Read and listen to the situation below. You have 10 seconds to prepare (20 in PTE Core), then 40 seconds to say what you would say. Answer as fully as you can.
You applied for a graduate scheme, but the recruiter scheduled your online interview on Thursday afternoon during a compulsory chemistry lab session. You need to contact the hiring manager to explain the clash and request an alternative slot on Friday morning. What would you say to the hiring manager?
Your recording stays in this browser: it is not uploaded or stored.
Read and listen to the situation below. You have 10 seconds to prepare (20 in PTE Core), then 40 seconds to say what you would say. Answer as fully as you can.
Read them here; log in to answer and check them.
You have an interview for a summer internship next week and feel nervous about the technical questions. You want to ask your university tutor for twenty minutes of mock interview practice on Tuesday. What would you say to your tutor?
You have an unexpected in-person interview tomorrow morning for a part-time retail role, but your formal blazer is currently at the dry cleaner. You want to ask your flatmate to borrow their navy jacket for the day. What would you say to your flatmate?
An engineering firm has invited you to a second-round interview next Monday. However, you accepted a formal job offer from another company yesterday. You need to call the recruitment coordinator to decline the interview politely and withdraw your application. What would you say to the coordinator?
Your friend has a final-round job interview across town tomorrow at nine in the morning. They plan to take a bus that arrives only five minutes before the start, despite regular morning traffic delays. You want to advise them to take an earlier train. What would you say to your friend?
Want to answer the other 4?
Log in to practise Respond to a Situation in the BandLadder app: the full question bank, with an AI score from BandLadder AI for content, pronunciation and oral fluency on a free account.
Ready for the whole test?
Take a full PTE mock with every question type, the real timings and a score on Pearson's 10–90 scale the moment you finish.
Try a free PTE mock →Keep practising
Practise every PTE question type
Free account · no card
© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy