PTE is one of the most important and most widely acknowledged and accepted English proficiency tests taken by candidates who wish to migrate to foreign countries for higher study or work experience. PTE Academic scores are accepted in a wide variety of institutions such as universities, colleges, government institutions, etc. If you want to prepare for PTE at home you need to be really dedicated as PTE Academic is a three-hour long computerized test that comprises of three main parts. Speaking & writing, Listening and Reading. The questions asked in the test are based on 20 different formats ranging from multiple-choice questions to essay writing and interpreting information. To prepare for PTE at home you’ll need to have a proper idea of the types of questions that are asked.
PTE Test patterns
PTE is a computer-based exam and has a simple examination pattern. The whole examination is divided into three categories. The first category is Speaking & writing which include questions based on topics such as Personal Introduction, Read aloud, Repeat sentence, Describe image, Re-tell lecture, Answer short questions, One sentence, Paragraph, Essay writing, etc. The second part is the reading section which tests the reading proficiency of the candidate. Questions in this section are mostly multiple choice questions, re-order paragraphs, Fill in the blanks. You also get an optional 10-minute break after completing the reading section on the day of the exam. The third section is for listening activities where you need to answer the questions asked on the basis of the listening activities you perform in this section. This section has questions such as summarizing spoken text, multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks, highlight the correct summary, select the missing words, highlight incorrect words, write from dictation, etc.
The time limits for these sections are as follows –
- Writing & Speaking – 77- 93 minutes.
- Reading – 32 – 41 minutes.
- Listening – 45 – 57 minutes.
PTE preparation tips
If you want to prepare for PTE at home then these tips will surely help you a lot. Try to identify your weaker areas and invest more time in those areas. For example, if you find writing essays is hard for you, try to write more essays, practice more. Use timers or alarm clocks to test how you perform under timed situations. Decrease the time at every trial till you reach your endpoint and can’t do any better. Take help from online PTE coaching material available on the official PTE website if you are trying to prepare for PTE at home.
Tips for the Reading section
- Manage your time well. You only about 32-41 minutes for this section.
- Multiple choice questions with single and multiple answers can be tricky sometimes. Choose answers wisely.
Tips for writing section
- In this section, you have to summarize written text questions. Try to summarise the passage in about 200-300 words with each sentence having 5-75 words.
- Take care of your spellings, do not make mistakes in them. Try to keep the vocabulary as simple as possible.
Tips for Speaking section
In this section, you do not need to worry much about the time you spend on each question. The computer automatically controls the time, you just have to click ‘Next’.
- Keep your speaking pace normal, don’t rush or be too slow. Speak at a good volume with clear pronunciation.
- If you commit a mistake while speaking, don’t stop to correct it just carry on.
- Manage your time properly. You have to summarize written text in 10 minutes and you only get 20 minutes to write an essay.
Tips for the Listening section
- Manage your time well. Do not spend more time on some particular questions on the expense of other questions. The listening section has the most number of task types.
- Directly type the notes onto the screen for certain task types if you have less time remaining.
General tips
- Arrive early at the test center, preferably half an hour earlier.
- Pay attention to your punctuation. You lose marks if you forget capital letters or full stops or don’t write full sentences.
- Don’t repeat your words too much. Try to paraphrase.
Conclusion
Preparing for PTE at home without any external coaching can be challenging but if you try your best then surely you can crack the exam in the first attempt. In this article, we have listed down some of the important tips that you should keep in mind while preparing for PTE at home.