Tips for Attending PTE Academic Exam

Speaking Tips
Tips for Personal Introduction:

• Your interests
• Your plans for future study
• Why you want to study abroad
• Why you choose this test
• Why you need to learn English

Speak at least 3 topics or more of above mentioned within 30 sec. Overall in speaking section most important is you’re “FLUENCY”.
Tips for Read Aloud:

• Fluency is your first priority
• Scan for hard words and Spell it clearly before it starts recording.
• Rising and falling tone for some words is important.
• Be aware of Plurals, don’t spell wrongly.
• No long disconnection of sentences.(i.e. Gap to each sentence)
• Uneven words, Irregular Phrasing
• Beware of Inappropriate stress and incorrect pronunciation to some words.
• Don’t be too fast (in recording cannot understand) and too slow.
• Time for this section is more sufficient.
• And the last tip is your tone must be NATURAL.

Tips for Repeat Sentences:

• Fluency
• Close your eyes and listen to keep concentration on listening.
• No long pauses, Clear voice.
• Be careful of adding new text or omitting Listened text.
• If you can’t remember whole sentence at-least give importance to Keywords.

Tips for Describe Image:

• Speak about Highest and Lowest figures or key points.
• Fluency, Speak with a good voice.
• In describing image use the words – on the left-hand side, on the right-hand side, next to, above, below or bottom, at the top, foreground, background. Just keep on practicing with these words.
• Use the words like over, about, under… to point out the values on the axis. If you use those words no need to be the exact value.
• Don’t keep silent, speak something about the image you see.

Tips for Retell Lecture:

• Note the keyword by understanding the context of the topic, so you can give your best.
• If possible try to catch 3-5 sentences it’s enough to re-tell the lecture.
• Use phrases like ‘The lecture provides brief information about….’ or  ‘According to the speaker , he said…..’ etc… to elaborate the given lecture.
• Fluency is most important, don’t keep silent, speak something relates to lecture.

Tips for Short Answer Questions:

• If you don’t know the answer, just repeat the words in the question.
• Don’t forget the articles a,an,the before some words.

Writing Section tips
Summaries Written Text:
In this item type, you may get 2-3 questions on summarizing the text, 10 min for each question.
Tips:

• Use only one full stop at the end of the sentence.
• Capitalize the starting words and nouns (Names) in the sentence.
• No more than 30 words for the best answer.
• Be aware of Spellings, Plurals, Pronunciations.
• Concentrate on Topic Sentences, Repeated words.
• No examples, Reasons, and Illustrations.
• A summary must be written in third person form. Don’t use I, We… etc.
• Most of the Summarize the answer from the last para so concentrate on it.
• Try to summarize each para first later concentrate on it and make it a single sentence.
• Time manage –  3min Planning, 5min writing, 2min checking/Editing for mistakes(spelling, grammar).

Writing An Essay:
In the exam you may get one or two questions, it cannot be exact. To write an essay you are having 20min for each(if 2questions).
Tips:

• Be aware of Spellings, Grammar, Plurals.
• Use good Vocabulary to score good marks.
• Essay structure – Intro, Body, Conclusion.
• Try to write atleast 3-5 paragraphs. Intro – 1para, Body – 2paras, Conclusion – 1para.
• No use bullet points.
• In the body, the section gives examples, reasons, statistics to describe.
• Time Manage – 3min Plan, 14min writing, 3min checking(spellings, grammar).

Note: To score more marks mainly beware of spellings, grammar, vocabulary.

Tips for Reading Section

PTE Academic Reading Tips

To start with PTE-Academic Reading, time it contains for this section is 32-41min (depends on questions in the exam) and  the item types it include are,

1. Multiple-choice, choose single answer
2. Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers
3. Re-order paragraphs
4. Reading: Fill in the blanks
5. Reading & Writing: Fill in the blanks

Tips for Multiple-choice, single and multiple answers:

• Focus on keywords in question and search in the text and then look in options.
• Most of the time, Pay close attention to the frequency words (always, often, sometimes, never many, all, never, only.. etc) eliminate those options and find the correct answer.

Ex: According to the text, which of the following are true of English attitudes towards intellectuals?

1. They never join forces with those in authority.
2. Most people would not be able to name an intellectual.
3. In general, the English do not admire respect intellectuals.
4. Even some English intellectuals do not like to be called intellectuals.
5. They are not clear about what an intellectual is or does.

Answer: 3,4
Note: It is not applicable always, Use this trick only when the time is not sufficient to answer.

• Look for main reason/text and concentrate on repeated words to find the correct answer.
• Negative marking is applicable for multiple answers.
• Time manage max 90sec each question in single answer type and max 2min for each question in multiple answers.

Tips for Re-order Paragraphs:

• Look at the Proper Nouns-Common nouns-Pronoun-Articles Usage-Time Phrases(depends) order to form the sentences.
• Consider the clue words

ex: a) The king…….

1.      b) ……….. King Rama………

The order here it comes is, b-a. Because in the sentence ‘a’ it says Kings follows…. but in sentence ‘b’ it introduces about the king name.

• Frame the order of sentences using the Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Repeated words, Time phrases, etc…
• Concentrate on pronouns he, she, him, her, they, them, these, those, etc.. these sentences will never come in first.
• Repeated words – the hint here is, most of the time word one sentences if the same word in other sentences come in an order.
• Adjectives – the hint here is, ex: better comes after good. so first is good-better.
• Time manage – try to answer the question within 4min.

Tips for Fill in the Blanks:

• Concentrate on parts of speech before and after the blank, it helps in finding the missing word.
• Select the word, which is mostly collocated with words beside it.
• Skim for the main idea of the text.
• Most of the time, missing word synonym will be in the text, it helps in finding the answer.
• Time manage – 2min for each question approx.

Tips for Listening Section
The following are the different parts of PTE Listening

1. Summarise Spoken Text
2. Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers
3. Fill in the blanks
4. Highlight correct summary
5. Multiple-choice, choose single answer
6. Select Missing word
7. Highlight incorrect words
8. Write from Dictation

PTE Tips for Summarize Spoken Text:

• Make a note while listening to the text, write only one word or two word for each sentence.
• Use the words, “The speaker says….”
• Concentrate on topic sentences and most repeated words.
• Time manage- 3 min plan, 5 min write, 2 min check (Spellings, Grammar).

Tips for Multiple & Single answer choices:

• Multiple answers types have the Negative marking.
• Most of the time answers rate of speech are fast so careful and listen.
• Answers are mostly paraphrased.
• Most of the answers you can find at the ending of listening so listen until it finishes.
• Most of the time, Pay close attention to the frequency words (always, often, sometimes, never many, all, never, only.. etc) eliminate those options and find the correct answer.
• Effectively heard word may not be correct word because it may be frequency word as above point.

Tips for Fill in the Blanks:

• Note the answers in erasable notepad given by them and later fill the answers.
• Check the spellings, Plurals.
• Answers may be the high rate of speech and sometimes.

Tips for Highlight Correct Summary:

• Note keywords in question.
• Skim the options within given time.
• Answers are paraphrased.
• Catch the end of words and listen to the ending off the topic, you can catch the correct answer.
• Concentrate on repeated words.

Tips for Missing words (Beep sound):

• Understand the context of the listening so you can answer the correct option.

Tips for Write from Dictation:

• Close your eyes and hear the text, so you can concentrate and remember it.
• Proofread for Spellings and Grammar mistakes.

Other Tips to follow for PTE Academic Listening English Exam:

• Make notes in erasable notepad
• Manage your time
• Be careful about negative marking
• Pay close attention to the frequency words
• Note keywords in question
• Concentrate on repeated words
• Write from Dictation(Always proofread for grammar and spellings mistakes)
• Check Spellings
• Skim the text before recording