This is a case study based on a real incident; the person who struggled to score marks in the Reading module. Before that, here is an overview about the reading module.
The PTE exam is a computer-based English proficiency test used for studying abroad and migration. It uses AI to score your speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills except for certain tasks where content is re-evaluated by an external examiner.
The Reading Module is the second part of the exam, lasting roughly 30 minutes and including around 15 to 20 questions across five tasks. It tests your ability to understand, your use of vocabulary and collocation, grammar, and logical analysis. Learn with the best PTE offline and online coaching institute in Kerala.
What are the main tasks in the PTE Reading module?
There are Five main tasks in the PTE reading module.
- Fill in the blanks (dropdown): This is a high weightage task in this section. A passage with several blank spaces is given. You are required to fill the blank space with the proper word chosen from each drop-down list.
- Fill in the blanks (drag & drop): This is also considered a high weightage task in the reading module. In these tasks you should drag the correct option in the blank space from the given box below.
- Re-order Paragraph: In this task, on the left side there are several sentences given in random order. You should arrange the sentences in proper order on the right side. Here, the score is based on the pairing of sentences.
- Multiple choice, Single Answer: A script is given, and there is a question based on the passage. You are required to choose an option from the given lists. There is no negative marking for this task.
- Multiple choice, Multiple Answers: A passage is given on the basis of a topic. There is a question related to the passage. You are asked to choose multiple answers from the given list. There is negative marking for this task.
How many questions can be expected in each task?
The number of questions you can expect in the reading module is 15 to 20 questions.
- Fill in the blanks (drop-down): you can expect 4 to 5 questions in this task.
- Fill in the blanks (drag & drop): you can expect 4 to 5 questions.
- Re-order Paragraph: There are 2 to 3 questions from this task.
- Multiple choice, Single answer: you can expect 2 to 3 questions.
- Multiple choice Multiple answers: There will be 2 to 3 questions in this task.
A Case Study: Albert, PTE Aspirant
Mr. Albert, PTE Aspirant from the misty town of Idukki is located in Kerala. He was a man who did things carefully. He finished his studies in Medical Lab Technology, and spent his days looking at tiny things to understand how the human body works. Albert had big dreams that went beyond where he lived. He wanted to go to the United Kingdom and work there. His ambition is to settled in a foreign country from the Western Ghats hilly area. Albert did not just want to visit the United Kingdom he wanted to work in a nice white coat and make a better life for himself in the NHS. He wanted to have a new life in the United Kingdom with his family. Albert wanted to have a career in the NHS and be happy, with his Malayali roots and his new British life.
He would examine slides, record notes, understand scientific terms when he decided to take the PTE Academic test, he felt sure of himself. He could talk naturally, write well and understand listening audios easily. When he started the Reading part, he faced a problem.
For Mr. Albert the Reading section was not a test; it was a big challenge. He did well in other parts of the exam but the timer in the reading part made him too careful. He would read every paragraph like a medical report and try to understand everything. Instead of looking for important words he would get stuck on one sentence and read it many times as the time went by.
His struggle was like building a house of cards. In the Re-order Paragraphs part, he would try to create a story but if the first sentence was not right his whole plan would fall apart. Even though he knew the grammar rules from his job he couldn’t use them enough to fill in the blanks.
The confident Mr. Albert, from the hill side felt trapped and unsure of himself. To achieve his goal, he didn’t need to learn English; he needed to change his way of thinking and learn to recognize patterns quickly like a doctor examining patients, and we were with him to achieved his dream. Learn with the leading PTE offline and online coaching institute in Kerala.
What are the Key pains that set back him from doing tasks?
Let’s take a look at the mistakes that Mr. Albert committed while practicing reading section,
Albert did not struggle because of his lack of knowledge. Albert struggled because he was fighting with his instincts.
The first problem Albert faced was being a Perfectionist. When Albert practiced, he treated each passage like something valuable. Albert felt like he had to understand every word and every little detail of vocabulary before he could move on. If he looking for the main idea or specific keywords of the passage, Albert got stuck and kept reading sentences over and over as if he was checking for mistakes. In an exam, where every second counts he was wasting all his time before he even got to the questions.
Then Albert faced another problem. Even he knew all the Grammar rules and can recall it at any time, but when the timer started for the “Fill in the Blanks” section his brain went blank. The fact that these tasks were very important and have a lot of pressure. This pressure made him forget all the technical knowledge he had. He was not failing because he did not know the rules. Albert was failing because he could not use them when it really mattered.
This Pressure really a big trouble for Albert in the Re-order Paragraphs section. He had a strategy, tried to rebuild the story in his head before choosing an answer. Albert spent a lot of time making sure that the story made sense. If his first sentence was even a little bit wrong, his whole strategy fell apart. If he made one mistake at the start, he lost almost all the points for that task and got very frustrated and tired.
As Albert kept practicing, he started to struggle with the context of the sentences. When he saw four words to choose from the options, he stopped looking at how they fit into the sentence. Instead, he got Confused, and started choosing words based on how they fit the story of the paragraph not based on what the sentence needed.
Finally, Albert lost all of his Confidence, after a few practice sessions did not go well. He started guess working based on intuition. He developed a block that was so strong that he would read the same line many times without understanding a single word. It became a cycle. He expected to fail so Albert’s brain just gave up.
The story of Albert is an example of how being too anxious, during a test and paying too much attention to details can hurt even the strongest technical skills of the PTE.
How I assist him for his preparation and overcome these hurdles?
The change in Alberts PTE preparation was not just about teaching him English. It was about changing the way he looked at the reading passages. I Stan Sunny, his trainer, when I first met Albert, he was getting lost in details. He was treating every paragraph like it was very important and needed to be studied deeply. To improve his score, I as his trainer, changed his approach towards the reading section. I have advised him to focus on Pattern Recognition of trying to understand context deeply.
I made things simple for him. The first thing, I stopped doing was the grammar review. Albert did not need to be an expert in English. He needed to be good at PTE and not worrying about every grammar rules. He needs to focused on how academic texts are structured. I showed him how sentences are built so he could understand them even when the words were difficult.
The big change happened when I introduced a rule for the “Fill in the Blanks” section. Most students, including Albert would read the paragraph to understand the story before choosing a word. I told him to stop doing that. I taught him to look at the words around the space. He had to look at the three words and the two words after the blank.
This was an effective way to do things easier. If a blank was followed by the word “to” Albert did not need to know what the passage was about. He just needed to know which word fit well with “to”. By doing this he could eliminate options quickly. He was no longer confused by other words. He was able to choose the word because it fit well. This change saved his time spent per each question. He had time to think and was less stressed.
Next, I worked on his Re-order Paragraphs strategy. Albert used to try to find the order for the sentences. When he could not find it, he would get upset. I changed this by teaching him the Pairing Principle. I taught him to find the connections between two sentences. If one sentence started with “However” it was not the sentence. If one sentence introduced an idea and the next sentence referred back to it, they went together.
By doing this Albert stopped getting stressed about the order. He was able to get points and stay focused. The technical changes were only part of the solution. His lack of confidence required an approach. The Reading section is not too much long, but requires a lot of focus. His brain would get confused and lost focus.
To help with this, a yoga-based concentration sessions were arranged to him. This session was not only for the exercise but also helped him to be focused during the PTE course. In this session, he learnt how to breathe and stay calm when he got stuck. These sessions helped him to overcome anxious and become calmer during the test. Instead of reading the same line many times, he learned to take a deep breath and see the important words clearly.
By the end of his training, Albert was a person, who was able to analyse the PTE test and find the patterns. He had changed his way of thinking, able to do the test quickly and accurately. He no longer saw the PTE exam as a test of guessing. Alternatively, he considered this test finding the right patterns.
CONCLUSION
Alberts journey from being a medical lab technician to a smart PTE candidate shows that doing well in the Reading section is not just about learning new things but also about forgetting some old habits. Albert used to read everything carefully. Then he changed his way of reading. He started looking for patterns. Managed his time better. This change was key to his success. He stopped trying to understand every word. Instead, he looked at how things put together in the text. He checked how words are used in context. By doing this Albert was able to use his knowledge to do on the exam. He stays calm and think strategically. The PTE is an AI integrated exam. His story shows that the PTE requires more, than English skills to pass it. It requires the PTE candidate to be calm and think smart. Albert’s story is a good message for those who are struggling in the PTE academic test preparation. Now he is in London following his dream and leading a joyful life. Join the best PTE offline and online training centre in Kerala.
