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PTE Answer Short Question Template: one to three word responses that always score

Answer Short Question (ASQ) plays a 3 to 9 second question exactly once, then opens the microphone for a 10 second answer. There are 5 to 6 items per PTE Academic test, all scored on a simple correct/incorrect basis: 1 point for a right answer, 0 for anything else. Since 7 August 2025 ASQ is Listening-only (no longer feeds into Speaking). The framework below is a question-type recognition routine that turns every ASQ into a one-word, two-word or three-word noun response.

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Quick answer

The Answer Short Question template is a 2-step routine: identify the question type (definition, category, opposite, tool, action or agent) from the first 2 seconds of audio, then respond with the one most direct noun or verb that answers it. Aim for 1 to 3 words maximum, delivered within 2 seconds of the microphone opening. Full sentences, hedging or explanations do not earn any extra points and can eat into your 10 second window.

Read this first

ASQ is scored correct or incorrect. There is no partial credit. A perfect three-word answer earns exactly the same 1 point as a one-word answer, so keep it short. There is also no template to memorise: every question is different, and the target vocabulary depends on the question. What you can standardise is the recognition routine below.

The framework

How the framework works

Read the sections in order. Each one is a step of the framework, with adaptable sentence starters you fill from the actual prompt.

The 6 question types and how to recognise each

1. DEFINITION. 'What is the name of the animal that has a long trunk?' Recognise: 'What is the name of...'. Response: single noun ('elephant'). 2. CATEGORY. 'What do we call the study of stars and planets?' Recognise: 'What do we call...'. Response: single noun ('astronomy'). 3. OPPOSITE / SYNONYM. 'What is the opposite of expensive?' Recognise: 'the opposite of...' or 'similar in meaning to...'. Response: single adjective ('cheap' or 'inexpensive'). 4. TOOL / FUNCTION. 'What instrument do doctors use to listen to a patient's heartbeat?' Recognise: 'What instrument / tool / device...'. Response: single noun ('stethoscope'). 5. ACTION / ACTIVITY. 'What do you do when you feel thirsty?' Recognise: 'What do you do when...'. Response: single verb or verb phrase ('drink water'). 6. AGENT / ROLE. 'Who treats sick animals?' Recognise: 'Who...'. Response: single noun ('vet' or 'veterinarian'). Recognising the type in the first 2 seconds of audio tells you the shape of the answer even before the question finishes.

The 2-step routine (per item)

1. RECOGNISE the question type from the opening words ('What is', 'What do we call', 'What instrument', 'Who', 'When', 'Where', 'Which'). This tells you whether the answer is a noun, verb, adjective, person, time or place. 2. RESPOND with the single most direct word. If you know it, say it in the first 2 seconds of the microphone opening. If you are unsure between two answers, say the more specific one (say 'stethoscope' not 'medical instrument').

Response length: one word is usually enough

Aim for 1 to 3 words maximum. A single noun or verb almost always scores 1 point if it is correct. Longer responses do not earn extra credit and increase your chance of accidentally including a wrong word. Acceptable formats: - Single noun: 'elephant', 'astronomy', 'stethoscope' - Compound noun: 'blood pressure', 'orange juice', 'polar bear' - Article + noun: 'an elephant', 'a stethoscope' (both fine; article is optional) - Short verb phrase: 'drink water', 'take a photograph' Avoid full sentences: 'The animal with a long trunk is called an elephant' wastes 8 seconds of your 10 second window and adds no marks.

What Pearson scores on ASQ

ASQ is scored correct/incorrect per the July 2025 Score Guide: 1 point if your answer matches the target, 0 if it does not. There are 5 to 6 ASQ items per PTE Academic test, and each item contributes to your Listening score (ASQ decoupled from Speaking on 7 August 2025). Acceptable variants of the same target are usually accepted (for example both 'vet' and 'veterinarian' for 'Who treats sick animals?'). Regional spelling variants of the target noun (colour/color, tyre/tire) are also accepted. Do not rely on this: aim for the most standard, common-sense form of the word.

The most common ASQ mistakes

- Answering in a full sentence. Wastes the 10 second window and often introduces a wrong word that shifts scoring. - Hedging. 'I think it is maybe an elephant' contains 5 extra words and no extra marks. Say 'elephant' and stop. - Guessing when you did not hear the question. A guess has the same probability of being wrong as of being right; silence scores 0 and a wrong answer scores 0, so a guess is not worse than silence. Try, and move on. - Answering with a description instead of a name. 'A long-nosed grey animal' does not earn credit for 'elephant'. Recall the specific name if you know it. - Speaking too softly. If the AI cannot transcribe your one-word answer, it scores 0 regardless of correctness. Match the mic-check volume.

How to prepare for ASQ vocabulary

ASQ tests general-knowledge vocabulary across everyday domains: animals, tools, professions, natural phenomena, food, clothing, geography, time, measurement, colours, transport, weather. Useful drills: - Build a mental map of 50 common tools + their functions (stethoscope for heartbeat, thermometer for temperature, compass for direction). - Build a mental map of 50 professions + their functions (dentist for teeth, plumber for pipes, electrician for wiring). - Build a mental map of 30 common opposites and 30 common synonyms. The vocabulary is not academic. It is everyday English at roughly IELTS 5.5 to 6.5 level. If you know the word for it, you will score. If you do not, no strategy fixes that: build vocabulary first.

Worked examples

The framework applied

Same framework, different prompts. Each answer is filled with real content, not a memorised script.

Example 1You hear the audio once, the microphone opens after a 1 second gap, and you have 10 seconds to answer.

Audio (5 seconds): 'What is the name of the frozen water that falls from clouds in cold weather?'

Framework-filled answer

Snow.

Why this scores: Question type: definition (recognised from 'What is the name of'). Response: single noun. 'Snow' matches the target directly. A wordier answer ('It is called snow') would still score, but 'snow' is safer because it introduces no extra words that could be mis-transcribed.

Example 2You hear the audio once, the microphone opens after a 1 second gap, and you have 10 seconds to answer.

Audio (6 seconds): 'What do we call a person who cannot see?'

Framework-filled answer

Blind.

Why this scores: Question type: category (recognised from 'What do we call'). Response: single adjective. 'Blind' or 'a blind person' both score. Avoid the temptation to soften with 'visually impaired' unless you know the target accepts it; the safest match to the question phrasing is the most direct word.

Example 3You hear the audio once, the microphone opens after a 1 second gap, and you have 10 seconds to answer.

Audio (7 seconds): 'What instrument does a person use to measure the temperature of the human body?'

Framework-filled answer

Thermometer.

Why this scores: Question type: tool (recognised from 'What instrument'). Response: single noun. 'A thermometer' also scores. If you had said 'a temperature meter' or 'a heat gauge' the answer would be scored incorrect: the target word is 'thermometer', and near-synonyms are not always accepted on ASQ.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best PTE Answer Short Question strategy?

Recognise the question type from the opening 2 seconds of audio (definition, category, opposite, tool, action or agent), then respond with the single most direct noun, verb or adjective that answers it. Aim for 1 to 3 words. Longer answers do not earn extra marks and can introduce wrong words.

How many Answer Short Question items are on the PTE Academic test?

5 to 6 items per test per Pearson's July 2025 Score Guide. ASQ appears in Part 1 (Speaking and Writing) but since 7 August 2025 it contributes only to your Listening score, not Speaking. This is one of the four cross-skill decouplings Pearson made in the August 2025 format update.

Should I answer ASQ in a full sentence?

No. Full sentences waste your 10 second window and increase the risk of inserting a wrong word. One to three words is the target. 'Elephant' scores exactly the same 1 point as 'The animal with a long trunk is an elephant', but the shorter response is faster and safer.

How is Answer Short Question scored?

Correct or incorrect. 1 point for a right answer, 0 for anything else. There is no partial credit and no negative marking. Acceptable synonyms and regional spelling variants of the target are usually accepted, but do not rely on obscure paraphrases; give the most common-sense direct word.

Should I guess if I did not hear the ASQ question clearly?

Yes. Silence scores 0 and a wrong guess scores 0, so guessing costs no more than silence. If you caught even the last two words of the question, offer a plausible answer and move on. A best-effort guess sometimes hits the target when a silence never can.

Is there a tone before I speak on ASQ?

No. Answer Short Question has no tone, exactly like Repeat Sentence. The microphone simply opens and the recording status changes to 'Recording'. Start speaking within 2 seconds of the microphone opening. A silence of more than 3 seconds can auto-stop the recording.

How do I prepare vocabulary for ASQ?

Build mental maps of everyday domains: common tools plus what they do, professions plus what they do, animals plus their features, natural phenomena, food, clothing, transport, weather. ASQ vocabulary is not academic; it is general-knowledge English at roughly IELTS 5.5 to 6.5 level. If you know the everyday word for it, you score.