My PTE computer froze mid-test — can I get a free retest?

Possibly, but it is decided case by case and it depends on you reporting it now. Tell the test administrator while you are still at the centre so an incident is logged, then contact Pearson customer service as soon as you leave. Pearson's handbook says that where it cancels or reschedules a test it will arrange a refund or a reschedule to another date or test centre, and that it may at its discretion refund testing fees where a test was cancelled because of test centre issues. Nothing is published about disruptions you tested through. If the freeze was brief and you went on to finish the test, a claim is much less likely to lead anywhere.

The first hour matters more than anything else

Raise your hand and report it in the room. Ask the administrator to log an incident and note the time and the item you were on. That log is the evidence anything later depends on, and you cannot create it retrospectively.

Then open a case with Pearson customer service the same day, quoting your registration ID, the centre, the time of the fault and what was on screen. Write down what happened while it is fresh — which section, how long the freeze lasted, whether time kept counting down.

Technical review and rescore are two different products

A technical review costs USD 50 and must be requested within 15 business days of receiving your results. Pearson describes it narrowly: it checks your audio recordings for technical issues that may have caused an inaccurate speaking score. That makes it the right tool only if the disruption hit Speaking. Pearson states the service will not change your scores — but if a technical issue is found, your test fee and the review fee are both refunded.

A rescore costs USD 160 and must be requested within 14 calendar days. A human scorer re-marks the test — Pearson's handbook says only spoken responses and open-ended written responses are actually rescored — and the score can go up, down, or stay the same. If it changes, Pearson replaces your old score with the new one and you can no longer use the previous score. Fees and windows do change, so confirm both against the official Pearson guidance before you pay.

Which one fits your situation

If the machine froze during Speaking and you believe your recordings were affected, that is a technical review — or, if the centre logged a serious failure, a customer service case that never needs either product.

If the test ran fine and you simply disagree with the number, that is a rescore, and it is a gamble by design. Neither route is a refund mechanism for a disappointing score.

While you wait

Don't cancel or rebook until you have your result and a reply from customer service. Pearson's rescore policy states you cannot request a rescore if you have already scheduled another test, so booking first closes that door specifically — and you may find the score came through fine anyway.

PTE AI is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Pearson. PTE Academic is a trademark of Pearson. All practice material here is original and written for this site.