PTE exams can be quite challenging, even for some advanced learners. Therefore, it is natural for beginners to worry about how the results might turn out.
But here’s the great news: many candidates still manage very impressive scores on their first try.
Our team has conducted in-depth interviews with these successful examinees to compile the top 10 PTE exam preparation tips for beginners.
Keep scrolling to learn what they are about!
Top 10 PTE Exam Preparation Tips for Beginners
Tip #1. Understand The Test Format
Before diving in, make sure you have familiarized yourself with the structure of the test, including types of questions and scoring.
From there, you can develop more effective test-taking strategies and know how to allocate your time wisely.
We suggest navigating to the official Pearson website for more details. But in general, a PTE test consists of three main parts as follows:
- Part 1. Speaking and Writing (54 to 67 minutes)
- Part 2. Reading (29 to 30 minutes). Note that one item (Reading/Writing: Fill in the gap) also assesses your writing skills.
- Part 3. Listening (30 to 43 minutes). Note-taking is allowed.
Tip #2. Establish A Goal
A clear, realistic goal right from the start helps provide direction, motivation, and long-term focus for your preparation journey.
- Ask yourself why you need to take the PTE exam. Are you aiming for a specific score to meet university admission requirements? Do you want to boost your employment prospects or simply improve your English proficiency?
- Take a diagnostic test or seek guidance from experienced PTE tutors to determine your proficiency level. Next, analyze the score/feedback, identify areas that require the most attention, and then set suitable goals for your practice.
Tip #3. Start With Your Weak Points
After completing the sample test, note down all the assignments/sections you did well and set them aside. It would be better to work with the worst results first before moving gradually to other tasks with higher scores!
- Break down the area into smaller, more manageable components. Suppose you are struggling with vocabulary; then divide them into specific thematic categories or word families.
- Decide on practice activities that address a specific part of your weaker points. Let’s say you have trouble with reading comprehension. In that case, we suggest focusing on exercises that require you to identify key ideas, summarize texts, or infer from given information.
Tip #4. Use Reliable Resources To Prepare For Your Exam
The quality of the learning materials is extremely important to your overall progress.
By choosing reliable sources with accurate, up-to-date PTE tips and information that align with the actual exam format, you have secured at least 30% of your success!
- Official PTE practice materials (designed by Pearson itself) include sample questions, mock tests, study guides, etc., that closely replicate real-life exam experiences.
- Many third-party preparation platforms also offer comprehensive resources of mock tests, interactive exercises, and even personalized feedback.
Nevertheless, do not forget to check for reviews/recommendations from language experts and PTE test takers to avoid outdated materials.
- Seek help from experienced PTE educators or tutors if necessary. With years of teaching and guiding students through PTE preparation, they can suggest some great learning resources for future use.
Tip #5. Be Consistent With Your Schedule
Consistent schedules aid memory retention and strengthen your focus, so remember to set specific times for your study every day.
These arrangements must be followed at all costs. We do not recommend constant adjustments to your schedule unless absolutely necessary.
Tip #6. Avoid Cramming
As a beginner, you must feel impatient to improve your skills and confidence.
However, cramming everything within short periods will overwhelm your mind and result in short-term memorization rather than effective retention. Instead, focus on consistent study sessions through longer courses (e.g., six months) with some short breaks in between.
Tip #7. Hone Your Listening Skills
PTE listening tasks use real-life conversations of both non-native and native English speakers. Therefore, you should understand their pronunciation habits to avoid unnecessary confusion on the connected parts of the speech.
- Intrusive /r/. Some people put the /r/ sound between the ending vowel of the first word and the starting vowel of the second word. As a result, “saw animals” become “saw/r/animals.”
- Linking /w/ and /j/. For instance, English speakers might say “go/w/on” or “he/j/addresses” despite no /w/ or /j/ t in the actual writing.
- Catenation. The two words sound “glued together” when the ending consonant of the first word is followed by the starting vowel of the second.
- Twinning. “She looks sick.” sounds exactly like “She look sick.” The two adjacent /s/ sounds are not pronounced twice.
Also, trying to catch every word from the audio is the worst strategy ever for listening tasks. You should rely on the following techniques to grasp the general theme and message only:
- Before the speaker begins, take a moment to predict the topic or theme of the passage. Pay attention to keywords and phrases that signal important information, such as topic sentences, transitions, and concluding statements.
- Consider the speaker’s tone, purpose, and the relationship between the speaker and the audience.
- Mentally paraphrase/summarize what the speaker is saying as you listen. Actively engaging with the material this way allows you to retain and comprehend the information better. If possible, try to create mental images of the speaker’s words, especially when working on descriptive or narrative passages.
- Take brief notes to capture key points and any question that arises.
- You can predict the answer to a multiple-choice question before listening to its options.
Tip #8. Work On Your Speeches
While PTE’s speaking sections have a lot of scoring criteria, vocabulary, pronunciation, and fluency remain the most crucial. Practicing these three is enough to make your speech sound proficient.
- Speak English whenever you can to improve your fluency. If your family member or roommate can understand even a little English, take that chance to practice with them all the time! The results after one month will be quite astounding.
- While nobody expects you to talk like a true native, your accent and pronunciation must still sound discernible. Therefore, be mindful of the stress of the sentence and how you should pronounce the consonants/ vowels at unstressed positions. Another common tip is to listen to a passage several times, then repeat everything using the same pronunciation and intonation!
Tip #9. Perfect Your Writing
Writing also encompasses several important aspects:
- Grammar proficiency: Although shorter sentences are recommended to reduce errors, a mix of complex sentences and compounds usually guarantees higher scores. You should also make it a habit to read every day, especially news sources like BBC or CNN.
- Vocabulary: Introduce yourself to new expressions/collocations every day, listing out academic terms you can include in your writing.
- Discourse rules: A standard essay must include an opening, main body, and conclusion. Reasoning skills and brainstorming speeds are also important. Keep practicing until you receive significantly better feedback from your tutor.
Tip #10. Improve Your Reading Comprehension
Time management is important during reading sessions; there is no time to take in every word one by one. We suggest incorporating all these three techniques alternatively:
- Skim reading. Move both eyes faster than how you would silently pronounce every word in your mind. There is no need to read at the same rate as you speak!
- Scan reading. In the passage, only look for the specific words that appear in the questions, then read the surrounding texts carefully.
- Critical reading. Take note of the text’s register, tone, and style to grasp the author’s intended purpose.
Conclusion
Hopefully, these top 10 PTE exam preparation tips for beginners can help relieve some of your stress.
The rule of thumb is to identify your weak points and work on each of them one by one using clear, realistic goals. Keep going until you have mastered all four important skills!
And most importantly, remember to space out your study sessions over a long period. Panic learning when only a few weeks are left will never give you any good results.
