Answer Short Question usually needs one word or a few words. Give the smallest answer that is accurate and complete. A long explanation adds no extra credit and creates more chances to drift away from the question.
Current task rules
The task appears in Academic and Core. Pearson’s current Core page states that the audio question lasts 3 to 9 seconds and you have 10 seconds to answer. Core labels the assessed skills listening and speaking. Pearson’s current Academic format page presents Answer Short Question in Speaking and Writing; this guide does not infer a separate skill-score contribution beyond what the linked public page states. A response is judged correct or incorrect. Pearson PTE Core Speaking & Writing format Pearson Academic Speaking & Writing format
What a complete short answer looks like
If asked, “What instrument measures temperature?”, answer “a thermometer”. Both the noun and a short noun phrase are natural. Do not say, “I think the answer could possibly be a thermometer because it measures temperature.”
Listen for the question word:
- who: person or role
- where: place
- when: time or period
- what: thing, action or concept
- how many: number
- which: choice from a stated set
Ten original practice questions
- What do we call water in its solid form? Ice.
- Which professional designs buildings? An architect.
- What device is used to look at very small objects? A microscope.
- Which direction is opposite to east? West.
- What is the first month of the year? January.
- What do bees collect from flowers to make honey? Nectar.
- Which organ pumps blood around the body? The heart.
- What is a person who writes novels called? A novelist.
- How many sides does a hexagon have? Six.
- Where would you normally borrow a book? A library.
Alternative wording can be valid when it carries the same precise answer, such as “at a library” for question 10. Do not replace a specific term with a vague category. “A professional” is too broad for the architect question; “a scientist” names the wrong profession.
Improve the errors you actually make
If you know the answer but hesitate, practise rapid retrieval by category. If you mishear the question, repeat drills with question words and stressed content words. If pronunciation makes a known answer unclear, practise that word in a short phrase, then return to the one-word answer.
Answer promptly after the microphone opens. Guessing with several competing nouns is not a useful strategy because the response needs to be appropriate and accurate.
The answer form must match the question. For example, “What instrument measures atmospheric pressure?” needs the instrument “a barometer”; “Atmospheric pressure is measured” never supplies it. Use a short determiner when natural, but do not build a speech around a one-term answer.
Use these questions as an oral set, then browse Answer Short Question practice. For sentence-memory work rather than factual recall, use PTE Repeat Sentence Tips.
