PTE Write Essay hot questions, October 2026
38 Write Essay questions that students reported from recent PTE tests, in 8 topics, each with a short plan.
By Thanh Tran, PTE and IELTS coach
Updated
All 38 questions
In 8 topics, numbered as in the PDF. The PDF has every question in full, with a short plan for each one.
Media and technology
- Q1Effects of the information revolutionAgree or disagree
- Q2Mass MediaAgree or disagree
- Q3Is longer life expectancy a blessingAgree or disagree
- Q4InventionsA direct question
- Q5Is television a companion for the lonelyAgree or disagree
- Q6Is lost privacy the price of fameAgree or disagree
School and university
- Q7Studying TheaterAdvantages and disadvantages
- Q8Formal Written ExaminationAgree or disagree
- Q9Experiential LearningDiscuss both views
- Q10Mark DeductionA direct question
- Q11Are libraries obsolete in the digital ageAdvantages and disadvantages
- Q12Effective StudyAgree or disagree
Languages, travel and life experience
- Q13Foreign LanguagesAgree or disagree
- Q14Life ExperienceAgree or disagree
- Q15Compulsory LearningAgree or disagree
- Q16Travel for EducationAgree or disagree
- Q17Studying AbroadAgree or disagree
Work and life balance
- Q18Right BalanceA direct question
- Q19Personal Life (the problems)Causes and solutions
- Q20Fewer Work HoursAgree or disagree
- Q21Short WeeksAdvantages and disadvantages
- Q22Personal Life (the solutions)Causes and solutions
Business and money
- Q23Tourism in less developed countriesAdvantages and disadvantages
- Q24Shopping MallsAgree or disagree
- Q25Should employees join company decisionsAdvantages and disadvantages
- Q26Brand reputation or short-term discountsA direct question
- Q27Wage CapAgree or disagree
Law, family and society
- Q28Can laws limit human behaviourDiscuss both views
- Q29Harder LifeAgree or disagree
- Q30Legal ResponsibilityA direct question
- Q31Age LimitA direct question
Cities, buildings and transport
- Q32Transportation NetworksAgree or disagree
- Q33Building EffectsAgree or disagree
- Q34Old or Modern BuildingsAdvantages and disadvantages
- Q35City or CountrysideA direct question
Climate and global problems
- Q36Global IssueA direct question
- Q37Facing IssuesCauses and solutions
- Q38Studying Climate ChangeA direct question
Five question types
Every question is one of five types. The type tells you what goes in your two body paragraphs.
Agree or disagree
Body paragraphs: reason 1, reason 2A direct question
Body paragraphs: reason 1, reason 2Discuss both views
Body paragraphs: view 1, view 2Advantages and disadvantages
Body paragraphs: advantages, disadvantagesCauses and solutions
Body paragraphs: cause, solution
A plan from each topic
Your answer in one line, then a point and an example for each body paragraph. Plan the question yourself for 3 minutes before you read ours.
Q1. Effects of the information revolution Agree or disagreeThe information revolution brought about by modern mass communications has both positive and negative consequences for individuals and society. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Give the reason with your own experience.
- Your answer
- Agree. It has a good side and a bad side, but the good side is bigger.
- Good side
- Information is open to everyone.Online courses from top universities. Banking by phone.
- Bad side
- False news spreads, and people meet less.False health advice on social media during COVID-19.
Q7. Studying Theater Advantages and disadvantagesWhat are the problems and the benefits for high school students of studying plays and other works for theatre that were written centuries ago? Use your own experience to discuss it.
- Your answer
- The benefits are greater than the problems.
- Problems
- The old language is hard, and it takes time from exams.Shakespeare's English.
- Benefits
- The stories are still true today, and acting builds confidence.Love and power in Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.
Q13. Foreign Languages Agree or disagreeWhile artificial intelligence becomes so advanced, people can use computers to translate foreign languages. That makes learning a foreign language unnecessary. To what extent do you agree with it?
- Your answer
- Disagree. Translation tools help, but we still need to learn languages.
- Reason 1
- Tools miss tone, humour and culture.A polite request can come out rude.
- Reason 2
- Languages build friendships and careers.You can't do a job interview through your phone.
Q18. Right Balance A direct questionNowadays, it is increasingly more difficult to maintain the right balance between work and the other aspects of one's life, such as leisure pursuits with family members. How important do you think this balance is and what are the reasons why some people think that this is hard to achieve?
- Your answer
- Very important, but hard to achieve.
- Why it matters
- Our health and our families.Working 55 hours or more a week raises the risk of heart disease.
- Why it is hard
- High costs, and work emails at home.France's 2017 law lets workers ignore emails after hours.
Q23. Tourism in less developed countries Advantages and disadvantagesFor a less developed country, the disadvantages of tourism are as great as the advantages. Please discuss this statement, and explain your opinion.
- Your answer
- The two sides are not equal. Managed well, tourism does more good than harm.
- Advantages
- Jobs and foreign money.Visitors to Everest in Nepal and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
- Disadvantages
- Damage to nature and culture.Rubbish on the Everest trails. Bhutan charges visitors a daily fee.
Q28. Can laws limit human behaviour Discuss both viewsSome people think human behavior can be changed by laws, while others think laws have little effect. What is your opinion?
- Your answer
- Both views make sense, but laws can change behaviour.
- View 1
- Laws work.Seatbelt laws in Australia since 1970. Ireland's ban on smoking in pubs in 2004.
- View 2
- Laws have little effect.People still speed and download films illegally.
Q32. Transportation Networks Agree or disagreeWith cities expanding, governments should look forward to creating better networks of public transport available for everyone rather than building more roads for vehicle owning population. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- Your answer
- Agree. Public transport should come first.
- Reason 1
- It moves more people, with less space and pollution.Singapore's MRT train network.
- Reason 2
- More roads bring more cars.Houston widened a freeway to 26 lanes, and journeys got longer.
Q36. Global Issue A direct questionClimate change is a concerning global issue. Who has the main responsibility to take action to solve this problem, governments, large companies, or individuals?
- Your answer
- Governments, but companies and people must act too.
- Reason 1
- Only governments can make laws and pay for big changes.The Paris Agreement in 2015.
- Reason 2
- Companies cause most pollution, and buyers can push them.100 companies are linked to 71% of industrial emissions since 1988.
常见问题
Where do these questions come from?
Students who take PTE report the Write Essay questions they get. These 38 were the ones reported most in the month before 3 October 2026.
Will I get one of these questions in my test?
Nobody can promise that. Pearson has a large pool of questions, and this list shows the ones students saw most often in recent tests. The plans also work for other questions on the same topics.
What is in the PDF?
How to plan in 3 minutes, the five question types, a model essay, useful phrases for each topic, and a short plan for all 38 questions. The second file has the questions alone, so you can plan each one yourself before you read our plan.
How long should a PTE essay be?
Between 200 and 300 words. Aim for 250 to 280. An essay under 120 or over 380 words scores 0 for form, and then the whole essay scores 0.
How often is the list updated?
Every month. This page always has the latest list, and the month is in its title.
Is the PDF free?
Yes. Enter your email and it downloads at once. Your email also opens a free Leap Exam account, where you can practise with real exam questions and get a score for your answers. Every free PDF on this site is open to that account.
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