We theoretically investigate the optical second-order sideband generation (OSSG) in an optical parity-time (PT) symmetric system,which consists of a passive cavity trapping the atomic ensemble and an active cavity.Compared with the double-passive system,it is found that near the exceptional point (EP),the efficiency of the OSSG increases sharply not only for the blue probepump detuning resonant case but also for the red one.Using experimentally achievable parameters,we study the effect of the atomic ensemble on the efficiency of the OSSG in the PT-symmetric system.The numerical results show that the efficiency of the OSSG is 30％ higher than that of the first-order sideband,which is realized easily by simultaneously modulating the atom-cavity coupling strength and detuning.Moreover,the efficiency of the OSSG can also be tuned effectively by the pump power,and the efficiency is robust when the pump power is strong enough.This study may have some guidance for modulating the nonlinear optical properties and controlling light propagation,which may stimulate further applications in optical communications.