PTE Summarize Written Text:
Why 60–70 Words Is Costing You Marks
Summarize Written Text does not just score your writing. It feeds your Reading score too. Writing too many words is probably costing you both.
Keep your Summarize Written Text sentence between 35 and 45 words. Not 60 to 70. Summarize Written Text gives you writing points and reading points, so a mistake here costs you twice. Writing a very long sentence increases your chance of making an error, and that is likely why so many students are not getting their points.
If you are writing 60 to 70 words for one sentence, stop. I want to show you why, and I want to prove it with real reading scores, not just an opinion.
Watch the video, or keep reading for the full breakdown and the score reports.
Mechanism — 01SWT Feeds Your Reading Score
Summarize Written Text does not only score your writing. It also gives you reading points.
This matters more than most students realise. It means you can affect your Reading score without answering a single Reading question, as long as your Summarize Written Text sentence is strong.
Proof — 02I Got 31 in Reading Without Answering a Reading Question
Whenever I share my scores, you have probably noticed I never show Reading or Listening. That is deliberate. I am testing specifically to see how Reading is affected by Summarize Written Text, and how Listening is affected by Speaking and Writing tasks. Mixing in real answers to those sections would make the test meaningless.
On my most recent attempt, I did not answer a single Reading question. My Reading score came back 31. All of it came from Summarize Written Text.
September 2026. Reading 31, with zero Reading questions answered. Listening and Speaking are blurred.
Word Count — 03The Sentence-Length Problem
I ask my students this question directly: in your own language, is it normal to write 60 to 70 words in one sentence?
Every time, the answer is no. Nobody thinks that is normal in their own language. So why would it suddenly be fine in English?
The longer the sentence, the more chances you have to make a mistake. Writing 60 to 70 words for a single sentence makes an error far more likely, and that is probably why so many people are not getting their Summarize Written Text points.
words in one sentence. More room for a mistake, and no native-language habit that supports it.
words. Enough to cover the passage properly, short enough to control.
Evidence — 04Eight Months of Reading Scores
I do not just claim 35 to 45 words works. I have checked it every month.
My Reading score is not always exactly the same number, but it stays in a consistent range, usually around 29 to 32.
The real score reports behind these numbers, February to September 2026.
August was tested by my colleague, using the same word count approach, with the same result.
The Ask — 05Show Me the Same Consistency at 60–70 Words
I have just shown you eight months of consistent results writing 35 to 45 words. Have you seen anyone demonstrate that same consistency writing 60 to 70 words?
I have not. So why do more when you can do less?
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Summarize Written Text gives you both writing points and reading points. A mistake in this task can cost you marks in both places at once.
Between 35 and 45 words. Writing 60 to 70 words increases your chance of making a mistake, which is likely why many students lose points here.
I check my Reading score every month without answering any Reading questions. Across eight months it has stayed in a consistent range, roughly 29 to 32, which confirms the Summarize Written Text technique is working.
Because I am specifically testing how Summarize Written Text affects the Reading score on its own. Answering Reading questions as well would make it impossible to isolate the effect.
Every Technique, Tested the Same Way
Every technique taught in our program is tested against the real PTE exam under the current scoring system.
Join the Program
