"Right information wins you half the battle they say" and we agree!
We believe, that having the “right information” about PTE Academic and the way a candidate is scored in the exam helps you secure (or in other words not lose!) your ‘score’. Below, we’ve gathered a list of important facts about each section that will help you secure your marks in every way possible.
PART-1
Part-1 consists of 3 sections. These sections mainly test the candidate's ability to ‘speak and write’ English.
➤ SECTION-1
⇛ Personal Introduction
The first thing a test-taker is prompted to do is give a ‘Personal Introduction’. This section is not scored. The recording though, is sent to the universities a candidate has applied to. Here, the individual needs to speak about their personal background, educational background and about the universities they are expecting to get enrolled in. You will be given 1 minute to give your personal introduction.
⇛ The Tip
This is a crucial section even though it is not scored. One minute may seem a short while, but it is long enough for an individual to point out some facts and describe some future plans after your education with a particular institute.
This is where you can kick-start your exam on a high note. If you manage to speak with utmost proficiency on your part, you’ll most probably carry that confidence throughout the rest of your exam.
➤ SECTION-2
⇛ Speaking
Firstly, to understand what this section is really about. ‘Speaking’ ability is composed of a lot of different dimensions namely pronunciation, fluency, grammar, and vocabulary. PTE Speaking section assesses these elements very rigorously; and marks candidates on the basis of their proficiency in these four sub-skills.
Secondly, although silence is a part of regular speech. Too much silence may negatively impact your PTE score. Silence for up to 3 seconds is not penalized, but silence that extends to more than the stipulated time will definitely see your scores drop! Also, remaining silent for a longer period of time will prompt the machine stop recording your answer. Subsequently the test-taker does not get evaluated score for that particular test-item.
Thirdly, talking in an unintelligible language (i.e. using words/ or phrases from any other language that is not English) or speaking gibberish, will be assessed differently. The score administrator may decide to retest the test-taker or talk to him or her personally at the time of assessment.
⇛ The Tip
It is important to understand that perfect speech can only come through practice. So, practicing sentence structure by repetition, imbibing more vocabulary into your speech each day, understanding/practicing rules of grammar, and learning rules of pronunciation and differently-pronounced words more often will square-off any language deficiency that you may have.
Stammering or hesitating isn't necessarily going to affect your score if you keep it limited to a couple of times but not more.
- Pausing for a second or two is fine; a longer pause will affect your score.
- It is okay to have accent!
- The key to scoring high is having good intelligibility
- If the word ‘grammar’ rings an alarm in your head, then there is a simpler way to understand it. Simply think of it as ‘sentence mastery’.
➤ SECTION-3
⇛ Writing
- ‘Writing’ is tested in sections 3 to 6. This section overall is allocated about 50 - 60 minutes.
- Not using the correct punctuation or lack of punctuation will affect your score negatively. Along with punctuation, lack of “capitalization” of appropriate letter too will see your score drop.
- In this section you are required to write between 5 and 75 words in one single sentence. Writing in multiple sentences and/or writing more than 75 words may see your scores drop
- Essay finishes off PART-1. It requires the test-taker to write a text made up of no more than 300 words and no less than 200 words. It must argumentative essay in response to a subject-line or topic prompted by the system. Understanding the topic is crucial, and writing only in its context is essential.
⇛ The Tip
Take your time and do not hurry. Punctuations are marked, while lack of punctuation is penalized. Also, try not to go back and rewrite or change grammatical structure too much. This will take up time, and also make you feel exhausted.
Summarizing the text is easy; just understand it and rephrase. The only thing you need to take care of is to include all the important key points. Do not worry about exceeding the 75 word count, there will be a word-count box showing the number of words written in your answer.
⇛ PART-2
Part-2 consists of a “single-timed section” i.e. the candidate will have to answer one single section within a single time limit which will be about 30 to 40 minutes. This section mainly tests your ‘reading ‘skills.
⇛ Reading
- Answering the ‘reading’ section requires a candidate to read aloud a piece of text prompted by the system, understand the meaning, and answer multiple choice questions and fill in the blanks based on the text. Not reading the text aloud, or not reading it correctly will yield lower scores to the candidate.
- Reading the instruction is equally important; there are separate kinds of multiple choice questions in the PTE that an individual may expect. The first type is where only one out of the four options given will be the correct answer. Second type is where more than one option out of the given options will be the correct answer. Answering either one wrongly will get the candidate no score.
- There is a separate subsection called “Reading & Writing” under PART-2. This question prompts a text with missing words. The test-taker is expected to choose the right word to fill the spaces.
⇛ The Tip
You will be marked on how clearly you can speak out the content given to you. (with the correct pronunciation). The more fluent and articulate your speech, the more marks you secure.
The tip is “Time Management”. Manage time well and keep calm. There is always enough time to read out each word distinctly and clearly.
⇛ 3 basic steps:
- Understand the question- Skim the text find your Answer- Match your answer with the options provided
- Make sure you only have to read the paragraph once! ONLY ONCE!
- Reading & Writing: Fill in the blanks - The score actually contributes to both reading and writing sections!
⇛ PART-3
Part-3 consists of 2 Sections. These sections mainly test your listening ability.
⇛ Listening
- Firstly, you will be asked to summarize ‘spoken’ text. This summary must be written by the candidate within a maximum of 70 words and no more. The summary should consist of a minimum of 50 words.
- Listening is tested on the basis of the candidate's ability to comprehend spoken language. The test-taker is solely assessed on the answer the individual submits.
- Notes are provided at beginning of the PTE test, this when the test-takers is expected to make the most use of it.
- Remember, you are only allowed to listen to the audio once!
⇛ The Tip
This section tests your ability to understand the spoken language and so the tip is - “Listen to understand” and not “Listen to remember.”
Get into the habit of making quick notes for yourself; one can do that by using abbreviations wherever possible. Listen to the entire audio carefully first, before reading the question.
This section involves ‘writing dictation’. During this test item, see to it that you go through your answer before you submit it in order to refine any grammatical or spelling mistakes.
This is about all that the candidate should expect in the Pearson exam. The tips are handy, but more tips can always push you a step forward.
At Aussizz Group, our certified coaches have the most valuable tips for candidates of all proficiency levels. Entry-level, Intermediate, or advanced learners of English, all our students benefit equally from our expert tutors. For more information on how we can help you achieve the desired score, call us on - +91-79-6682-6682 or Email: pte@aussizz.com.
