PTE Core word counts: Summarize Written Text and Write Email?
Summarize Written Text: 25–50 words (and unlike PTE Academic, it does NOT have to be one sentence). Write Email: 80–120 words (the live test instructs 80–120; 50–120 still earns full "form" credit). PTE Core has no essay.
PTE Core Writing is two tasks. Summarize Written Text: read a passage and summarise it in 25–50 words (10 minutes) — and a key difference from PTE Academic, it does not need to be a single sentence. Write Email: respond to a situation, addressing every bullet with a greeting and sign-off, in 80–120 words (9 minutes).
Word count is not just guidance on PTE — it's a scored "form" component. Fall outside the range and the form score drops; fall far outside and it can go to zero, which drags the whole task down regardless of how good your English is. For Write Email the live test states 80–120, though anything from 50–120 still earns full form credit — but don't risk it: aim for 90–110.
Don't confuse this with PTE Academic, where Summarize Written Text must be one sentence of 5–75 words and there's a separate 200–300 word essay. PTE Core — the version Canada accepts for PR — has neither.
Pearson PTE Core task specs + our 2026 format audit; verified July 2026.