The increasing popularity and global acceptance of the PTE exam is driving more students to choose it. This exam is easy to clear, but some of the question types need extra attention, such as PTE Answer Short Question. Besides practicing this task on an online PTE mock test, you also need to know other tactics.
Extra practice is essential to excel in this question as it involves learning numerous words. To help you with that, here are some key tips to score high effortlessly. And to simplify it, we’ve compiled a list of 50+ PTE Answer Short Questions that you should know.
Practice with 30,000+ questions to score high in PTE
Answer Short Question PTE Task:
In PTE Answer Short Questions, you must respond with just one or a few words. The audio plays automatically, and you might see an image. The microphone turns on as soon as the audio ends, and the speaker starts speaking right away because there’s no beep sound. Make sure to communicate clearly and finish before the progress bar runs out. You can’t replay the audio or re-record your answer.
| Prompt Length | Skills Assessed | No. Questions | Traits Scored |
| 3-9 Second | Listening(PTE Academic), Listening & Speaking (PTE Core) | 5-6 | Vocabulary |
60 + PTE Answer Short Questions With Practice Tips List
Question 1: Which country is both a continent and a country?
Answer: Australia
Question 2: What is the term for a large body of water surrounded by land?
Answer: Lake
Question 3: Which country has the most islands in the world?
Answer: Sweden
Question 4: Which continent is known as the ‘Dark Continent’?
Answer: Africa
Question 5: What term refers to a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god?
Answer: Theocracy
Question 6: What do we call the political ideology that seeks to create an egalitarian society free from class distinctions?
Answer: Communism
Question 7: What is the name of the policy aimed at equalizing the distribution of wealth and opportunity?
Answer: Socialism
Question 8: What do we call a formal agreement or treaty between two or more states?
Answer: Alliance
Question 9: What is the term for when a country withdraws from a larger political entity?
Answer: Secession
Question 10: What do we call the right of a state to govern itself without outside interference?
Answer: Sovereignty
Question 11: What is the name of the international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace and cooperation?
Answer: The United Nations
Question 12: What do we call the fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state is governed?
Answer: Constitution
Question 13: What do we call the policy of extending a country’s power through diplomacy or military force?
Answer: Imperialism
Question 14: What do we call the process of removing a public official from office?
Answer: Impeachment
Question 15: What type of government is ruled by representatives of the citizen body?
Answer: Republic
Question 16: What do we call the leader of a municipal government?
Answer: Mayor
Question 17: What was the main economic system in medieval Europe?
Answer: Feudalism
Question 18: Who was the Greek god of war?
Answer: Ares
Question 19: Who was the ancient Greek philosopher known for his method of questioning?
Answer: Socrates
Question 20: What was the famous trade route between China and the Mediterranean called?
Answer: The Silk Road
Question 21: Which ancient civilization is known for creating the Olympic Games?
Answer: Greek
Question 22: Which country was divided into East and West during the Cold War?
Answer: Germany
Question 23: What was the dominant language of the Roman Empire?
Answer: Latin
Question 24: What global conflict was fought from 1914 to 1918?
Answer: World War One
Question 25: In which city was the first atomic bomb dropped in 1945?
Answer: Hiroshima
Question 26: Which war was fought between the North and the South regions in the United States?
Answer: The Civil War
Question 27: Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
Answer: France
Question 28: What historical period came after the Middle Ages in Europe?
Answer: Renaissance
Question 29: What do we call the movement of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas)?
Answer: Convection
Question 30: What do we call the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system?
Answer: Temperature
Question 31: What is the term for the amount of space an object occupies?
Answer: Volume
Question 32: What is the term for the rate of doing work or the rate of using energy?
Answer: Power
Question 33: What do we call the tendency of a fluid to resist flow?
Answer: Viscosity
Question 34: What is the term for an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure?
Answer: Barometer
Question 35: What is the term for the temperature at which a liquid boils and turns to vapor?
Answer: Boiling point
Question 36: What do we call the phenomenon where light or other radiation is absorbed and re-radiated at a longer wavelength?
Answer: Fluorescence
Question 37: What is the term for materials that allow some light to pass through them but not all?
Answer: Translucent
Question 38: What do we call the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another?
Answer: Refraction
Question 39: What is the term for the number of waves that pass a point in one second?
Answer: Frequency
Question 40: What is the term for the force that resists the motion of an object through a fluid?
Answer: Drag
Question 41: What do we call the path that an object follows as it moves around another object in space?
Answer: Orbit
Question 42: What is the term for a push or pull that can change the motion of an object?
Answer: Force
Question 43: What is the term for the amount of matter in an object?
Answer: Mass
Question 44: What is the term for the change of a substance from a solid directly to a gas?
Answer: Sublimation
Question 45: What is the term for a material that does not allow electricity to flow through it easily?
Answer: Insulator
Question 46: What do we call the energy stored in an object due to its position?
Answer: Potential energy
Question 47: What is the term for the energy possessed by an object due to its motion?
Answer: Kinetic energy
Question 48: What do we call the force that opposes the relative motion of two surfaces in contact?
Answer: Friction
Question 49: What is the term for a material that allows electricity to flow through it easily?
Answer: Conductor
Question 50: What do we call the smallest particle of an element that retains its identity in a chemical reaction?
Answer: Atom
Question 51: What do we call the mammal known for carrying its babies in a pouch?
Answer: Marsupial
Question 52: What is the name of the animal known for its eight arms and ink-squirting defense?
Answer: Octopus
Question 53: What do we call the longest phase in the life cycle of a cell?
Answer: Interphase
Question 54: What do you use in a non-verbal communication with expressions to convey a message effectively?
Answer: Body language | sign language
Question 55: What do we call the structure in bird’s throats that helps them produce sounds?
Answer: Syrinx
Question 56: What do we call animals without a backbone?
Answer: Invertebrates
Question 57: What do we call the study of insects?
Answer: Entomology
Question 58: What do we call the slowest mammal in the world?
Answer: Sloth
Question 59: What do we call animals that can live both in water and on land?
Answer: Amphibians | Amphibian
Question 60: What is the term for a mammal’s winter sleep?
Answer: Hibernation
Question 61: What is the term for a large, naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat?
Answer: Ecosystem
Question 62: What do we call the component of a camera that should be developed in darkness?
Answer: Negative | film
Question 63: What is the opposite of negative?
Answer: Positive
Question 64: If you want to send money overseas, what will you do?
Answer: Wire transfer.
Question 65: What is the top floor of a building?
Answer: Penthouse.
Question 66: What do we call the clothes that need washing?
Answer: Laundry
PTE Answer Short Questions Tips and Tricks to Score High
Listen Carefully
This section is entirely based on your listening skills. You only get one chance to hear the question, so full concentration is key.
Focus on keywords in the question. For example:
- What do we call a person who flies an airplane?
- The keywords here are “flies” and “airplane.”
- The correct answer is “Pilot.”
- To improve listening, practice with PTE mock tests or listen to news, podcasts, and audiobooks.
Think Quickly
- You only have 3 seconds to respond after the question finishes.
- Don’t waste time forming long answers—just say the correct word or phrase.
- If you hesitate, the AI might not register your response properly.
Keep It Short and Simple
The ideal answer is one or two words. Avoid full sentences.
Example:
- ❌ Incorrect: A person who writes books is called an author.
- ✅ Correct: Author
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Use general Knowledge
These questions are not tricky—they are based on general knowledge and everyday life. You can also take a PTE practice test to enhance your general knowledge.
Some examples:
- What do bees produce? → Honey
- What is the capital of France? → Paris
- What do we call a baby dog? → Puppy
Recognize Synonyms & Paraphrasing
- Sometimes, the question might be phrased differently, but the meaning stays the same.
o Example: What do we call a doctor who specializes in teeth?
- Instead of “a doctor for teeth,” the phrase “specializes in teeth” is used.
- Answer: Dentist
- Improve your vocabulary by reading books, newspapers, and practicing with question banks.
Do Question-wise Practice:
There is no set template for PTE short answer questions, so it is advised to do more and more practice. You can practice question-wise on Gurully for free. This will help you get familiar with the format and know what types of questions occur in the exam.
Speak Clearly
PTE uses AI to recognize your voice, so pronunciation matters.
Avoid ❌:
- Speaking too fast
- Speaking too softly
- Using incorrect pronunciation
Improve Your Vocabulary:
Familiarize yourself with common categories like:

Try to learn these words and their meanings so that you can use them when attempting the PTE Answer Short Question.
Practicing PTE to answer short questions will help you in scoring high. Gurully provides you with a full-length PTE mock test to practice. With realistic exam simulation, you can prepare for an actual exam-like environment. Along with that, you can also practice on section-wise tests and do free question-wise practice.
Conclusion:
Mastering the PTE Answer Short Question section requires strong listening skills, quick thinking, and a solid vocabulary. You can improve your accuracy and confidence by practicing frequently and familiarizing yourself with commonly asked questions. Gurully provides a full-length PTE free mock test, section-wise tests, and free question-wise practice to help you prepare effectively in a real exam-like environment.
FAQ:
What is Answer Short Question in PTE?
How many Answer Short Questions are in PTE?
How is Answer Short Question scored?
Can I say more than one word in Answer Short Question?
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