My PTE-Academic score is: (June 2018)

If you are aiming for 79+ in all the four communicative skills of PTE-Academic exam, please give equal
importance to all sections – starting from "Read Aloud" till "Write from Dictation".

• Listen to TED Talks

• Watch English movies
• Listen to English News
• Read English novels and newspapers
o Identify new words & synonyms
o Learn how to use grammar “Tense” (like Simple, Perfect, Continuous)
• Try to communicate in English with your friends and family
• Concentrate on your pronunciation while talking
• Write PTE Official Scored mock tests and analyse your progress
• Hear audio podcasts along with transcripts

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 • If possible, practice your writing with Grammarly
• Daily spend 30 mins to read something whichever you like in English (novels / newspaper /
magazines / articles).
• Also, spend 30 mins for listening. Listen to some TED talks / podcasts / news.
• While listening TED talks/news try to concentrate on how they pronounce the words. Try to follow
that.
o It will help to improve your speaking score by improving your oral fluency and
pronunciation.

Below are some of the words which I have corrected my pronunciation after hearing TED talks and
suggestions from some of my friends:

• Were • Region • Photography

• Development • Research • Photograph
• Environment • Bear (animal) • Decade

Scoring Guide:
Go through the official scoring guide and understand how each question type is evaluated

Reference books:
I had used the following 3 books:

1) The official guide to PTE Academic – Pearson – 2012 edition

2) PTE Academic – Practice Tests Plus with key – Pearson – 2013 edition
3) PTE Academic Testbuilder – Macmillan – 2012 edition

• The first 2 books are the official materials from Pearson.

• Complete all the chapters and mock tests in these three books including the CDs

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Speaking
• Speak faster, fluently and do not stammer.
• Talk for only 30 secs in Describe Image and Retell Lecture. At max, not more than 35 seconds

Read Aloud (contributes to “Reading” also)

• In the preparation time (30 seconds), read silently with actions and expressions, read faster
with correct pronunciation in the given 25 secs
• Once recording starts, read aloud with the same actions, expressions, faster, fluently and
clearly
• Even if you stammer, please do not stop. Continue reading aloud
• Think as if you are a news reader or you are giving a speech

Repeat Sentence (contributes to “Listening” also)

• Do not miss any sentence

• Try to recite as many words as possible, which contributes more marks
• Divide the sentence into chunks of words as you hear and recite. Really this helps a lot.
o Ex: There must have been some ingenious architects in the past.
o There must have been / some ingenious architects / in the past
• Follow the speaker's tone and intonation
• Try to recite at least 50% of the sentence, if you couldn’t repeat the full sentence
• Even if you hear only few words in a long sentence, try to tell. Do not leave.
o "Solar power is going to replace coal and oil as our primary source in the near future".
o In this sentence if you hear only 'Solar power coal oil primary source future', try to
make a sentence using them and tell.
• If you missed any words, do not worry. Concentrate on the upcoming words.
• Repeat what you have heard as soon as possible.
• Tips: Listen a sentence from podcasts. Pause the audio and try to repeat that sentence.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYtqHGfyKy8
• https://blog.e2language.com/pte-repeat-sentence-practice-activities/
• https://www.pteexampreparation.com/repeated-questions/pte-repeated-repeat-
sentence/pte-repeat-sentence-real-exam-questions/
• https://hotshot24.com/pte-speaking-repeat-sentence-practice-exercise-20.html
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZpBG0FeAp4

Describe Image

• This <graph type> compares/provides/represents/depicts/illustrates <title + x-axis/y-axis>

• Following are the terms which you may use to describe the image
o Maximum / Minimum
o Highest / Lowest
o Increasing / Decreasing Trend
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 o Oscillating / Fluctuating
o Stable / Remains constant
o Steadily / Steeply
o Sharply increased / Sharply decreased
• Conclusion:
o Start the conclusion @ 22nd to 25th sec, so that you can finish it within 35 seconds
o Following are the terms which you can use for the conclusion
▪ Overall
▪ Finally
▪ To sum up
▪ In the end
• Tips:
o Use simple sentences
o Using complex sentences may affect your fluency score
o Finish it off within 30 secs and move to next
o It is mandatory to give the conclusion / implication
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rveo3RFK3kk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWT9ujW4r7o

Retell Lecture (contributes to “Listening” also)

• Listen carefully right from the beginning of the lecture

• Identify the topic of the lecture
• Take notes – Capture all the main idea, supporting points and keywords
• Organise your speech in the next 10 seconds (before recording starts)
• Follow the template:
o The speaker was discussing <topic>.
o <4-6 key points>
o Finally, the speaker suggested…
• Do not stop in-between. Talk fluently. Do not stammer
• It is mandatory to give the conclusion / implication
• Tips:
o Use simple sentences
o Content (keywords) + Fluency + Pronunciation are important
o Using complex sentences may affect your fluency score
o Finish it off within 30 secs and move to next

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9iYnbHd5ys

Answer Short Questions (Contributes to “Listening” also)

• This question type will evaluate your interpretation skills and vocabulary
• Even if you do not know the answer for a question, do not skip it.
o Answer something related by rephrasing the question

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Writing

Summarise Written Text (Contributes to “Reading” also)

• Try to write a single-sentence summary between 30 to 40 words.

o This word count (30 to 40) will help you to avoid grammar mistakes in writing a single
complex sentence
• Use connectors: FANBOYS – For / And / Nor / But / Or / Yet / So
• Using these connectors will help to summarise the text more effectively
• Try to use the keywords or phrases from the given text, but not the same sentence

Essay

• Assign first 2 minutes to think and organise your essay

• Assign last 5 minutes for proofreading
• Try to write within 210 to 230 words, so that you can have time for proofreading
• Essay with 299 words will not yield more marks than an essay with 210 words, if both essays
convey the same message
• Content should be relevant to the essay prompt
• Template – 4 paragraphs:
o Introduction: 3 sentences
o Main Para 1: 4 sentences
o Main Para 2: 4 sentences
o Conclusion: 2 sentences
• Introduction should contain "This essay will discuss"
• Try to give only one main idea (with an example) in each main paragraph
• Conclusion should contain "This essay discussed"
• Try to use the following words:
o However
o Consequently
o Likewise
o Besides
o Moreover
o Additionally
o For example
o Because of
o In contrast

• https://hotshot24.com/latest-essay-topics-pte-academic.html
• https://pteacademicexam.com/pte-academic-essay-writing-questions-and-topics-with-
answers-latest-essay-list/

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Reading
Tips:

• Read English novels, English Newspapers

• Collocation list
• As a thumb rule, allocate 2 minutes for each question in “Reading” section

Fill in the blanks – Drop Down (contributes to “Writing” also)

• Give more importance to this question type

• You can take maximum of 3 minutes for each question of this type
• Mostly, this would be your first question type in “Reading” section, which contains 5-6
different questions
o This would be time-consuming, which would lessen the time for other question types
in “Reading” section
• Each question of this type may contain 5-6 drop-downs
• You can easily reject 2-3 options in each drop-down
• Collocation list / understanding of Tense are helpful for this question type
• http://www.grammar.cl/

Multiple Choice Multiple Answer

• Quickly speed-read the given paragraph(s) and identify the key idea(s)
• Read the question and answer options
• Check the paragraph(s) to justify each answer option
• If you are not sure, do not choose the second option. Only 1 sure option is sufficient

Multiple Choice Single Answer

• Read the given passage thoroughly and then answer the question

Reorder Paragraph

• Identifying the first sentence is very important here

o First Sentence = Stand-alone sentence = Independently understandable
• After reordering all the given paragraphs / sentences, read them in a sequential order and
make sure, you have a flow in the message
• https://pteacademicexam.com/how-to-solve-reorder-paragraphs-easily-tips-tricks-pte-
academic/

Fill in the blanks – Drag Drop

• Quickly read the given paragraph
• Identify the word type (noun / verb / adjective / adverb) required to fill in each blank
o https://www.woodwardenglish.com/parts-of-speech-word-classes/

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Listening
Tips:

• You may get 2-3 “Summarise Spoke Text” (SST)

• After SSTs, you may get 15-16 questions in “Listening” section with 20-22 minutes only
o So, keep your eyes closely on the TIMER
• I would suggest concentrating on the listening part rather than taking notes except for the
question types: Summarise Spoken Text, Fill in the blanks & Write From Dictation
o If your answer options contain any numerical data like year or values, then you can
take the notes during listening

Summarise Spoken Text (contributes to “Writing” also)

• Listen carefully right from the beginning of the speech

• Identify the topic of the speech
• Take notes – Capture all the main idea, supporting points and keywords
• Start with: “The speaker was discussing <topic>.”
• Write as much as spoken key points in your own words
o Template: It depends on your ability to cover all the key points in a template format.
o Template did not work out for me in SST
• Give your understanding in the final sentence like… (or)
o "Finally, the speaker mentioned that ..."
o "Overall, the speaker suggested that ..."

Multiple Choice Multiple Answer

• Quickly speed-read the question and answer options before the speech begins
o Alert: Once this question type appears, you may tempt to read the answer options
first but read the question prompt first and understand what is required
• If required, take quick notes on keywords
• If you are not sure, do not choose the second option. Only 1 sure option is sufficient

Fill in the blanks

• Before the speech begins

o Identify the number of blanks and the locations of the blanks
o Ready with your erasable notebook and pen
• Follow the speech closely and note down the words for the blanks
• If you do not understand a word, try to capture its sound and guess the word according to the
given text

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 Highlight Correct Summary (contributes to “Reading” also)

• Though the answer options are bigger to read, give importance to this question type
• Spend at max 2 minutes for each question of this type
• Alert: Few answer options are resembled to the speech, but they may not comprise all the key
ideas of the speech
o Mostly, the correct option contains the rephrased version of the speech

Multiple Choice Single Answer

• Listen carefully and answer according to the question prompt

Missing Words (Beep)

• Quickly read the given answer options

• Listen carefully right from the beginning of the speech
• Keep an eye on the progress bar of the speech
o Listen more carefully towards the end of the speech
• Once you heard the beep, you must identify the missing words quickly
• Do not spend more than 10 seconds in selecting the option

Highlight Incorrect Words (contributes to “Reading” also)

• Listen carefully right from the beginning of the speech

• Move the mouse word-by-word as the speech progresses
• Stay alert when you move the mouse from the current line to the next line

Write from Dictation (contributes to “Writing” also)

• Reserve the last 5-6 minutes for this question type which may have 3-4 sentences
• Give more importance to this question type as it contributes to “Writing” as well
• First letter of each sentence should be capitalised
• Remember to keep “full-stop” at the end of each sentence
• Practice as many sentences as possible before your exam day.
• Strategy: Write the first letter of each spoken words and then frame the full sentence with
your short-term memory.
o But this strategy may not suitable for "Repeat Sentence"

• http://ptebible.blogspot.com/2017/12/recent-write-from-dictation-after-nov_89.html

Tips - PTE-Academic – Mahe.General@gmail.com (June 2018 Version 1) Page 8 of 9

Some websites / videos to assist in the study of PTE-Academic:

http://www.dictionary.com/
https://app.grammarly.com/

Collocation list – https://pearsonpte.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/AcademicCollocationList.pdf

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-way-to-prepare-for-PTE-Pearson-Test-in-English/
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-way-to-prepare-for-PTE-Pearson-Test-in-
English/answer/%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B7-
%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A8-Ashish-Jain#

E2 Learn English: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfV4dbtV-ZnyqSrKc6zbDtg

E2 PTE Academic: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvSdD8_0DAKn-ThHWhAhoAg/videos
PTE Tips: https://dylanaung.blogspot.com/2015/04/

PTEPreparation:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT-BRiYgocAAT0SXSYskCQ/videos
http://ptepreparation.com/

PTE Study: https://ptestudy.com/

PTE Speaking Tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WGbr8271FA
PTE Success: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6WmUQas0E-V9wQuIZnAs2w/playlists
PTE Tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv7g9eu7s_ODp13knmsYnfw/videos
PTE Vocabulary: http://englishgrammarpass.com/exercises/all_words/pte-vocabulary/69.html
PTE Tips: http://www.allinfi.com/pte-academic-useful-tips-for-listening-section/

Important to improve your listening: https://www.ted.com/talks?duration=0-

6&language=en&page=1&sort=newest

PTE Gold: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmfdDoEJmPtIop6GWm68Tbg/videos

https://wenbo.tv/Practice-V3/home.html

PTE-A Voucher at discounted price to write in India along with 36 Unscored-Timed Mock Tests:
https://ptevoucher.in/
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