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PTE Write Essay: format, scoring and tips

You get a prompt on a general topic, often asking whether you agree, what the advantages and disadvantages are, or how to solve a problem. You write an argumentative essay of 200–300 words. A clear position and a tidy structure do most of the work.

Practise Write Essay free

Timing at a glance

TimeAbout 20 minutes
Length200–300 words

Timings are approximate and can vary slightly from question to question.

How it's scored

Scored onContentFormDevelopmentGrammarLinguistic rangeVocabularySpelling

Content checks that you answer the prompt directly with relevant ideas. Form checks the word count. Development looks at structure and how logically your ideas connect. Grammar, Linguistic range, Vocabulary and Spelling check the quality of your language. An essay well outside the word range loses marks however good it is.

Worked example

A practice prompt we wrote

"Some people believe university education should be free for everyone. To what extent do you agree or disagree?"

A strong approach

Plan (2 minutes): Position: agree, with limits. Body 1: free study widens access and benefits society. Body 2: costs must be covered, so focus funding on high-need fields and students. Conclusion. Sample opening: "Whether university should be free is a question of both fairness and cost. While I agree that tuition should not stop capable students from studying, I believe free education works best when it is targeted rather than universal."

Four paragraphs: introduction with your position, two body paragraphs with one main idea each, and a short conclusion.

Common mistakes

  • Never stating a clear position on the prompt.
  • Writing one long block of text with no paragraphs.
  • Going far under 200 or over 300 words.
  • Memorised template sentences that don't connect to the topic.
  • No time left to check spelling.

Tips

  • Spend the first two minutes planning: position, two main ideas, one example each.
  • Put your position in the first paragraph and repeat it in the conclusion.
  • Start each body paragraph with a clear topic sentence.
  • Use linking words (however, therefore, for example) to show how ideas connect.
  • Leave three minutes to check spelling, grammar and the word count.

Write Essay FAQ

Between 200 and 300 words. Aim for around 250 to stay safely inside the range.

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