How PTE Helps You Achieve Your American Dream?

Are you planning to achieve your American dream in your desired program and from a reputed university institute or college? You need to submit proper documentation to get a student visa to study in America. You are also required to submit proof of proficiency in the English language. PTE helps you to test your level of English proficiency.

It can be a bit challenging for non-native English speakers. So you will have to do proper PTE practice before you take the exam. If you think you can wing it with just fluency and knowledge then you are wrong. You will also need to know the exam format and the scoring process and build the required skills to ace the exam.

What is PTE?

PTE is Pearson’s Test of English which is a computer-based examination to test your English proficiency and is accepted worldwide by universities and colleges. It has an automated scoring system that evaluates your score just like a human test-checker.

It is the most convenient exam as it has 250 test centers in 50 countries and is conducted all year round. The score of this exam is delivered in 5 business days.

Exam Format of PTE:

The PTE exam has 4 modules: Reading, Speaking, Listening, and Writing. Each module has different sub-tasks that test your integrated skills. In total, there are 20 sub-tasks. The difficulty levels keep changing so you should do proper PTE practice.

01. Reading:

This module tests your ability to read, write, and listen. It consists of 5 different types of tasks. There are 15 – 20 questions in this module.

Multiple Choice, Choose Single Answer: In this task, you will get a passage. Based on it, you will have to answer the question by choosing the right choice from the multiple options.
Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers: In this task, you will have to answer the question based on the text that is given to you. There is more than one correct answer. You will have to make all the right choices from the given options. This can be a bit tricky so do proper PTE practice.
Re-order Paragraphs: You will get a bunch of randomly arranged sentences. You will have to arrange them in the right order.
Reading Fill in the Blanks: You will get a passage with blanks. You need to fill them with the correct words.
Reading and Writing Fill in the Blanks: From the drop-down menu, you will have to choose the right option for the blank.

02. Listening:

This module tests your listening and writing skills. You will hear a recorded file. Based on that you will have to answer questions. It has 8 sub-tasks. Attempt all of these tasks during PTE practice.

Summarize Spoken Text: You will have to write a summary of 50-70 words on the recorded clip.
Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers: You will hear the audio. Based on it you will have to choose multiple correct answers that resemble the recording.
Fill in the Blanks: You will hear an audio clip and a passage with blanks will appear on the screen. You will have to fill in the blanks with the right words from the audio.
Highlight Correct Summary: Based on the audio clip, you will have to choose the right summary from the given options.
Multiple Choice, Choose Single Answer: Based on the audio, you will have to choose the right answer for what is asked.
Select Missing Word: Select the correct words from the audio clip to fill in the blanks.
Highlight incorrect words: Based on the recording that you hear, you will have to highlight all the wrong words.
Write from dictation: You will hear a recording of a few words. You will have to write down each word correctly and in the same order.

03. Speaking:

The speaking section tests your listening, reading, and speaking skills. There are 5 sub-tasks.

Read Aloud: You need to read out the text that appears on the screen.
Repeat Sentence: After you hear a sentence, you must repeat it loudly.
Describe Image: An image will appear on the screen. You will have to explain it descriptively.
Re-Tell Lecture: After you hear the lecture, you will have to repeat it in your own words.
Answer Short Question: You need to answer the question in one or a few words.

04. Writing:

The writing section tests the ability to write responses in English. It consists of 2 sub-tasks.

Summarize Written Text: You need to write a summary of the text that appears on the screen
Essay Writing: You need to write an essay on the given topic.

05. Scoring Process:

PTE has an unbiased automated scoring system that is based on complex Artificial Intelligence algorithms. These algorithms were tested using a sample of responses from thousands of students who have different native languages. It imitates a human test checker.

PTE scorecard:

PTE scorecard has three scores: overall score, communication skills score, and enabling skills score. The overall score is an average of the score on all the items. The range of this score is between 10 – 90 points.

The communication skills score measures your listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. The range of this score is between 10 – 90 points.

Whereas the enabling skills score indicates your performance of productive skills. The range of this score is also between 10 – 90 points. The scores are also shown in a graphical representation so that you can evaluate your weaknesses and strengths. There is nothing like a passing score on the PTE exam. But you need to get a good score to get accepted into universities and colleges that you desire or to get an Australian or New Zealand PR.

Every university and college has its own PTE score requirement that you will have to look up on their website. Some universities and colleges have a requirement of a 65+ score in each of the sections of the exam. The best universities and colleges will have a higher bar than this which is around 75+ score in each of the sections.

Scoring Criteria:

Your score will be measured based on the following skills:

Grammar: You should use correct words and vowels in writing your responses
Fluency in English: You should make use of natural speech while speaking your responses.
Pronunciation: The speech should be clear and the words should be pronounced correctly.
Spelling: You should spell the words correctly.
Vocabulary: You should make use of proper words to express the meaning of the sentence.
Written discourse: You should make use of correct and efficient delivery of written language.

These skills require proper PTE practice.

Tips to Ace the PTE Exam:

There are several strategies and tips that you need to follow in the 4 modules to get a good score.

01. Reading Section:

It would help if you kept your eye on the time. Avoid spending too much time on one task.
Learn to skim the passage. First, read the questions before reading the passage so that you get an idea about what to look for in the passage. This will help you to find the answers quickly.
While writing your response, you should use correct grammar and good vocabulary. There are many grammar and vocabulary exercises available on the internet so include them in your PTE practice to improve your grammar and increase the vocabulary base.
Use paraphrasing. In this technique, you make use of similar words to convey the same meaning.

02. Listening Section:

This section can be hard to tackle with the background noise so take the mock test during PTE practice in a noisy environment. So that you are prepared for the actual test environment.
Learn to stay focused on the questions and not get distracted. But if you get distracted then you will waste your time and won’t be able to answer all the questions in the given timeframe.
Watch English movies, TV shows, and videos to improve your understanding of the American and British accents.

03. Speaking Section:

You will need to build the below skills during PTE practice so that you can tackle this section with ease.

Pronunciations: You should check out the YouTube video for the pronunciation of words and compare them with what you speak. You will get an overall idea of where you are going wrong. Make a habit of talking in English with your friends and family so that they can correct you.
Intonation: It is the rise and fall in the tone. If you are not sure about when to increase and decrease your tone then try to imitate a native English speaker. You will understand when to raise and drop your tone.
Speed: You should avoid speaking too fast or too slow. So try to speak at a normal pace as that indicates calmness and confidence.
Word Stress: You should stress the important words because it creates an impact on the listener. But if you stress the wrong words then the listener will get confused.
Pauses: Whenever you see a full stop or comma, you should pause. If you forget to pause then the listener will not understand.

04. Writing Section:

Write content that is relevant to the topic.
Use formal language.
Write in paragraphs and avoid the use of bullet points.
Use good vocabulary and correct grammar to get more points.
Write impactful opening and closing statements so that you create an impact on the reader’s mind.
An essay should have an introduction and a strong conclusion.

Try these tips while tackling this module during PTE practice.