Table of content:
1. Why PTE?
2. PTE exam pattern/ format
3. PTE vs IELTS
4. Preparation for PTE exam
4.1 How to prepare for the writing section?
4.2 How to prepare for the listening section?
4.3 How to prepare for the reading section?
4.4 How to prepare for the Speaking section?
5. Tips for excellent preparation for the PTE exam
5.1 Tips to ace the speaking test
5.2 Tips to ace the Writing test
5.3 Tips to ace the listening test
6. Tips to prepare for 2022
7. Frequently Asked Questions
PTE or Pearson Test of English is the computer-based test to access the English language skills for non-native English speakers. It is for those students who wish to apply for various courses in English-speaking countries. It is relatively a newer kind of English test which was launched in 2009. Multiple universities across the world recognize the person Test of English, and it is majorly accepted in countries including the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.
1. Why is the PTE exam important?
PTE is essential if you want to get admission to any of the reputed universities abroad or if you want to work abroad after the completion of your studies. It is pretty evident that it is essential to be fluent in English to apply for any university in an English-speaking country.
Pearson Test of English brings a complete assessment of one's command over English. In addition, PTE checks the takers' fluency in Writing, reading, listening, and speaking. Hence, it becomes essential for anyone who wants to go abroad either for higher studies or work.
Additionally, the PTE exam contains real-life questions with a transparent marking system. Another reason to apply for PTE is that its results are globally accepted. So, the exam taker can easily apply to the university across the globe, which includes nearly 6000 organizations.
2. Let’s understand the PTE exam pattern/ format:
Pearson Test of English includes four main parts, i.e., Writing, speaking, listening, and reading. The exam is computer-based, taken in a secure environment to test one's speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills. Note that the writing and speaking tests are taken together as one exam. Let us briefly understand the tasks involved in all four sections of the test:
- Speaking and Writing: The speaking & writing test duration is usually around 54 to 64 minutes. It involves the personal introduction, repeating sentences, reading aloud, describing the images, summarizing the written text, and answering the short questions.
| Tasks for speaking and writing test | No. of questions for each task | Time provided (in seconds) |
| Personal Introduction | 1 | 55 |
| Reading aloud | 6 to 7 | 30 |
| Repeating the sentences | 10 | 15 |
| Retelling the lecture | 3 to 4 | 90 |
| Describing the image | 6 to 7 | 25 |
| Summarizing the written text | 1 | 600 (or 10 minutes) |
| Essay | 1 | 1200 (or 20 minutes) |
| Answering short questions | 10 to 12 | 20 |
- Reading: The duration of the reading test is often 29 to 30 minutes. It involves reading and writing the multiple-choice answers, filling in the blanks, choosing the single answer, and reordering the paragraphs.
| Tasks for reading test | What does a candidate need to do with the task? |
| Multiple choice answers | In this task, there is a passage displayed on the screen. The candidate needs to answer the question with multiple correct answers based on the reading. |
| Fill in the blanks | This task involves incomplete sentences to have appeared on the screen. The candidate is expected to choose the correct words to be fitted in. |
| Reordering | Multiple boxes appear on the screen in this task, and the candidate needs to arrange them in the correct order. |
| Reading and Writing | Here, texts having many gaps appear on the screen, and the candidate needs to drag the words to fill the gaps. |
- Listening: The duration of the listening test is around 30 to 43 minutes. It involves summarizing the spoken test, multiple-choice answers, highlighting the correct summary, and highlighting the wrong words.
| Tasks | Questions |
| Reading and Writing fill in the blanks | 5 to 6 |
| Multiple answers | 1 to 2 |
| Reordering | 2 to 3 |
| Single answer with multiple choice | 13 to 18 |
3. PTE vs IELTS
IELTS or International English Language Testing System is another widely popular exam to test one’s English proficiency. More than 3 million people take the IELTS exam every year, making it the most popular exam. Let's understand how is it different from that of the PTE exam.
PTE exam is run by Pearson PLC, while IELTS is run jointly by IELTS Australia & Cambridge Assessment English and British Council. Note that both the tests are run by recognized institutions making them equally credible. Talking about the exam format, the PTE exam is more flexible compared to IELTS. The reason is that the PTE exam is computer-based, and today's generation is indeed more comfortable with computerized tests compared to the pen-paper test.
Another advantage of having a PTE exam over IELTS is that the PTE exam is completed within 3 hours and its speaking section is more convenient compared to that of IELTS. The results for the PTE exam are pretty rapid as well and are published within a span of 5 days. On the other hand, IELTS results often take nearly 13 days to be published. In terms of validity, both the exams have a validity of 2 days, making them equally beneficial. Also, compared to IELTS, the PTE exam is a little easier.
4. Preparation of PTE exam:
PTE exam is very crucial for all the students taking admission in the reputed universities in foreign countries. Hence, the proper preparation for the exam becomes essential. No exam is challenging if you prepare for that with total concentration and attention. We have already discussed different sections of the PTE exam. Let us discuss the section-wise preparation strategy for PTE:
4.1 How to prepare for PTE’s writing section?
The writing section involves writing the answers according to the given question and is then evaluated accordingly. This section itself is divided into two sub-sections. First, let's discuss how should you prepare for this writing section:
- Make sure to write your answers with 35 to 40 words in one sentence. Writing long sentences should always be avoided because it can hinder accuracy.
- Always make use of correct punctuation marks.
- All the nouns in a sentence should be capitalized.
- Keep in mind that you need not provide any example unless asked in the question itself.
- Never use the words such as I, me, or we.
- Always summarize the paragraphs in one sentence.
- Make sure that your last paragraph is catchy and perfect because it mainly includes your sayings.
4.2 How to prepare for PTE’s listening section?
The listening section involves listening to the video and audio clips and then answering accordingly. Note that you can only listen to those clips once. So, let's discuss how should you prepare for the listening section to ace the PTE exam:
- The easiest and most effective way to prepare for the listening section is to listen to the English songs and understand their meaning.
- It might sound weird, but watching English movies and TV series without subtitles is an excellent way to prepare for the listening test of PTE. In this way, you can enjoy your learnings as well.
- Make sure to listen to new content every day during your preparation because it will help you improve your vocabulary.
- While summarizing the spoken text, permanently restrict your answer to 50 to 60 words.
- Always focus on the most repeated words and make use of the notepad to write down the keywords.
- During the first half of the video or audio clip, make sure to get an idea about the entire topic and theme.
- Make sure to check the punctuation, spelling, and grammar once you are done with writing the spoken text.
4.3 How to prepare for PTE’s reading section?
To ace the reading section, one should be fluent in reading and understand all the words and sentences written in English. So let's understand what should you do while preparing for the reading test for PTE:
- Always focus on the keywords and understand the message behind the Writing.
- Make sure to answer all the questions and never leave any questions unattempted.
- Practice paraphrasing the paragraphs.
- Always narrow down your options to find the correct answer.
4.4 How to prepare for PTE’s speaking section?
Keep in mind that practice is always crucial to ace the exam and hence make sure to practice your communication skills as much as possible. You can take the help of online tutorials to practice yourself. Let’s discuss how should you prepare for the speaking section:
- Make sure to sound authentic while speaking, and you can do so by raising your tone during the start and later making it fall gradually at the end of the sentence.
- Never stop while speaking, even if you made a mistake.
- Always try to sound confident while speaking.
- You can focus on the keywords if you cannot recall the whole sentence.
5. A few excellent tips for “How to prepare for PTE”:
It is crucial to have the optimum direction and preparation plan to ace the PTE exam. Here, we are providing you with excellent tips to ace your PTE examination and get enrolled in your choice of university:
5.1 Tips to ace PTE’s speaking test:
- Make sure to practice the speaking test by reading out loud the phrases.
- Check for the problematic words during your preparation and make sure to rehearse them properly.
- Always understand the meaning of the sentences first.
- Finally, always focus on the punctuation marks as they will help you maintain the pace of your English speaking.
- Never explain everything in detail. Instead, focus on extreme values such as highest or lowest. Again, it is because of the time limit during the test.
- Never repeat the exact information while speaking.
5.2 Tips to ace PTE’s writing test:
- Make sure to maintain simplicity in your writings.
- Always take time to plan your points and then write accordingly.
- Always use the correct format while writing.
- Never forget to summarize the written text.
- Jargon should be avoided at any cost.
- While practicing, make sure to focus on your weak points and improve your mistakes gradually.
5.3 Tips to ace PTE’s listening test:
- Practice listening to the online listening modules and make sure to concentrate on that part correctly.
- Always write a harsh response after listening to the things.
- Always check the grammar and vocabulary of the written phrases.
- You can use the erasable notepad to write your response.
6. Tip for preparing for 2022:
PTE preparation can take a lot of your time if you don't have enough motivation and guidance. So here, we are listing a few tips to help you prepare for 2022:
- Make sure to practice enough before the final examination. You can search google for online practice papers.
- Know the pattern of the examination correctly and focus on your weak points.
- You can start practicing English speaking with your friends and family. It is indeed the easier way to ace the speaking section.
7. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is it possible to prepare for PTE at home?
A. In today's digital world, where everything is just a click away, it is indeed possible to prepare for any exam at the ease of your home. You can very quickly prepare for PTE at your home with online PTE training. With this training, you can have suitable study materials to practice and ace the examination.
Q. Is the preparation of PTE very time-consuming?
A. Not at all; you can easily prepare for PTE within a span of four to six weeks if you follow your study plans efficiently.
Q. Which is easier: PTE or IELTS?
A. We cannot really compare both these exams on the basis of their difficulty levels because both are equally difficult or easy. However, if you have prepared well, you can quickly ace your PTE or IELTS examinations.
Q. Which countries accept PTE scores?
A. Countries like the USA, UK, Singapore, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia are the most common study destinations for all students. These countries do accept PTE scores for admission to their reputed universities.
Q. What is the minimum score in PTE to get admission to a reputed university?
A. One should have a minimum of 65 in all four sections of the PTE exam.
