PTE Preparation Tips
February 2016
Pearson Test of English Academic is an international computer based English language test. It measures the English language ability and can be used to apply to educational institutions and professional organizations. This test is divided into three sections- Speaking and Writing, Reading and Listening and lasts for a duration of approximately three hours.
Tips on each section
Speaking
Read aloud
Use the 40 seconds you are given to go over the text quickly.
Be loud and clear when you begin speaking. Use the punctuation to help you decide where to pause
Do not be in a hurry, you have plenty of time
Repeat Sentence
There is no tone before the microphone opens in this task, begin speaking as soon as the status box changes to recording
Speak as clearly as you can
Do not try to copy the accent that you hear
Describe Image
Use your 25 seconds to understand what the graph/chart is showing you
Don't just focus on the details, include developments and conclusions
You cannot mention every point on the graph. Describe the overall changes if any and mention the significant differences
Re-tell Lecture
Do not try to write every word that you hear. Use key words to note the main idea of the lecture
Stay attentive and keep taking notes until the lecture stops
After the audio stops, you only have ten seconds before the tone sounds, use this time to organize your points accordingly
Answer short question
State your answer as soon as the status box changes to recording
Click on Next to move on to the next question
Once the microphone closes you cannot change your answer
If you think that your first answer was not correct. Keep speaking and give the correct answer. You have ten seconds to give your response
Do not pause for longer than three seconds. The recorder will move on to the next question leaving your answer incomplete
Writing
Summarize written text
Your response must be one sentence only, between 5 and 75 words. Ensure that you use punctuation that allows you to include all your points within one sentence
Your summarization should begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop
Your response will not be scored if your sentences have full stops in between or if it is all written in capital letters
Take a few minutes to check your grammar and vocabulary.
At the end of ten minutes, the screen will stop responding
Write essay
While writing your essay, make sure to fully answer the questions the task is asking of you
Make sure that your essay is well organized, with a new paragraph for every new idea
Save a few minutes to check your essay. You will lose marks for poor grammar and spelling mistakes
Reading
Multiple- Choice, Choose Single Answer/Choose Multiple Answer
Always read the question before you read the passage
If you don't know an important word in the text, try to guess its meaning from the context
Make sure that you do not spend too much time on one task
Re-order paragraphs
Skim through the sentences, look for the sentence that introduces the topic
Check that your selected sentence contains no reference to any information stated before it
Look for linking words in the other sentences. Be on the look out for words like however or in addition to or pronouns replacing nouns already mentioned
Use these markers to put the information in the correct order
Fill in the blanks
Skim through the text to get an idea of the topic at hand
Look at the words around the first blank. Identify the idea being expressed in the sentence, and think what word will create meaning in the context
Check to see if the word fits the grammar and meaning of the text
If you cannot fill one blank, move on to the next one. The more blanks you fill in, the easier the missing ones will be
Read through the text to check if the meaning is consistent
Listening
Summarize spoken text
As you listen, take down notes. Do not write down everything you hear. Use key words to capture the main and supporting ideas
A high score is given if all relevant aspects of the audio are mentioned
Keep to the word limit of 50-70 words, you will lose marks if you exceed
Save a few minutes to check for grammar and spellings
Multiple-Choice, Choose Multiple Answers/ Choose Single Answers
Read the question and skim the options before the audio begins
Be aware of the development of the speaker's ideas
Once the audio is done, eliminate options that contain incorrect information
For multiple answers, the candidate is required to select more than one option
Fill in the blanks
Skim through the text to gain a general idea of the topic
As you hear the missing word, type the word in the blank. Make sure that your spellings are correct. will be marked zero for incorrect spellings
Follow the speaker, so you do not miss a word
After the audio stops, read the sentence and check if the word makes sense
Highlight Correct Summary
Skim through the options quickly to get an idea of the topic
Focus on listening, take down notes once your audio begins
Once the audio stops, refer to your notes to select the correct option
Eliminate any option that may hold incorrect information
Select missing word
Skim through your options to get an idea about what the speaker might talk about
Do not worry about any words that may sound new to you, focus on the overall ideas of the speaker
Highlight incorrect words
Use the time before the recording begins to skim though the text
Pay attention to the speaker
As soon as the recording starts, move your cursor along each sentence
Always ensure that you keep up with the speaker
Do not make random guesses, you will lose out on marks if you have selected a correct word that was in the recording
Write from dictation
Focusing on the meaning of the sentence will help you remember the sentence
Ensure that the words are spelt correctly. Marks are given for every word that is correctly spelt