PTE RTS Guide 2026: State Your Position First & Add 2 Key Points to Master the 40 Seconds - 优秀PTE博客

I have been scouring the internet again for new PTE materials these past couple of days, and I also took a look at Pearson's updated task instructions. As I've looked closer at the RTS task, I've realized the most annoying part isn't having trouble speaking English—it's that you have something to say, but the moment you open your mouth, it feels like you're going in circles.

Many students struggle with this task in this way:

The first 10 seconds of prep time leaves your mind blank.
You try to cover all causes and effects as soon as you start.
You realize you haven't reached the main point halfway through.
40 seconds run out, and you can only force some uncomfortable sentences to finish.

It feels a lot like you were just trying to text a classmate to remind them about something, but after speaking, you feel like you just gave a speech for the class meeting. The atmosphere is awkward, and your score is usually nothing to brag about.

So, I don't want to write another huge, general introduction to RTS in this article. I just want to explain one narrower, yet lifesaving method: State your attitude first, then back it up with two points.

Stating Your Position First Saves More Breath Than Laying Background First

I later realized that many people struggling with RTS don't lack content; rather, that content comes too late.

The question asks you to remind a roommate to clean the kitchen or explain to a teacher why you want to extend a deadline, yet you start by talking about the weather, your itinerary, gratitude, understanding, and team spirit. After going in circles, the sentence that should really be said is still waiting in line behind everything else.

A more stable way to start this task is actually very simple: just state your position clearly:

I want to remind you of something.
I want to explain the situation.
I suggest we change the arrangement.
I need you to handle this for me as soon as possible.

Once you have said this, it is harder for your answer to drift. Even if the later part isn't as smooth, you know it’s still on track and not just wandering aimlessly.

Two Support Points Are Just Enough; Don't Burst the 40 Seconds

I don't really recommend stuffing 3 or 4 reasons into an RTS. It's not that it's impossible, but it's easy to get so jumbled that you confuse yourself.

For most people, 1 statement + 2 supporting points is just enough. This structure is a bit "rustic," but it is incredibly stable:

Say what you want to do first.
Then say why.
Finally, say how the other party should cooperate or what backup plan you have.

For example, if the topic asks you to remind team members to send over the slides tonight, you don't need to get fancy:

Hi, I just want to remind you to send me your slides tonight. I still need time to put the whole presentation together, and our class is tomorrow morning. If you are busy, just send me the draft first and I can help fix the format.

As you can see, there are no "impossible" vocabulary words here. But it has a statement, reasons, and a remedial action. It sounds like a real person solving a problem.

Remedial Actions Make the Answer Sound Less Empty

This is the point I want to highlight separately this time.

Why do many RTS answers sound empty? Because they only have requests and no actions. You keep saying "Please do this," "I hope you understand," or "It would be best to handle this quickly," but you aren't pushing forward at all.

Once you add remedial (backup) actions, the whole paragraph suddenly comes to life:

If you can't make it, you can just send half to me first.
If not today, let's confirm tomorrow morning.
I can fix the first version, and you can add the details later.
Send me a message when you arrive, and I’ll come down and pick you up.

These sentences aren't advanced, and they are a bit rough. But in real life, that's exactly how people talk when they face trouble; they don't usually start with high-sounding rhetoric.

You aren't writing a viewpoint essay to memorize; you are solving a small hassle. Small hassles need small actions, otherwise, the whole answer will just keep floating in the air without landing.

The 10 Seconds of Prep Time is Only Enough for Three Key Things — Don't Be Greedy

Pearson gives this task 10 seconds of preparation time. Honestly, 10 seconds is barely enough to design any exquisite expression.

If you can grasp these three things, it is already enough long:

Who you are and your relationship to the other person.
The core attitude you want to express.
The two specific points you plan to back it up with.

I generally suggest setting those two points as:

A reason.
An action.

These two types of things are the least likely to be fluff. If you try to add background, emotions, vision, gratitude, or a summary on the spot, your answer will likely end up touching on each of them briefly and in the end, you won't make any of them clear.

Stating Your Position Helps You Stay on the Line Midway So You Don't Crash

The most uncomfortable part of many students doing RTS isn't the beginning, but suddenly losing their way halfway through.

At this moment, "stating your position" actually serves a second purpose: it helps you pull the main line back to where it should be.

For example, if you already said at the start:

I need to explain why I cannot join the meeting this afternoon.

Then, even if your mind glitches for a second, you know you can at least fill it with these two directions:

Why I cannot attend.
How I plan to make it up.

It’s like you nailed a nail in the ground first. You won't fly too far off course.

If you didn't settle on anything at the start and just kept saying "well... I think... it is important...", then when you crash, it’s worse because you even forget where you were aiming in the first place.

Once the Relationship and Tone Match, Sentences Don't Need to Be Flowery

I found another trap where, whenever people see a new topic, they love to act out "Polite English."

As a result, speaking to a roommate sounds like writing an email to the principal, and explaining to a teacher sounds like chatting with a friend. Once the tone is off, the whole paragraph sounds weird.

RTS really doesn't need to chase after flowery vocabulary. As long as the relationship is matched and the sentences are natural, it will be smoother than many people who have memorized rigid templates.

You can think of it like this:

To a teacher: Be a bit more polite and clear about the reasons.
To a classmate: Be direct, don't be too bureaucratic.
To staff: Make your needs clear, don't go in circles.

If you grasp this sense of relationship, many sentences can even be intentionally simple. Simplicity isn't shameful; pretending to be sophisticated is the easiest way to crash.

Filling Up 40 Seconds Doesn't Necessarily Beat Clarity

I know many people have this obsession that 40 seconds must be filled to the brim, otherwise, it feels like a loss.

But to be honest, a common crash point in RTS is that in the second half, to fill time, you start repeating yourself.

For example, if you already said the main point earlier, and then you add:

This is very important for me.
I really hope you can understand.
It will be very helpful and meaningful.

These sentences aren't wrong to say, but once the density is high, it sounds like you are delaying.

Rather than doing that, it is better to make the structure mentioned earlier clear. As long as it's not absurdly short, having a complete and natural answer is usually more valuable than "I have to drag it out to the last second."

Scenario-Based Training Beats Roasting a Bunch of Scattered Questions

If you have just started practicing RTS recently, I recommend practicing by scenarios rather than doing whatever question you scan.

You can classify them like this:

Reminding others to finish tasks on time.
Explaining why you need to change the time.
Expressing disagreement but giving a replacement plan.
Apologizing and adding a solution action.

The more you practice, the more you will find that many questions look different on the surface, but the skeleton is actually similar. The more familiar you are with this skeleton, the less likely you are to stand blankly during the real exam.

Tools like Youshow PTE are perfect for brushing up on this type of question. You can download it on the Apple App Store or visit the official website https://pte.youshowedu.com/en. One point I really value is that it allows you to practice RA, RS, DI, RTS and mock exams together, so you don't have to switch back and forth. Fewer switches means a clearer mind.

Don't Focus on Accent Anxiety When Reviewing; First Check if the Task is Done

Many students, the moment they play back the recording, react by asking: "Did I pronounce this word native enough?"

Of course pronunciation isn't completely unimportant, but for RTS, I think checking these three issues is more practical first:

Did I state my attitude clearly enough?
Did I provide reasons and actions?
Does it sound like I am really talking to a person?

If these three points don't hold up, you might have beautiful pronunciation, but the overall feel will still be scattered.

Focus on communicating first, then polish your pronunciation and fluency. This order is more effort-efficient and actually boosts your score.

Improving RTS Often Means Saying Less, Not Drifting More

If I have to compress this into one simple sentence, it would be this:

Don't try to sound like a communication expert right off the bat in RTS. State your position clearly first, then add two truly useful points, and your score will be more solid.

So if your status when doing PTE RTS recently has been:

Getting stuck at the opening.
Going blank halfway through.
Having to use forced polite phrases at the end.

Then stop rushing to memorize more templates.

Practice this order first:

Stance (Attitude).
Reason.
Action (Recovery).

Once you are smooth with this sequence, 40 seconds won't seem so scary anymore. Often, it’s not that the question is too hard; it’s that you walked the wrong path from the very start. Straighten out that first step, and the rest will be much easier.