The PTE Academic exam tests your English skills for student admissions and visa applications to study or work abroad. Performing well on this important test can open up opportunities around the world. This blog provides tips and strategies to help you prepare effectively and ace the PTE Academic exam.

Understanding the PTE Academic Exam Format

The PTE Academic exam has three main sections that test your English skills in different ways. Understanding what each section contains is important so you can practice the right strategies.

Speaking & Writing Section

• This part evaluates your ability to speak English clearly and write well. 

• It has tasks that require you to read a text out loud, listen and repeat sentences exactly, describe an image you see, summarize a recording you hear, and write a short essay.

• For the read-aloud, you need to read the given text clearly with proper pronunciation, intonation, and stress on the right words.

• For repeat sentences, you must repeat the sentence you hear without changing anything.

• Describe image requires you to speak about the main details and information shown in an image like a graph, map, or diagram.

• Retell lecture means listening to a recording and summarizing the key points in your own words.

• For the essay, you will write a persuasive or argumentative essay in 200-300 words based on a given prompt or question.

Reading Section

• Here you will demonstrate your skills in reading and comprehending written English passages.

• Question types include multiple-choice questions to test your understanding of the readings.

• You may have to re-order paragraphs by putting the texts in the correct order. 

• There are fill-in-the-blank questions where you type in missing words from a reading passage.

Listening Section    

• This section evaluates how well you understand spoken English.

• Tasks include summarizing a recording by typing out the main points covered.

• You may have multiple-choice questions about the recording content.  

• Some questions require filling in missing words or blanks from the audio recording.

• For others, you must identify which summary text best matches the recording.

There are 20 different question types spread across the Speaking & Writing, Reading, and Listening sections of the PTE Academic exam.

Speaking Strategies Explained 

Fluency & Pronunciation

• Practice speaking English out loud as much as possible to build fluency.

• Record yourself speaking and listen carefully to identify areas to improve.

• Work on smoothly linking words together instead of unnatural pauses between words.

• Speaking regularly with language partners or joining a conversation club helps.

Describing Images

• First, quickly identify the main subject – is the image a graph, map, process diagram, etc?

• Give an overall description of what the image shows.

• Then provide more specific details using proper vocabulary related to that image type.

• Use sequence words like “first, next, finally” to link your points together in a logical order.

• Don’t just list random details – give a clear overview of the main information.

Retelling Lectures

• Listen carefully for the introduction, main points, examples, and conclusion.  

• Take brief notes on the key ideas as you listen so you don’t miss anything.

• Summarize the recording in your own words – don’t just repeat exactly what was said.

• Group together related points logically when summarizing instead of jumping around.

Writing Strategies Made Simple  

For Both Essay & Summary Writing

• Read all instructions carefully – understand the topic, tone required, word limit, etc. 

• Plan out the key content points and structure before you start writing.

• Write using good grammar, sentence variety, and paragraph breaks.

• Review what you wrote and fix any errors to improve coherence and flow.

Essay Writing Tips 

• Carefully analyze the essay prompt to understand exactly what it is asking you.

• Take a clear position and state your main argument or thesis statement.

• Support your stance with specific examples and logical reasoning.  

• Consider the other side’s viewpoints but keep arguing to defend your thesis.

Summary Writing Advice

• Identify and focus on explaining the main idea and key supporting details.

• Leave out any minor, unimportant details or examples not central to the main idea.

• Rephrase the content in your own words rather than copying phrases directly.

• Be concise but make sure to cover all the essential points within the word limit.

Reading Strategies Simplified

Managing Your Time

• Don’t spend too much time on any one reading question if it’s difficult.

• For hard questions, first eliminate any wrong answer choices.  

• If you’re unsure, make an educated guess and mark that question to return later if possible.

Active Reading Techniques

• Start by quickly reading through passages to understand the main purpose.  

• Identify the tone or attitude of the writing, as well as the key facts and overall structure.

• Make brief notes or underline important points as you read to aid your comprehension.

Fact vs. Opinion

• Facts are objective statements that can be proven true or false.

• Opinions are subjective views, judgments, or assumptions that can’t be definitively proven.  

• For multiple-choice questions, make sure the answer you select is a factual statement from the passage.

Using Context for Vocabulary

• Look at surrounding words, sentences, and paragraphs for clues to figure out new vocabulary.

• Break down longer words into prefixes, root words, and suffixes that you recognize.

• Identify if the unknown word is acting as a noun, verb, adjective, etc. based on context.

Listening Section Strategies Explained 

Staying Focused  

• Find a quiet place without distractions to concentrate fully on the recordings.

• Don’t try to write down every single word – focus on understanding the overall meaning.

• Listen for clues about the main topic or purpose of the recording.

Following Arguments & Reasoning

• Listen carefully for signal words like “because,” “however,” “therefore” etc.

• Distinguish between claims or opinions versus supporting evidence or reasons given.

• Summarize the key points, examples used, and overall reasoning in your response.

Multiple Speakers

• Keep track of who is speaking and their perspective or role.

• Listen for cues like people’s names or pronouns (he, she, they) to identify each speaker.

• Tell apart facts from opinions and varying degrees of certainty expressed by speakers.  

Test Day Tips Made Simple

• Get a full night’s sleep and eat a nutritious meal before your exam for energy.

• Dress in layers in case the test room temperature is too hot or cold.

• Have your ID and all other required documents ready ahead of time. 

• Do some breathing exercises to stay relaxed and focused during the test.

• Read all instructions carefully and pace yourself to finish each section.

The key is to practice using these simplified strategies frequently. Take many full-timed practice tests to simulate the real PTE Academic exam experience. Stay positive and confident – you have prepared thoroughly and can do well!

PTE Coaching at Tiju’s Academy

Tiju’s Academy, the best PTE coaching centre in Kerala, offers coaching to help you prepare for the PTE Academic exam. Our experienced teachers focus on the speaking, writing, listening, and reading sections of the PTE test. We use proven strategies and practice exercises to get you ready. Attend classes in-person or online based on your schedule. By taking our PTE coaching, you will improve your English abilities and increase your chances of getting a high score on this important exam for student visas and university admissions.