE you approach the check-in desk, not after.
Your workspace
In the test room
The room is a partitioned booth in a hall shared with other candidates. You will hear other people speaking during Speaking tasks; the headset dampens most of it and your microphone captures only your voice. Practise with background noise in your Speaking practice so this does not surprise you.
Equipment provided at every booth
Erasable whiteboard (or erasable notepad in some centres) + 2 whiteboard pens
Provided at every booth. Use it for notes, essay planning, jotting lecture points, tracking WFD sentences. You may request a fresh sheet if you fill it up.
Booth partition
Semi-private. Neighbouring test takers may be speaking at the same time; the headset blocks most of it and the mic captures only your voice.
Standard QWERTY keyboard + audio headset
Provided by the centre. You cannot bring your own headphones. The headset must stay on during Speaking so the mic sits at the correct angle.
What you CANNOT do inside the booth
| Rule | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| You CANNOT remove the whiteboard or pens from the room | They must be returned to the TCA when you finish. Removing them is treated as malpractice. |
| You CANNOT leave the test before it finishes | Once you start, leaving the booth for any reason other than a permitted break ends your attempt. |
| You CANNOT go back to previous questions | PTE moves forward only. Once you click Next (or the timer expires), the item is locked. Plan the time you spend accordingly. |
| You CANNOT talk to other candidates or the TCA about content | Questions about a technical fault are fine (raise your hand). Questions about a task are not. |
Breaks
No scheduled break, plan for it
Break rules are the most misunderstood part of PTE test day. Many older guides still describe a scheduled 10-minute break; that is no longer the case in the current PTE Academic and PTE Core formats. Here is what actually applies in 2025.
There are NO scheduled breaks in PTE Core or the current PTE Academic format
PTE Academic used to include an optional 10-minute break after Part 1. Pearson removed the scheduled break as part of the two-part format update. PTE Core also has no scheduled break.
You MAY take an unscheduled break, but the clock keeps running
If you need to leave the booth mid-test (bathroom, medical), raise your hand. The TCA will let you out, but the test timer does NOT pause. Any time you spend outside comes off your remaining answer time.
During an unscheduled break you CANNOT access your phone, locker, or other test takers
You may go to the bathroom only. Accessing your locker, opening your phone, or communicating with anyone (including other candidates) will be logged as suspected malpractice and can void your score.
Palm vein re-scan on re-entry
You must complete a palm vein scan when you return to the booth. This prevents impersonation during a break.
Hydration and comfort
Because there is no scheduled break, drink water and use the bathroom BEFORE check-in. Once you start the test, every minute spent outside the booth is a minute off your answer time. Layer with a permitted sweater, keep a tissue and an unwrapped lozenge with you, and treat the 2 hours as one continuous block.
How scores get revoked
Malpractice and score cancellation
Pearson can and does cancel scores after the fact when malpractice is detected. Cancellations are logged against the candidate ID and appear when institutions or immigration authorities verify results. The most common triggers are below.
| Trigger | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Multiple Pearson accounts | Holding more than one active account is a policy violation. Duplicates are merged or closed and scores may be cancelled. |
| Removing items from the test room | Whiteboards, pens, notepads, headsets: anything provided must stay in the room. Removal voids the score. |
| Palm vein mismatch on re-entry | If the biometric scan does not match on return from a break, the score is voided and the incident is logged. |
| Using or possessing a phone in the room | Even if the phone is off or in a pocket. The score is cancelled and Pearson may bar future bookings. |
| Copying, memorising or transmitting test content | Sharing questions on forums (including screenshots taken later from memory) is a scoreable offence. Pearson can and does revoke scores retroactively. |
| Impersonation attempt | Sending someone else to sit the test, or letting someone use your account. Permanent ban plus legal referral. |
Retroactive cancellation
Sharing test content on Telegram, WhatsApp or coaching forums after the exam is a scoreable offence. Pearson monitors these channels and matches leaks back to specific attempts. A cancellation issued weeks after the test is still valid.
FAQ
Six questions from the handbook, answered
Full test-day walkthrough on our exam day tips guide. Anxiety and pacing questions covered on why am I not improving in PTE.
A valid, non-expired passport is the ONLY ID accepted for PTE Academic. The name on your passport must exactly match the name on your booking. Driving licences, national IDs, Aadhaar, PAN cards, and digital passport copies are not accepted. Source: Pearson PTE Academic Test Taker Handbook (July 2025).
Yes, but they must be UNWRAPPED before you enter the booth. Wrappers are not permitted inside the room because they generate noise near the microphone. Show the unwrapped drops to the Test Centre Administrator at check-in.
Yes, a sweater, sweatshirt or blazer is a permitted comfort aid, provided ALL pockets are visibly empty. Coats and heavy outerwear must go in the locker. Layering with a light sweater is the standard recommendation because test rooms are often cold.
No scheduled break. PTE Academic previously offered an optional 10-minute break after Part 1; the current format removes it. You may take an unscheduled break (bathroom only), but the on-screen timer keeps running and any time spent outside the booth comes off your remaining answer time.
No. PTE is forward-only. Once you click Next or the item timer expires, the question is locked and you cannot return. Answer every item before moving on, even if you are not certain, because there is no negative marking for a wrong answer (except on HIW, LMCMA and RMCMA where over-selection is penalised).
Your score can be revoked, even if the phone was switched off, and Pearson may bar you from future bookings. This is the single most common reason for score cancellation. Always store your phone in the locker before check-in.
Where these rules come from
Sources
- Pearson PTE Test Centre Rules. Canonical rules for what may enter the room, what is prohibited, and what constitutes malpractice.
- PTE Academic Test Taker Handbook, edition dated July 2025. Allowed comfort aids list, prohibited items, in-room rules, break policy for PTE Academic.
- PTE Core Test Taker Handbook, edition dated October 2025. Equivalent rules for PTE Core (Canada immigration test). Rules are substantially the same as Academic; where they differ, the differences are noted inline above.
- Pearson: On test day. Check-in walkthrough, biometrics, arrival guidance.
Page updated 2026-07-17. If Pearson updates a handbook, we re-cite the newer edition and note the change. Report any drift from the current handbook to hello@ptemocks.com and we will correct it.
Rules memorised. Now train for the test itself.
Take a full-length AI-scored mock in exam conditions so test-day pacing, unwrapped lozenges and the no-break format all feel routine.