Top tips to ace the PTE

The PTE academic test has become a popular and widely-accepted English language test especially for students applying for visas to countries like Australia and New Zealand.

A good score in the PTE exam will help you get a visa without difficulty. Here are ten tips you can follow to get a good score in the PTE exam.

Practice reading

Focus on good content, in books, international high-profile magazines, insightful TV channels, etc. This will help you grow your vocabulary, strengthen your pronunciation, get used to a variety of accents, including the accent of native speakers, and improve your grammar, all of which will help you prepare for PTE Academic.

Use mock tests to your advantage

Make use of practice tests to prepare for the exam. Experts recommend taking at least 3 to 4 mock tests to fine tune your preparation.

Improve your reading skills

In PTE Academic, the main reading skills that come into play include speed reading, skimming, and scanning. You should be able to read quickly through a text with these skills, without taking too much time on each word, while still being able to understand the key / important ideas.

Make a list of words

That's a list of words you should use, in particular in the writing test, to make your writing sound polished. Words such as describe, explain, and portray, for example , can help you explain the picture in Writing Task 1. The meaning and pronunciation of these words, and how to use (and not use) them, must be clear to you.

Record your speech

It is a good idea to record yourself while preparing for the speaking test. You will be able to recognize any errors you have made and correct them when you listen to the replay. Watch out for repetition issues, pace (too slow / fast), lack of clarity / mumble.

Prepare for the self-introduction

As you are aware, the PTE speaking test begins with an introduction. Although it is not scored, it will be submitted to the institutions to which you apply, so it is necessary to make a good impression. Create a list of points to address as part of your training, and practice presenting yourself. Be conscious of the time limit, you do not have to write a script, though! It will make the presentation sound unnatural and rigid, which will produce a bad impression.

Practice writing notes

For some of the activities, the art of note-making is important, like explaining an image and writing an essay in the writing exam, summarizing a lecture, etc. Your notes must be concise, consisting only of keywords and phrases that reflect the information that is important. For example, to summarize a lecture, you must be able to keep up with the speed  at which the passage is being read and stay within the time limit! You must also be fast!

Get familiar with the test

There are patterns of questions, subjects and so on in every test. The more mock tests you practice, the more familiar you become with these patterns, and the simpler it is to write the test with confidence.

Pay attention to the limits on words and the time

There is a time limit during which you must complete the assignments for some of the tasks. You must be ready, on time, to complete the task comfortably. In particular, you must also write a minimum number of words for the writing tests. If you write less, you will fail.

Take the help of a comprehensive online PTE coaching service to prepare well and get the desired score in your PTE exam.