In this post, we’ll cover the latest changes in the Describe Image (DI) and Re-tell Lecture (RL) sections of the PTE, part of the November 2024 update. This change focuses on how Pearson now tracks and evaluates pre-prepared templates. If you’re familiar with Pearson’s scoring guide, you know this tracking isn’t entirely new. Since the June 2023 update, Pearson began monitoring for template usage, but now there are additional steps to ensure accurate scoring.
Why Templates are Being Tracked
If you’ve taken the PTE in the past few months and used a pre-prepared template, you may have noticed a significantly lower score in the “Extended Speaking” section of your PTE skills profile. This reflects the system’s detection of repetitive or overly structured responses.
To put it simply, Pearson’s system now works similarly to plagiarism detection. The AI can identify when a response matches common, widely used templates in its extensive database. A minor overlap—say 10% to 20%—won’t affect your score. However, if there’s a high match rate, such as 80% to 90%, Pearson flags your response and awards zero for content. Because content is a crucial part of your total score, a zero in content will mean a zero for the entire response.
What’s New in the November 2024 Update?
With the latest update, Pearson has added a human verification step when a high match is detected. Here’s how it works:
- Initial AI Detection: Pearson’s AI scans your response, checking for similarity with known pre-prepared templates.
- Human Verification: If the AI flags a response as highly templated, it’s sent to a human expert for review.
- Final Decision: The expert verifies whether the response is indeed pre-prepared. If they confirm that it is, the response scores zero. If not, you’ll be scored as usual on content, pronunciation, and fluency.
How to Avoid Being Flagged for Template Use
To avoid any issues, our best advice is to skip fully pre-prepared templates and instead use your own unique or “hybrid” templates. Small modifications can make a big difference. If there is no significant overlap with known templates, your score will remain unaffected, and you’ll receive full marks for your content and speaking skills.
If you’d like to dive deeper into Pearson’s scoring system or learn how to build effective, original responses, consider joining our free 2-hour introductory session! Here, we’ll guide you on scoring insights and the best ways to personalize your PTE preparation.
