It is recommended for every first-time candidate to spend at least 56 days (8 Weeks) preparing for the PTE Academic Examination. The following 8 strategies will form the basis of your 8-Week study plan.
1) Familiarise Yourself with the Examination Tasks
Find out about the examination by visiting Pearson’s very own PTE website for information including how long the test takes, the test format, and the types of questions that will be asked. PTE Academic is split into three sections: speaking and writing, reading and listening. It’s important to understand what you are expected to complete in these three parts, so you can prepare accordingly.
2) Create a Study Plan
A comprehensive, step-by-step guide that allows you to dedicate ample time for each exercise is perhaps the best strategy to familiarize yourself with the format of the examination, and more importantly, become comfortable with it. Doing this will mean you’re not surprised by any unexpected questions on test day, and you’ll know what’s coming next. A study plan does not necessarily include enrolling in PTE courses, although finding a PTE course online that addresses your needs is encouraged.
3) Understand the Different Types of Questions
Familiarise yourself with the different types of questions and methods of answering in each part of the test, including multiple-choice questions, essays, and filling in the blanks, just to name a few. Understanding this is vital so that you don’t end up making any mistakes. Consider this, the test includes both ‘multiple-choice, choose single answer’ and ‘multiple-choice, choose multiple answer’ questions. Be mindful of the question before attempting, and don’t end up selecting only one answer when you should actually be choosing a few.
4) Understand How the Test is Scored
The PTE Academic is marked by Artificial Intelligence (AI), which provides a highly objective assessment. Some questions are marked on correctness alone (such as multiple-choice questions), while others are based on correctness, formal aspects, and the quality of the response (like the essay). ‘Formal aspects’ refers to the form of the response (for example, whether you go under or over the word limit for a particular question), while the quality of the response is represented in the enabling skills (for example, in a ‘re-tell lecture’ question in the speaking test, you will be scored on skills including oral fluency and pronunciation). Keeping this in mind will help you optimize your responses so there is less room for error. Our PTE course online tells you exactly the kind of answers the examiners (in this case, AI-engineered computers) are looking for!
5) Do Practice Tests Online
Once you feel like you’ve familiarised yourself with all the question types, consider sitting down for a practice/mock test on the official PTE website. These are full, timed exams with the same interface used in the actual examination, and will also give you a mock score report.
6) Diversify Your Practice
A lot can be done, even without having to join a PTE course. Try communicating in English wherever you can. Turn off the auto-correct feature on your phone and laptop. Word spelling is the most neglected aspect when preparing for the test, and it is no surprise that as many as 75% of the test givers score lower than their expected scores in the writing section.
Moreover, by watching English-language movies/series, listening to podcasts, and reading and writing in English as much as possible, you will be improving your skills. Make a habit of dedicating 15 minutes a day for the next 56 days to at least one of the above-listed habits.
7) Consider joining Workshops
A workshop is different from a class or session in that, it has fewer students and allows a more detailed discussion around the various strategies and techniques and every candidate is provided with the opportunity to ensure their doubts are addressed so that they do not feel left out.
Our Four-week workshop is a PTE course designed for students who have been preparing for 3-4 weeks by themselves and are now looking for refinement and feedback. These polishing sessions are held five-days a week, for four weeks. One week to master each module.
8) Prepare for Test Day
Before the day of the examination, ensure you have the correct documentationtotake to your test center, give yourself ample time to reach the test center, make sure you’re hydrated, have eaten well, and are calm and level-headed.
Good luck with your PTE Academic preparation! You got this!