PTE Strategies

SPEAKING
Before the start of speaking section, there is a short 'Personal Introduction' to
complete although it is not scored. In this section, you have to speak about
yourself and this will be sent together with your score report to the institutions
selected by you.

Tips for Personal Introduction:

 Your brief information

 Your interests
 Your plans for future study
 Why you want to study abroad
 Why you choose this test
 Why you need to learn English
Speak at least 3 topics or more of above mentioned tips within 30 sec. Overall, in
speaking section the most important thing is your speaking "FLUENCY".

Tips for Read Aloud:

 Fluency is your first priority
 Scan for hard words and Spell it clearly before it starts recording.
 Be aware of Plurals, don't spell wrongly.
 No long disconnection of sentences.(i.e. Gap to each sentence)
 Incase wrong word is spelled, do not stop or re-correct, continue speaking.
 Beware of Inappropriate stress and incorrect pronunciation to some words.
 Before it starts recording, read once the total sentence.
 Time for this section is more than sufficient.
 Don't keep silent for more than 3sec.
 Your tone must be NATURAL. 
 Do not panic, the scores are influenced in your reading section.

Tips for Repeat Sentences:

 Fluency should be maintained
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 Close your eyes and listen to keep concentration on listening.
 Clear voice, do not fumble or sound “aaa, ummm” and such
 Listen first few and last few words carefully.

 If you can't remember the whole sentence at-least give importance to

Keywords.

Tips for Describe Image:

Many of them feel it is difficult, but it is not that much difficult. Just follow the
below tips.
 Speak about key points. ( Most Important)
 Do not worry about Highest and Lowest,
 Keep the numbers and content separate.
 Speak the topic
 Just describe, Don’t Analyze
 For graphs you can use –  'X-axis on graphs shows…. range……', and 'Y-axis
on graph shows…. range….'
 Use the words like over, about, under… to point out the values on the axis.
If you use those words no need to be the exact value.
 Don't stay silent or pause, speak something about the image you see.

Tips for Retell Lecture:

 Note the keywords as much as you can by understanding the context of the
topic, this will up your scores
 If possible try to catch 3-5 sentences it's enough to re-tell the lecture.
 While taking notes just omit remembering all sentences and note
keywords, it saves the time. (practice it)
 Fluency is most important, whatever you speak also.
 Don't keep silent, speak something related to lecture. 
 Don’t worry about deep understanding or analyzing. The software cant
understand the context.

Tips for Short Answer Questions:

 If you don't know the answer, just repeat the words in the question.

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 Least is say “No Idea, or I don’t know in the answer”.

Writing
PTE Writing section consists of two item types.
1. Summarize Written Text
2. Write an Essay

Note: Keywords are the king in writing. You do not have to focus on synonyms,
understand the analytics of keywords and this will lift your scores.

Summarize Written Text:

Tips:
 Summarize the text in about 30-40words on average. Do not exceed more
than 40
 Use only one full stop at the end of the sentence.
 Capitalize the starting words and nouns (Names) in the sentence.
 Around 30 words for the best answer
 Be aware of Spellings.
 Use punctuations like comma the most, at-least 3-4 times
 Add as much as writing connectors as you can like: however, therefore,
moreover etc
 No examples, Reasons, and Illustrations.
 A summary must be written in third person form. Don't use I, We… etc.
 Most answers of this section come from the last part so concentrate till the
end.
 Feel free to write the same from the passage. Synonyms and paraphrasing
not required.

Writing An Essay:

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In the exam you may get one or two questions but not exact. To write an essay
you have 20min for each (if 2 questions). 
Tips:
 Be aware of Spellings.
 Do not use backspace
 Add as many key words of the topic sentence.
 Essay structure – 4 paragraphs
 Introduction, Body paragraph 1, Body Paragraph 2, Conclusion
 Keep the word length same in Body paragraph 1 and 2
 One sentence should have maximum 30 words
 Use punctuations, as much as you can
 Use writing connectors like moreover, however, therefore
 Do not use bullet points.
 In the body, gives examples, reasons, and statistics to describe. 
 Remember adding one statistical detail is recommended.

Reading

This section is held for 32-41min (depends on questions in the exam) and the item
types it include are:
1. Multiple-choice, choose single answer
2. Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers
3. Re-order paragraphs
4. Reading: Fill in the blanks
5. Reading & Writing: Fill in the blanks

Tips for Multiple-choice, single and multiple answers:

 Focus on keywords in question and search in the text and then look for
options.
 Most of the time, pay close attention to the frequency words (always,
often, sometimes, never many, all, never, only.. etc) eliminate those options
and find the correct answer.

Ex: According to the text, which of the following are true of English attitudes
towards intellectuals?
1. They never join forces with those in authority.
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2. Most people would not be able to name an intellectual.
3. In general, the English do not admire respect intellectuals.
4. Even some English intellectuals do not like to be called intellectuals.
5. They are not clear about what an intellectual is or does.
Answer: 3,4

Note: It is not applicable always, Use this trick only when the time is not sufficient
to answer.
 Look for main reason/text and concentrate on repeated words to find the
correct answer.
 Negative marking is applicable for multiple answers.
 Time manage max 90sec each question in single answer type and max 2min
for each question in multiple answers.
 Do not spare more than 60 seconds on this question type. This section
carries least weightage

Tips for Re-order Paragraphs:

 Look at the Proper Nouns-Common nouns-Pronoun-Articles Usage-Time
Phrases (depends) order to form the sentences.
 Consider the clue words
Ex: a) The king…….
       b) ……….. King Rama………
(The order here it comes is, b-a. Because in the sentence 'a' it says Kings follows….
but in sentence 'b' it introduces about the king name.)

 Frame the order of sentences using the Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives,

Repeated words, Time phrases, etc…
 Concentrate on pronouns he, she, him, her, they, them, these, those, etc.,
these sentences will never come in first.
 Repeated words – the hint here is, most of the time word one sentences if
the same word in other sentences come in an order.
 Adjectives – the hint here is, Ex: better comes after good. so first is good-
and then it is better.
 Time planning – try to answer the question within 4min.

Tips for Fill in the Blanks:

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 Concentrate on parts of speech before and after the blank, it helps in
finding the missing word.
 Focus on the major keywords: Adverbs and Adjectives.
 Concentrate on words just before and next to the blank.
 If the context is positive, the answer is positive and vice versa
 Feel free to use your intuition (as long as it is logical)

Listening

PTE Listening is very easy and scoring if you pay attention to all parts of test
carefully. This section is held for 45 to 57 minutes depends on the given questions
in the exam. Here you are tested on your listening skills mainly, as well as having
some integrated speaking & listening questions. For each question, you have the
opportunity to adjust the volume. While the audio clip is playing, move the
control bar to the right to increase the volume or to the left to decrease the
volume. The item types included in this section are as follows:

1. Summarize spoken text

2. Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers
3. Fill in the blanks
4. Highlight correct summary
5. Multiple-choice, choose single answer
6. Select missing word
7. Highlight incorrect words
8. Write from dictation
 

Tips
 

Summarize Spoken Text:

 Make a note while listening to the text, vomit the vowels and practice you
can save a lot of time.
 Do not use the words, "The speaker says…."

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 Concentrate on topic sentences and most repeated words.
 Write 3 sentences’
 Maximum 60 words
 Start your sentence from the main topic.

Tips for Multiple & Single answer choices:

 Multiple answer types have Negative marking.

 Answers are paraphrased.. Practice to understand paraphrasing

 Most of the answers you can find at the end so listen until it finishes.
 Most of the time, pay close attention to the frequency words (always,
often, sometimes, never many, all, never, only.. etc). Eliminate those options
and find the correct answer.
 Note down the keywords and at the end of the listening co-ordinate
keywords with the answers.

Tips for Fill in the Blanks:

 Note the answers in erasable notepad given by them and later fill the
answers.
 Check the spellings, Plurals especially
 Answers may be the high rate of speech and sometimes.

Tips for Highlight Correct Summary:

 Note keywords in question.
 Skim the options within given time.
 Use elimination method
 Answers are paraphrased.
 Catch the end of words and listen to the ending of the topic, you can catch
the correct answer.
 Concentrate on repeated words.

Tips for Missing words (Beep sound):

 Understand the context of the listening so you can answer the correct
option
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 Link the context and keywords to the given option
 Eliminate the options.
Tips for Write from Dictation:
 Close your eyes and hear the text, so you can concentrate and remember it.
 Proofread for Spellings and Grammar mistakes.
 You will be scored on every correct word

Other Tips for PTE Listening:

 Make notes in erasable notepad
 Manage your time
 Be careful about negative marking
 Pay close attention to the frequency words
 Note keywords in question
 Concentrate on repeated words
 Write from Dictation (Always proofread for grammar and spellings
mistakes)
 Check Spellings
 Skim the text before recording

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