PTE Re-tell Lecture — tips, template & practice

• Content (max 5): mentions at least 3 keywords from the lecture. Full marks need the main idea + supporting points.
• Oral Fluency (max 5): smooth delivery, no long pauses.
• Pronunciation (max 5): clear, native-like sounds.

Re-tell Lecture content scoring is generous — you don't need to remember everything, just enough keywords to prove you heard the main idea.

Re-tell Lecture template (40 seconds):

1. Opener (5s): "The lecturer discussed [main topic], focusing on [one sub-point]." 2. First point (10s): "They began by explaining [keyword 1] and mentioned [supporting detail]." 3. Second point (10s): "Additionally, they spoke about [keyword 2], highlighting [supporting detail]." 4. Third point (10s): "They also referred to [keyword 3] in the context of [supporting detail]." 5. Closer (5s): "In conclusion, the lecturer emphasised the importance of [main idea recap]."

During the audio, write only KEYWORDS — not full sentences. Aim for 5–8 keywords in your notes.

• Take notes in keywords, not sentences. Sentences slow you down and you'll miss the next point.
• Focus on nouns and verbs — they carry the meaning. Skip adjectives and adverbs.
• If you mishear a word, write a phonetic guess and move on.
• Start your re-tell at the 'begin recording' beep — don't wait to organise notes.
• Use 'the lecturer / the speaker / they' — never 'I' or 'we'.
• Hit 3+ keywords from your notes. That's the content score threshold.

• Writing full sentences in notes — costs you 10+ seconds of listening time.
• Trying to remember the entire lecture — focus on 5–8 keywords max.
• Pausing to re-read notes mid-recording — disfluency penalty.
• Speaking in first person ('I think the lecture said…') — drops the formal register.
• Stopping early because you 'ran out of points' — generate filler from your template instead.