https://alfapte.

com/v1/strategy-videos/speaking

Read Aloud
 About Read Aloud

This is the first question type of the Speaking module. It is one of the most important &
scoring questions among all question types. It tests the student’s Speaking & Reading ability.

For this item type, you need to read a written text aloud

 Task - A text appears on the screen. Read the text aloud.

 Skills assessed - Reading and Speaking
 Prompt length - Text up to 60 words
 Time to answer - Varies by item, depending on the length of text.
The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You have 30-40
seconds to prepare, depending on the length of the passage. You hear a short tone. After the
tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because
your voice will not be recorded.

You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush. Finish speaking before the progress bar
reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”. You are only able to record
your response once.

IMPORTANT: If you remain silent for longer than 3 seconds, the recording will stop.

Test Tips:

Use punctuation to help you decide where to pause when you read:
You have 30-40 seconds to look at the text before the microphone opens, so use this time to
break the text up into meaningful chunks, using the punctuation as a guide. This will show
you the places where you can make a tiny pause and alter your intonation – going up when
you begin reading a chunk and falling a little when you end a chunk.

Using appropriate pausing helps you to read more fluently and give the full meaning of the
text. This will improve your score. Look at where the pauses / are indicated in the example:

Stress the words that carry important information:

When you read the text, stress the words that help to convey meaning, by reading them in a
slightly louder voice and adding emphasis to key syllables, e.g., development. Also use rising
and falling intonation patterns to show how the ideas are linked or are coming to an end.
Look at the patterns in this text; the stressed words are underlined, and the rising and falling
intonation is marked by up and down arrows:
How this question is scored:

Your score on Read Aloud is based on three factors:

Content: Does your response include all the words in the reading text and only these words?
Content is scored by counting the number of correct words in your response. Replacements
insertions and omissions of words will negatively affect your score.

Oral fluency: Does your response demonstrate a smooth, effortless and natural rate of
speech? Oral fluency is scored by determining if your rhythm, phrasing and stress are
smooth. The best responses are spoken at a constant and natural rate of speech with
appropriate phrasing. Hesitations, repetitions and false starts will negatively affect your score.

Pronunciation: Does your response demonstrate your ability to produce speech sounds in a
similar way to most regular speakers of the language? Pronunciation is scored by determining
if your speech is easily understandable to most regular speakers of the language. The best
responses contain vowels and consonants pronounced in a native-like way, and stress words
and phrases correctly. Responses should also be immediately understandable to a regular
speaker of the language.

PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to the
degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language.

Note:

 This item type affects the scoring of the following: reading, speaking, oral fluency
and pronunciation.
 Your listening and writing skills are not tested by this item type.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com

Tips By ALFA:
 You will be assigned around 35-40 seconds to read the content on the
screen and practice the passage before the computer begins recording.
Utilize this opportunity to divide the total content into important chunks of
words.

The time designated for recording your reaction will rely on the length of
the content, which is for the most part up to 60 words in length.

Begin talking after you hear the beep tone. Your voice won't be recorded
before that.

Read at a moderate pace. Abstain from talking excessively quick or

excessively slow, and don't skip words. Articulate your words and express
plainly, without rushing in the procedure.

Changing a word by another, embeddings new words, or leaving existing

words are considered as a blunder.

Make smaller delays when you experience accentuation marks like

comma and full stop. The interruption for a full stop ought to be
marginally longer than that for a comma.

Try not to blend solitary and plural things. Articulating "kid" as "kids" or
"houses" as "house" considers a blunder.

Ensure that you articulate numerical qualities accurately. Try not to

avoid the "th" in "25th". Read "the 1850s" as "the eighteen fifties."

Repeat Sentence
About Repeat Sentence
One of the most scoring & challenging questions of the test, checks upon a student’s
Listening & Speaking ability. This question carries partial marking as well.

For this item type you need to repeat the sentence you hear

 Task - After listening to a recording of a sentence, repeat the sentence.

 Skills assessed - Listening and Speaking
 Prompt length - 3-9 seconds
 Time to answer - 15 seconds

The audio begins to plays automatically. When the audio finishes, the microphone opens and
the recording status box shows “Recording”. Speak into the microphone immediately (there
is no short tone) and repeat exactly what you heard. You should speak clearly. There is no
need to rush.

Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to
“Completed”. You are not able to replay the audio. You are only able to record your response
once.

Test Tips:

Listen to the phrasing of the sentence as it is read aloud:

You will be scored on the correct word sequences that you produce for this item type, so the
more phrases you understand, the better your reproduction of the sentence will be. For
example, there are three phrases in this sentence, separated by /, and each one carries a
separate message that has its own meaning:

If you listen for meaningful phrases in the sentence, you will have a better chance of
repeating what you hear accurately.

Copy the stress and intonation patterns of the sentence you hear:
Make a mental note of the way the speaker uses stress and intonation on the recording. These
patterns help to convey the meaning. Speak calmly and clearly, copying this stress and
intonation. For example, look at the pattern in the example: the stressed words or syllables
are underlined, and the falling intonation is marked by down arrows:

How this question is scored:

Your score on Repeat Sentence is based on three factors:

Content: Does your response include all the words in the sentence and only these words?
Content is scored by counting the number of correct word sequences in your response.
Having almost nothing from the prompt in your response will negatively affect your score.

Oral fluency: Does your response demonstrate a smooth, effortless, and natural rate of
Speech? Oral fluency is scored by determining if your rhythm, phrasing, and stress are
smooth. The best responses are spoken at a constant and natural rate of speech with
appropriate phrasing. Hesitations, repetitions, and false starts will negatively affect your
score.

Pronunciation: Does your response demonstrate your ability to produce speech sounds in a
similar way to most regular speakers of the language? Pronunciation is scored by determining
if your speech is easily understandable to most regular speakers of the language. The best
responses contain vowels and consonants pronounced in a native-like way, as well as words
and phrases stressed correctly. Responses should also be immediately understandable to a
regular speaker of the language.

PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to the
degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language.

Note:

 Partial credit scoring applies to Repeat Sentence. No credit is given for no response or
an irrelevant response. This question type affects the scoring of the following:
listening, speaking, oral fluency, and pronunciation.
 Your writing skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading skills are
only used to read the instructions.
Source: https://pearsonpte.com

Tips By ALFA:

You will get 15 seconds to do Repeat Sentence, try to wrap it up 3

seconds before the recording stops.

Following the right sequence is of the most extreme significance. You

may miss out on marks if the sequence of the sentence isn't right.

Avoid the mixing of singular and plural things. Like reading "tree" as
"trees" and "balls" as "ball" are counted as mistakes in Repeat Sentences.

Make an effort not to skip words. In the event that you can't remember all
the pieces of the sentence, Repeat the same number of words precisely as
you can. Be that as it may, by no means should you leave the inquiry
unanswered. Repeating even a small amount of the sentence will get you a
few marks.

Try not to stop halfway while repeating sentences. You may end up
utilizing fillers like umm, blunder, uh out of sheer anxiety. Get enough
practice in Repeat Sentence questions before you sit for the real test. In
the event that you understand that you have committed an error, for
instance, you should state, "It is a good process" and wound up saying, "It
is a good procedure", don't attempt to amend it by saying something like,
"oh sorry! Umm I mean it's a good process". That is considered a
blunder.

Utilize the right pitch to stress specific words or expressions. The start of
the sentence is shown by a rising pitch and the end, by falling one.
 Test-takers are generally so focused on repeating sentences that they
scarcely tune in to the sound. Listen cautiously and rather than simply
recalling the words, comprehend the significance of the sentence, and club
words into important expressions.

Abstain from taking notes for the Repeat Sentence task. The time
allotment is too little to even consider putting pen to paper.

Open yourself to reading material on hand. Everything comes down to

your practice.

In spite of the fact that you are not expected to mirror the emphasis of the
speaker, having the option to mimic the tone will hold you in an
advantage.

Work on your articulation and oral clarity. Use the portal to finish all the
material twice for best practice. As they are all real exam sentences, you
may find it very easy in the actual exam.

There are keywords in each passage that shows the key thought. Utilize a
marginally stronger voice to read such words.

Describe Image
About Describe Image

This is a question wherein the student will have to study & describe an image that appears on
the screen. The images vary & the student will have to describe it in an allotted time of 40
seconds.

For this item type, you need to describe an image

  Task - An image appears on the screen. Describe the image in detail.
 Skills assessed - Speaking
 Prompt length - N/A
 Time to answer - 40 seconds

The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You have 25
seconds to study the image and prepare your response. You hear a short tone. After the
tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because
your voice will not be recorded.

You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush. Finish speaking before the progress bar
reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed’’. You are only able to record
your response once.

Test Tips:

Focus on the main information in the image:

When you look at the image ask yourself ‘‘What is the main idea being shown by the
image?’’ and ‘‘What are the details relating to the main ideas?’’. Use your erasable noteboard
booklet to note down key ideas and phrases that relate to the main information and the
explanatory details. These can be put into sentences when you start to speak:

Organize your description of the image:

If you organize what you say, you will get a better score. This is because a well-organized
answer is more likely to cover the main information as well as the additional details, and also
talk about implications or conclusions based on the information. Look at how this sample
description is organized:

How this question is scored:

Your score on Describe Image is based on three factors:

Content: Does your response accurately and thoroughly describe the image? Content is
scored by determining if all aspects and elements of the image have been addressed in your
response. Your description of relationships, possible developments and conclusions or
implications based on details from the image is also scored. The best responses deal with all
parts of the image, contain logical and specific information, and include possible
developments, conclusions or implications. Mentioning just a few disjointed ideas will
negatively affect your score.

Oral fluency: Does your response demonstrate a smooth, effortless, and natural rate of
speech? Oral fluency is scored by determining if your rhythm, phrasing, and stress are
smooth. The best responses are spoken at a constant and natural rate of speech with
appropriate phrasing. Hesitations, repetitions, and false starts will negatively affect your
score.

Pronunciation: Does your response demonstrate your ability to produce speech sounds in a
similar way to most regular speakers of the language? Pronunciation is scored by determining
if your speech is easily understandable to most regular speakers of the language. The best
responses contain vowels and consonants pronounced in a native-like way and stress words
and phrases correctly. Responses should also be immediately understandable to a regular
speaker of the language.

PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to the
degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language.

Note:

 Partial credit scoring applies to Describe Image. No credit is given for no response or
an irrelevant response. This question type affects the scoring of the following:
speaking, oral fluency, and pronunciation.
 Your listening and writing skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading
skills are only used to read the instructions.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com

Tips By ALFA:

Start with the introduction of the image.

Be thorough with the structure.

Highlight the key points, you do not have to explain anything, just read
what you can see without any pauses.

Avoid using fillers like ‘umming’ and ‘urring’ while speaking. This will
reduce your oral fluency and overall marks.

Don’t try to speak for a full 40 seconds. Stop before the 30 Seconds. This
much time is enough to get 90.

No doubt “Content” is important, but keep in mind ‘Oral Fluency’ and

‘Pronunciation’ is more important.
 Be natural and don’t try to add any new words which you are not
comfortable with.

Practice your structure until you are perfect. Your response should be
smooth and flawless.

Follow the steps given in the structure and check your score using the AI
to get a clearer understanding.

Re-tell Lecture
About Re-tell Lecture

This question type would either be an audio or an audio-visual which would play & the
student will have to re-tell the lecture in their own words. The time allotted for the response is
40 seconds & the students will be judged on their Listening & Speaking abilities.

For this item type, you need to re-tell what you heard

 Task - After listening to or watching a lecture, re-tell the lecture in your own words.
 Skills assessed - Listening and Speaking
 Prompt length - Up to 90 seconds
 Time to answer - 40 seconds

The audio begins to play automatically. You may also see an image related to the audio. After
the audio finishes, you have 10 seconds to prepare. The recording status box displays a
countdown until the microphone opens. You hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking
immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not
be recorded.

You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush. Finish speaking before the progress bar
reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed’’. You are only able to record
your response once.
Note: While the audio is playing, you can take notes on the erasable noteboard provided.

Test Tips:

Make good use of the image to predict the topic of the lecture:
You have 3 seconds before you listen to the recording to quickly look at the image on the
screen. Use this time to think about the vocabulary you might hear. This will give you an
idea of the topic of the lecture and help you predict what you will hear when the recording
begins:

Make good use of the 40 seconds speaking time:

You only have 40 seconds to speak and make sure that you include all the main points of
the lecture. If you repeat ideas, correct yourself or hesitate, you will use up valuable time and
lose score points. So keep talking and ignore any mistakes that you make.
How this question is scored:

Your response for Re-tell Lecture is judged based on our ability to give a presentation on
information from a lecture on an academic subject. Your score is based on three factors:
Content: Does your response accurately and thoroughly retell the information in the lecture?
Content is scored by determining how accurately and thoroughly you convey the situation,
characters, aspects, actions, and developments presented in the lecture. Your description of
relationships, possible developments and conclusions or implications is also scored. The best
responses retell all the main points of the lecture and include possible developments,
conclusions, or implications. Mentioning a few disjointed ideas will negatively affect your
score.

Oral fluency: Does your response demonstrate a smooth, effortless, and natural rate of
speech? Oral fluency is scored by determining if your rhythm, phrasing, and stress are
smooth. The best responses are spoken at a constant and natural rate of speech with
appropriate phrasing. Hesitations, repetitions, and false starts will negatively affect your
score.

Pronunciation: Does your response demonstrate your ability to produce speech sounds in a
similar way to most regular speakers of the language? Pronunciation is scored by determining
if your speech is easily understandable to most regular speakers of the language. The best
responses contain vowels and consonants pronounced in a native-like way and stress words
and phrases correctly. Responses should also be immediately understandable to a regular
speaker of the language.

PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to the
degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language.

Note:

 Partial credit scoring applies to Re-tell Lecture. No credit is given for no response or
an irrelevant response.
 This question type affects the scoring of the following: listening, speaking, oral
fluency and pronunciation.
 Your writing skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading skills are
only used to read the instructions.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com

Tips By ALFA:

Take notes utilizing the erasable notepads. Some test-takers take notes
quickly and at the time of reading, they fail to comprehend their
handwriting!

Along these lines, take clear notes in understanding what you have
written. To improve note-taking rate, you may utilize flowcharts,
shortened forms, or alternate route strategies. Or practice until you get
accustomed to your note taking.

Note down basic keywords from the talk. They can be Adjectives,
Adverbs, Verbs, Proper Nouns, and other logical words.

You may take single word notes. But, it is better to note down pieces of
words, which you can use to build a total sentence.
 On the off chance that you pause for over 3 seconds, the mic will stop
naturally. Anything you state after that won't be recorded.

Avoid using fillers like 'uhm' and 'aah'.

Use connectors like 'besides', 'also', 'moreover', 'furthermore', and so on

can be used. Use what is easy and what comes naturally.

While you are composing, monitor the clock, so you know that you're on
target.

Answer Short Question

About Answer Short Questions

As the name suggests, this is a short answer question where the response is mostly a single
word or a few words. Listening & Speaking skills of the students are assessed in this question
type.

For this item type, you need to reply to the question in one or a few words

 Task - After listening to a question, answer with a single word or a few words.
 Skills assessed - Listening and Speaking
 Prompt length - 3-9 seconds
 Time to answer - 10 seconds

The audio begins to play automatically. You may also see an image. When the audio finishes,
the microphone opens and the recording status box shows “Recording”. Speak into the
microphone immediately (there is no short tone) and answer the question with one or a few
words.

You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush. Finish speaking before the progress bar
reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”. You are not able to replay
the audio. You are only able to record your response once.
 Test Tips:

Do not pause for too long when you answer the question: You hear a short
question and then the recording status box will change to recording.
Start your answer as soon as this happens. If you wait for more than 3 seconds, recording
will stop and the item status will change to ‘completed’, which means that you have lost your
chance to give your answer.

When you have started talking, don’t stop for more than a second or two until you have
finished. If you stop for 3 seconds whilst speaking, the recording status will change to
‘completed’ even if you haven’t finished, and you won’t be able to continue answering.

If the status changes to ‘completed’, you have to click ‘Next’ to move on to the next item.
This also applies to speaking item types Read aloud, Repeat sentence, Describe image, and
Re-tell lecture
Do not try to give a long answer:
The instructions for this item type tell you how to answer the question:

There is no point in saying more than you need to say. Marks are awarded for a short,
accurate answer. There are no extra marks for additional words.

For example, for this question: ‘What type of periodical is published on a daily basis?’, both
these answers would score the same marks:

How this question is scored:

Your response for Answer Short Question is judged on our ability to understand a question
presented in a recording and provide a brief and accurate response. Your response is scored
as either correct or incorrect based on the appropriacy of the words in your response. No
credit is given for no response or an incorrect response.
Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of the following: listening, speaking and
vocabulary.
 Your writing skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading skills are
only used to read the instructions.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com

Tips By ALFA:

It is important to listen cautiously to each question to comprehend it

since you just have 10 seconds to answer it.

A lot of training before your test is the best way to improve your listening
expertise in the event that you do badly here.

Don't overthink! Each question ordinarily requires a basic, clear answer.

Try not to attempt to show how savvy you are by offering a less normal
response.

Despite the fact that there are just 10–12 questions and they just require
1 or 2-word answers, there is no break in the middle of questions, so you
should remain centered and concentrate completely until the last question
has been answered.

Frequently, the first answer that flies into your mind is the correct
answer.

On the off chance that you overthink a question or go to and fro in your
brain, you will probably commit an error and use up all available time.
Attempt to keep away from this!
 You may see an image or a video as part of a question. For example,
there might be a diagram, just go with your gut.

Practice as many questions as you can beforehand. 99% comes from the
ones that are already given on the portal.

Summarize Written Text

About Summarize Written Text

A student is required to write a one-sentence summary of a provided passage within a

maximum limit of 75 words. This question will check the student’s Reading & Writing Skills.

For this item type, you need to write a summary of the text in one sentence

 Task - After reading a text, write a one-sentence summary of the passage.

 Skills assessed - Reading and Writing
 Prompt length - Text up to 300 words
 Time to answer - 10 minutes

You have 10 minutes to write your summary. Make sure to include the main points of the
reading passage in a full, single sentence of no more than 75 words.

The Word Count at the bottom of the screen counts the number of words you write. There are
also cut, copy, and paste buttons which you may use while constructing your summary.

Cut: Select text from your answer that you wish to remove and left-click “Cut”.

Copy: Select text from your answer that you wish to copy and left-click “Copy”.

Paste: Place the cursor where you wish to paste the cut/copied text and left-click “Paste”.

Test Tips:

Make sure your response is in the correct form:

When you have written your response, check to make sure that it is only one sentence, with a
capital letter at the beginning and only one full stop at the end.

Your response must be between 5 and 75 words so check the word count using the ‘Total
Word Count’ counter below the response box. If you write fewer than five words or more
than 75 words, your response will not be scored:

Practice using compound and complex sentences:

Your response must be expressed within one sentence, so you will need to use a complex or
compound sentence to be able to summarize the main point of the passage and also
briefly mention the supporting detail. For example, look at the clause structures used in
these summaries to link supporting ideas to the main point:

How this question is scored:

Content: Does your response summarize the main points in the passage? Content is scored
by determining if all key points of the passage have been addressed without misrepresenting
the purpose or topic. If your summary misinterprets the topic or the purpose of the passage,
you will not receive any score points for your summary on any of the four factors. Your
summary will be scored zero. The best responses clearly summarize the main idea and
condense essential supporting points. They focus on the topic, including only key information
and essential supporting points.
Form: Does your response meet the requirements of a one-sentence summary? If your
summary contains fewer than five words or more than 75 words, you will not receive any
score points for your summary on any of the four factors. Your summary will be scored zero.

Grammar: Does your response demonstrate correct grammatical usage? Grammar is scored
by determining if the basic structure of the sentence is correct. The best responses usually
consist of a main clause and subordinate clause.

Vocabulary: Does your response demonstrate correct and appropriate word choice and
usage? Vocabulary is scored according to its relevance to the passage and its appropriateness
in an academic environment. The appropriate use of synonyms is also scored. The best
responses use words from the passage appropriately, demonstrate an understanding of the
context, and use synonyms effectively to show variety in language use.

Note:

 Your response is scored as either correct or incorrect based on the appropriacy of the
words in your response. No credit is given for no response or an incorrect response.
 Your listening and speaking skills are not tested by this question type.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com

Tips By ALFA:

Being simple would be ideal.

Try not to think you need to compose 70 words to get full marks!

A more complex sentence leaves you increasingly powerless against

language and sentence structure mistakes.

Somewhere in the range of 35 and 60 words can be an accurate length. I

found that I could sum up the primary thoughts inside this breaking point
without my sentence getting excessively tangled.
 Use connectors! Connectors are an incredible method to abstain from
abusing commas. To abstain from utilizing "and" to an extreme, Some
common connectors are: And, For, What's more, However, Moreover,
Furthermore and So.

This one is significant. You won't have the option to address each point in
the section in a single sentence. So quit stressing! The PTE inspectors
aren't searching for an in exactly the same words summary.

The most well-known way that individuals lose marks on the "PTE
Summarize Written Text" task is by overcomplicating their sentences.
Individuals feel that really long and complex sentences are what the PTE
examiners are searching for. However, they don't consider the way that
the more unpredictable a sentence is, the more space there is for mistakes.

Seeing how to write in a simple and composed manner is significant to

getting the score on the PTE SWT question.

Essay
About Essay

A student will have to construct an essay on a given topic in about 200 - 300 words & would
be assessed on Writing skills.

For this item type, you need to write a 200-300 word argumentative essay in response to a
prompt

 Task - Write a 200–300 word essay on a given topic.

 Skills assessed - Writing
 Prompt length - 2-3 sentences
 Time to answer - 20 minutes
You have 20 minutes to write your essay.

The Word Count at the bottom of the screen counts the number of words you write. Make
sure to write a minimum of 200 words, but no more than 300 words.

There are also cut, copy, and paste buttons which you may choose to use while constructing
your response.

Cut: Select text from your answer that you wish to remove and left-click “Cut”.

Copy: Select text from your answer that you wish to copy and left-click “Copy”.

Paste: Place the cursor where you wish to paste the cut/copied text and left-click “Paste”.

Test Tips:

Start by analyzing the task:

Before you write anything, note keywords in the prompt. Find out the topic, what key
points you should focus on to answer the question and any points of view to present and
discuss:

Analyze the essay prompt so you know how to answer:

Essay prompts can be written in a number of ways. For example, you may need to discuss
whether you agree or disagree with a statement:
You may have to consider how different groups of people might feel about a particular
situation:

How this question is scored:

Your response on Write Essay is judged on our ability to write a persuasive or argumentative
essay on a given topic. Your score is based on seven factors:
Content: Does your response address the topic? Content is scored by determining if all
aspects of the topic have been addressed in your response. The appropriateness of the details,
examples, and explanations used to support your point of view is also scored. If your essay
does not address the topic, you will not receive any score points for your essay on any of the
seven factors. Your essay will be scored zero. The best responses are on topic, contain logical
and specific information, and answer any questions asked. They also support any arguments
with details, examples, and/or explanations.

Development, structure, and coherence: Does your response demonstrate good

development of ideas and a logical structure? Development, structure, and coherence are
scored according to the organization of your response. A well-developed response uses a
logical organizational pattern, connects ideas, and explains these connections. The best
responses contain multiple paragraphs and have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion
that relate to the topic of the essay. Within paragraphs, ideas are clearly presented and
supported with details, examples, and/or explanations. Transitions between paragraphs are
smooth.

Form: Does your response meet the length requirement of between 200 and 300 words?
Form is scored by counting the number of words in your response. You will receive full
credit if your essay is between 200 and 300 words. Writing less than 200 words or more than
300 words will decrease your score. If your essay contains less than 120 words or more than
380 words, you will not receive any score points for your essay on any of the seven factors.
Your essay will be scored zero.

General linguistic range: Does your response use language that precisely conveys your
ideas? General linguistic range is scored by determining if the language in your response
accurately communicates your ideas. This includes your ability to provide clear descriptions,
change emphasis, eliminate ambiguity, express subtleties in meaning, and use stylistic
features to communicate meaning. You are more likely to receive full credit if you use
complex sentence structures and vocabulary correctly, rather than consistently using simple
sentence structures and vocabulary. This is because complex ideas are often expressed with
complex sentence structures and vocabulary. The best responses use language that highlights
key ideas, creatively expresses opinions, and ensures clear communication.

Grammar usage and mechanics: Does your response demonstrate correct grammatical
usage and consistent control of standard written English? Grammar usage and mechanics are
scored by examining sentence structure, punctuation, and capitalization. The best responses
contain high proportions of grammatically correct complex sentences that clearly
communicate the intended meaning.

Vocabulary range: Does your response demonstrate command of a broad vocabulary range?
Vocabulary range is scored according to the variety of words in your response and their
appropriateness in an academic environment. Synonyms, idiomatic expressions, and
academic terms are also assessed if appropriate. The best responses use precise academic
terms and avoid repetition by using synonyms and idioms where appropriate.

Spelling: Does your response demonstrate correct and consistent use of a single spelling
convention?

PTE Academic recognizes English spelling conventions from the United States, the United
Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. However, one spelling convention should be used
consistently in a given response.

Note:

 Partial credit scoring applies to Write Essay. No credit is given for no response or an
irrelevant response.
 This question type affects the scoring of the following: writing, grammar, spelling,
vocabulary, and written discourse.
  Your listening and speaking skills are not tested by this question type, and your
reading skills are only used to read the instructions and the prompt.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com

Tips by ALFA:

Be mindful of the instructions, for example, the world limit of 200-300

words.

Read the subject well and know the kind of question it is.

Make sure that you write in the correct academic English language.

Try not to write in pointers or bullets.

Write in clear and compact paragraphs.

Stay away from a language that is excessively complicated. Keep it

simple.

Plan your essay before you start writing. Many individuals use up all
available time composing their essays since they keep changing their ideas
on the part of their argument.

Use a good structure. Because you won’t be able to decide, compose, and
check everything within 20 mins.

Brush up on your academic vocabulary! It is very important to use good

vocabulary when writing an essay.
 When you have composed your essay, leave a couple of moments to read
what you’ve written, and make further upgrades. It is quite often
conceivable to improve what you have composed the first run through. In
your last read, pay special attention to these things.

Watch what you have composed carefully on the given subject. It isn't
remarkable for test-takers to lose their way after the main passage. Try
not to get into one point so much that you miss the general picture.

Ensure you don't repeat a similar point again and again. When you start
an argument, create it completely and afterward close it. Try not to
continue bouncing to it in the resulting passages.

Check for grammar mistakes, appropriate sentence structures,

punctuation, and so on.

Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks

About Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks

For this item type, you need to select the most appropriate words from a drop-down list to
restore the text

 Task - A text appears on screen with several gaps. Drag words from the box below to
fill the gaps.
 Skills assessed - Reading
 Prompt length - Text up to 300 words

There is a passage with some missing words. Beside each gap, there is a button with a drop-
down list. Left-click on this button to reveal the drop-down list of options for that gap. Select
the option you think best fills the gap.

To change your mind, left-click on a different option.

 Test Tips:

Skim for overall meaning to help you choose the correct word:
Understanding the meaning of the whole text helps you choose the correct word for each
blank. For example, if you skim the passage below, you will find key ideas and words which
point to a main topic of ‘change’.

When you click on the drop down arrows, you may find options that are also related to the
main topic. You can then check grammar and overall meaning to see whether the words fit
the blanks:

Read before and after the blank to help you identify the correct word:
The choices in the drop-down menus may look quite similar but will have different meanings
and usage. Looking at the surrounding context will help you choose the appropriate
word. In the example below, only ‘access’ fits in the phrase ‘gained …………. to
technologies’; pick words that match the meaning (gain access) and grammar (‘access
to’). Reading either side of the blank will help you narrow down the choices you have to
make:

Scan the text for the repeated words. Then read around them to find the answer more
quickly:
How this question is scored:

Your response for Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks is judged on your ability to use
contextual and grammatical cues to identify words that complete a reading text. If all blanks
are filled correctly, you receive the maximum score points for this question type. If one or
more blanks are filled incorrectly, partial credit scoring applies.

Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of reading and writing.

 Your listening and speaking skills are not tested by this question type.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com

Tips By ALFA:

Always begin with the first blank. If you are able to find the right option,
great, otherwise move to the next blank and revisit the blanks you are not
sure about later.

For each blank look at the options and consider how they fit in the
context of the sentence.

Sometimes, all you have to do is pick the correct grammar form. In other
cases, you also need to judge if the option you select makes logical sense
in the sentence. It is a good idea to go through the options one by one and
eliminate the wrong options.
 Good vocabulary, grammar fundamentals, and knowing the common
collocations will help you to fill in the blanks more accurately.

Reading skills can take some time to improve. Therefore we recommend

our students develop a habit of daily reading. When reading any text, if
you come across an unfamiliar word, make sure to note it down.

Your response for Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks is judged on
your ability to use contextual and grammatical cues to identify words that
complete a reading text.

If all blanks are filled correctly, you receive the maximum score points
for this question type. If one or more blanks are filled incorrectly, partial
credit scoring applies.

Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

About Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

After reading a text, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the text by
selecting more than one response. This question carries negative marking & hence, a student
will get penalized if chosen a wrong answer.

For this item type, you need to read the passage and answer the multiple-choice question.
There is more than one correct response

 Task - After reading a text, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone
of the text by selecting more than one response.
 Skills assessed - Reading
 Prompt length - Text up to 300 words

You need to select all the response options that you think are correct from the list of possible
options.
To select an option click on it using the left button on your mouse. If you change your mind,
left-click on the option again to deselect it.

The options you select are highlighted in yellow.

Test Tips:

Make sure you know how the task is scored:

Read the instructions carefully. Remember that more than one option is correct in this type
of multiple-choice item. You will score marks for any correct options but you will lose score
points for any incorrect options. These include options that you have clicked on as correct
but which are wrong. If you click on all the options, because you do not know the answer,
you will lose score points. This applies to Multiple choice, choose multiple answers item
types for reading and listening.

Note any repeated words in the options:

Quickly read through the response options and note any words that are repeated,
particularly adjectives (e.g., ‘multigrade’) or nouns (e.g., ‘classes’). If the same noun phrase
occurs in a lot of the options, the answer is probably related to this phrase.
Scan the text for the repeated words. Then read around them to find the answer more
quickly:

How this question is scored:

Your response for Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers is judged on your ability to
analyze, interpret, and evaluate a short reading text on an academic subject. If all responses
are correct, you receive the maximum score points for this question type. If one or more
response options are incorrect, partial credit scoring applies. This is the first of three question
types where you can lose points if you choose any incorrect options. For any wrong options
chosen 1 point is deducted, whilst correct options are given 1 point. Make sure you are
confident in your choices.

Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of reading.

 Your listening, speaking and writing skills are not tested by this question type.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com/

Tips By ALFA:

Please note, this question type has negative marking. If you select a
wrong option, you will receive a negative mark, for a minimum total of
zero i.e. your score in any one question of this type cannot go below zero
despite the negative marking.

Two skills that are vital in reading passage questions are – skimming and
scanning.

Skimming is when you quickly go through a passage to get an overall of

the passage or of the organization of information in it. Scanning is when
you go through the passage to look for some specific information.

In the event that you locate a specific subject (a spot, a thing, an

individual, or an occasion) which has been portrayed in a considerable lot
of the choices, make a point to give more prominent consideration when
you run over this subject in the account.

Don't indiscriminately choose a choice on the off chance that it

incorporates catchphrases or phrases (or their equivalents) referenced in
the passage.

After you have picked the suitable alternatives, don't sit around idly in
overthinking or dissecting. Take a full breath and proceed onward to
answering the question.

Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer

About Multiple Choice, Single Answer

After reading the text, students will have to answer a multiple-choice question on the content
or tone of the text by selecting one response.

For this item type, you need to read the passage and answer the multiple-choice question
  Task - After reading a text, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone
of the text by selecting one response.
 Skills assessed - Reading
 Prompt length - Text up to 300 words

There are several possible response options but only one is correct.

To select an option click on it using the left button on your mouse. If you change your mind,
left-click on the option again to deselect it, or left-click on a different option.

The option you select is highlighted in yellow.

Test Tips:

Note the keywords in the prompt before you read the text:
The prompt for this item type may be a question or a sentence that you have to
complete. Whatever type of prompt you get, read it carefully because it will tell you what
information you need to find in the text. If you focus on the key words in the prompt, you
will find the answer more quickly and spend less time reading the text.

Evaluate the response options:

The response options may be words, phrases, or sentences. Use your own knowledge
to decide whether any of them are unlikely to be correct, or likely to be correct. You can
do this before you read the text. If you read the text but cannot answer the question, choose
the option that you think is most likely to be correct. This strategy also applies to
multiple-choice questions with more than one answer.

How this question is scored:

Your response to Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer is judged on your ability to

analyze, interpret, and evaluate a short reading text on an academic subject. Your response is
scored as either correct or incorrect. No credit is given for no response or an incorrect
response. This question type affects the scoring of reading.

Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of only reading.

 Your listening, speaking and writing skills are not tested by this question type.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com/

Tips By ALFA:

This multiple-choice question type tests your reading comprehension. In

other words, it tests how well you can understand the ideas presented in a
medium to long text.
 You should in every case initially read the passage and the choices. When
you do that, you make them direct focuses that can control your reading.
You will know precisely what to search for in the content. In the event that
you promptly begin reading the content, you will simply wind up wasting
your valuable time.

When you discover a reference to a choice in the content, don't quickly

choose whether it’s right or not. You should stop and approve it with
regard to different sentences around it. Read the sentences previously,
then after the fact. That will give you more settings.

A few choices seem to be comparable however are most certainly not!

That is the reason you should consistently peruse all the alternatives and
search for quite certain data.

The answer for these questions depends on the content. Regardless of

whether the theme is something you are exceptionally acquainted with,
you should in any case not utilize your own judgment.

Try not to lose all sense of direction in any one question that you
overlook others. Watch out for the clock for the Reading area. You should
choose before the test, how much time you will spend on each question
type.

Try not to rely basically upon discovering matches between words in the
choices and in the content. You should peruse and attempt to comprehend
the entire sentence to settle on a legitimate choice.
Reading: Fill in the Blanks
About Reading Fill in the Blanks

For this item type, you need to drag and drop words across the screen to correctly fill in the
gaps in the text

 Task - A text appears on screen with several gaps. Drag words from the box below to
fill the gaps.
 Skills assessed - Reading
 Prompt length - Text up to 80 words

There is a passage with some missing words. You have a list of words in the blue box that
you can use to fill the gaps in the text. There are more words than gaps so you will not use all
the words provided.

Left-click on a word to select it; keep the left mouse button held down and drag the word to
the gap where you want to place it. You can also drag words between gaps. To remove a
word from a gap, drag it back to the blue box.

Test Tips:

Think about words that you often see or hear together:

Remember that some words often go together to form a familiar phrase. This is called
‘collocation’. Using collocation can help you recognize the correct word for each blank.
For example, the phrase ‘the general public’ is a common collocation, so you can quickly see
that ‘public’ might be a good choice for the first blank in the sentence below:

Use your knowledge of grammar to help you select the correct word:
Read around the blank in the text and decide what part of speech the missing word is. In
the example below, ‘beginning to’ tells you that an infinitive verb form is missing ‘to + verb’.
Next look at the answer options provided and rule out any words that are not the right
part of speech, e.g., ‘world’ is a noun and ‘formal’ is an adjective. Also, rule out any verbs
that are not in the infinitive form.

Finally, choose from the words that are left, the one that has the correct meaning: ‘view’
and ‘look’ mean ‘see’, but we ‘quote’ or ‘cite’ references, so only ‘cite’ fits the blank:

How this question is scored:

Your response for Reading: Fill in the Blanks is judged on your ability to use context and
grammatical cues to identify words that complete a reading text. If all blanks are filled
correctly, you receive the maximum score points for this question type. If one or more blanks
are filled incorrectly, partial credit scoring applies.

Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of only reading.

 Your listening, speaking and writing skills are not tested by this question type.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com

Tips By ALFA:
 Go with simple logic: If you are not confident in your grammar, you can
still fill in the blanks by following simple logic. Read the sentence with the
blank and ask yourself what kind of word is needed to complete a
sentence. For example, if the sentence describes an action, then ask
yourself what is needed? Maybe what’s missing is the person who
performed that action or the way that action was performed. Then look at
the words in the pool and pick the ones which fit that criterion.

Evaluate options one by one: A simple approach is to just pick options

from the pool, one by one, put them in a blank and see if it completes the
sense. Does it make sense? Is the meaning logical? You will be able to fill
in a lot of blanks using this approach.

Read something every day: Make it a habit to read something every day.
Start by practicing on the portal. You can also read a newspaper on a
general website, it is preferred because it can expose you to a variety of
topics. If all you read is fiction or scientific articles, you will be exposed
only to one kind of vocabulary. The more you read, the more familiar you
will become with different sentence structures and word usage patterns.
Your mind will pick on these in the exam and you will find fill in the
blanks much easier.

Go through the word list: A good vocabulary is essential for any English
exam but is especially useful in this question type. Check out and create
your own vocabulary word list if you haven’t already done so. !

Get to know collocations: A collocation is a group of words that

frequently appear together. They are often used in the fill in the blanks
questions. You will have one word from the collocation missing. So, if you
are familiar with this list, you will find such questions easier to handle.
Re-Order Paragraphs
About Re-Order Paragraphs

Several text boxes will appear jumbled-up or in random order & the student will have to
arrange them in the right order. A Student is judged on the ability to understand the
organization and cohesion of an academic text.
For this item type, you need to restore the original order of the text by selecting text boxes
and dragging them across the screen.

There are two ways you can move the text:

1. Left-click on a box to select it (it will be outlined in blue), hold the left mouse button
down, and drag it to the desired location.
2. Left-click on a box to select it, and then left-click on the left and right arrow buttons
to move it across. On the right panel, you can also use the up and down arrow buttons
to re-order the boxes.

To deselect a box, left-click elsewhere on the screen.

Test Tips:

Read all the text boxes quickly before you start re-ordering them:
Read the text boxes in order to understand the main idea of each one. You can do this by
noting the keywords.

Next, use the keywords to form an overall idea of what the original text is about. This will
help you find the logical order for the ideas in the text boxes:
Find the topic sentence first:
Every well-written paragraph has a topic sentence. It is usually a clear statement about the
topic, and all the other sentences are related in some way to this sentence.

The topic sentence can stand alone; it does not begin with a linker or a pronoun that
refers back to something or someone (e.g., ‘he’ or ‘this’), nor does it does refer back to
information or actions previously mentioned through the use of things like passive verb
tenses (‘No link was found’):

How this question is scored:

Your response for Re-order Paragraphs is judged on your ability to understand the
organization and cohesion of an academic text. If all text boxes are in the correct order, you
receive the maximum score points for this question type. If one or more textboxes are in the
wrong order, partial credit scoring applies.

Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of only reading.

 Your listening, speaking and writing skills are not tested by this question type.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com

Tips By ALFA:

When you start attempting this question your first goal should be to
identify the leading paragraph. This is often easy to do as the leading
paragraph has some unique characteristics.

Look for the independent sentence, and Look for noun-pronoun

relationships.

Look for connecting words. Words, for example, however, therefore,

because, indicate that the sentence preceding these words. Sentences
starting with one of these words are infrequently the first sentences.

Once you have found the leading paragraph, you should look for the next
paragraph. There are two things to consider. First, the second paragraph
should add on to what the first paragraph introduced. Second, the
paragraph should have a link with something in the previous paragraph.

Once you have arranged all paragraphs in the right order, make sure you
read them again. Sometimes in subsequent reading, you will feel that a
paragraph can be moved in another place. Do it and see how it impacts
the meaning of the whole text.
 At times you will be confused between different paragraphs. In that case,
you should put each paragraph in position one by one and see how it
affects the order of other paragraphs and the meaning of the text.

In any reading that you do, begin seeing how sections and paragraphs
are connected to one another. This expertise is at the center of the reorder
passage question type. Begin seeing how sections change starting with one
then onto the next.

Remember if nothing works focus on the paring of the sentences. And you
will get your marks based on pairs.

Summarize Spoken Text

About Summarize Spoken Text

A student will need to write a summary of an audio lecture in about 50 - 70 words. The
student’s Listening & Writing skills will be assessed in this question.

For this item type, you hear an audio recording and need to write a 50-70 word summary on
what you heard

 Task - After listening to a recording, write a 50-70 word summary.

 Skills assessed - Listening and Writing
 Prompt length - 60-90 seconds

You have 10 minutes to write your summary.

The audio begins to play automatically. You are only able to listen to the audio recording
once. The Word Count at the bottom of the screen counts the number of words you write.
Make sure to write a minimum of 50 words, but no more than 70 words. There are also cut,
copy and paste buttons which you may choose to use while constructing your summary.

Cut: Select text from your answer that you wish to remove and left-click “Cut”.
Copy: Select text from your answer that you wish to copy and left-click “Copy”.

Paste: Place the cursor where you wish to paste the cut/copied text and left-click “Paste”.

Test Tips:

Make sure you summarize the main point and include the supporting
points:
When you take notes using an erasable note board booklet, whilst you listen to the recording,
make sure you note down the supporting points as well as the main idea. From your notes,
you can then summarize the main point and refer briefly to the essential supporting points,
which will gain you good marks for content.

Remember to check grammar, spelling, and punctuation:

In your 50-70 word summary, you will be scored on the enabling skills of grammar, spelling,
and vocabulary. So leave yourself 1-2 minutes after you have written your summary to check
your sentences for things like subject/verb agreement, tenses and word order.

Use grammatical structures that you can use confidently, and words that you are sure you
have spelled correctly. Finally, check your punctuation: check full stops and commas, and
make sure you have begun each sentence with a capital letter:
How this question is scored:

Your response for Summarize Spoken Text is judged on your ability to comprehend, analyze
and combine information from a lecture, and then summarize the key points in writing and on
the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the key points in the
lecture. Your score is based on five factors:

Content: Does your response summarize the main points in the lecture? Content is scored by
determining if all the key points of the lecture have been addressed without misrepresenting
the purpose or topic. If your summary misinterprets the topic or the purpose of the lecture,
you will not receive any score points for your summary on any of the five factors. Your
summary will be scored zero. The best responses clearly summarize the main points and
condense essential supporting points. They focus on the topic, including only key information
and essential supporting points.
Form: Does your response meet the length requirement of between 50 and 70 words? Form
is scored by counting the number of words in your response. You will receive full credit if
your response is between 50 and 70 words. Writing less than 50 words or more than 70 words
will decrease your score. If your summary contains less than 40 words or more than 100
words, you will not receive any score points for your summary on any of the five factors.
Your summary will be scored zero.

Grammar: Does your response demonstrate correct grammatical usage? Grammar is scored
by determining if the basic structure of the sentences is correct. The best responses use
concise sentences that clearly communicate the intended meaning.
Vocabulary: Does your response demonstrate correct and appropriate word choice
and Usage? Vocabulary is scored according to its relevance to the lecture and its
appropriateness in an academic environment. The appropriate use of synonyms is also scored.
The best responses use words from the lecture appropriately, demonstrate an understanding
of the context, and use synonyms effectively to show variety in language use.

Spelling: Does your response demonstrate correct and consistent use of a single spelling
convention? PTE Academic recognizes English spelling conventions from the United States,
the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. However, one spelling convention should be
used consistently in a given response.

Note:

 Partial credit scoring applies to Summarize spoken text. No credit is given for no
response or an irrelevant response. This question type affects the scoring of the
following: listening; writing; grammar; spelling and vocabulary.
 Your speaking skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading skills are
only used to read the instructions.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com/

Tips By ALFA:

Take smart notes: Learn how to take notes smartly. Note-taking

should not be at the expense of understanding the audio. Your primary
focus is always on understanding. The more you practice, the more easily
you will be able to distinguish important points from other information.
And important points are what should go into your notes.

Make your own note-taking shortcuts: This is often useful but varies
from person to person. You can develop your own note-taking shortcuts
and strategies. For example – Will I write full words or only the first letter
of only the first couple of letters of each word? Will I use arrows to show
relationships between words? Will I use an underline to show that a word
is important?
 Don’t start writing immediately: A sure-shot way of confusing yourself
and wasting precious time is to start writing the summary immediately
after the audio ends. Instead have a proper time management strategy.
During your practice develop an understanding of how many minutes you
need to spend on preparation, how many minutes on writing, and how
many minutes on the review. When you write like this, you will write
better, you will not have to re-do the work.

Write a structured response: Always write a properly structured

response. That means you shouldn’t just jump from one point to another.
Always begin with an overview sentence and make sure the following
sentences link to each other properly.

Write simple sentences: Unless you are very confident about your
grammar, do not try to write complicated sentences. Simple sentences are
good enough to get you a high score provided you write them without any
grammar errors.

Don’t include unnecessary information: You should be very clear about

what the most important points are and only include those in your
summary. Including unnecessary information will eat up your word quota
and also complicate the sentence structures. So ignore examples,
additional details, repetition of the same point – these shouldn’t go into
your summary.

Be mindful of the word count: If you are in a hurry, you can go over or
under the word limit. That is a silly way of losing marks. Make sure your
response is between 50 and 70 words. Always leave sometime in the end
for a review to fix such things.
 Practice listening and summarizing: A good fun way to practice the core
skills behind this question type is to listen to audio on the portal and then
try to summarize what has been said. You don’t need to worry about the
word limit or getting it a hundred percent right. Listen to it once, then
write a summary and check it against the audio. If you have missed
something important, rewrite it. A new channel like Bloomberg is a good
source.

Listening: Multiple Choice, Single Answer

About Multiple Choice, Single Answer

After listening to an audio, a student will have to answer a multiple-choice question on the
content or tone of the text by selecting one response.

For this item type, you need to listen to the recording and answer the multiple-choice
question

 Task - After listening to a recording, answer a multiple-choice question on the

content or tone of the recording by selecting one response.
 Skills assessed - Listening
 Prompt length - 30-60 seconds

The audio begins to play automatically. You are only able to listen to the audio recording
once.

There are several possible response options but only one is correct.

To select an option click on it using the left button on your mouse. If you change your mind,
left-click on the option again to deselect it, or left-click on a different option.

The option you select is highlighted in yellow.

Test Tips:

Focus on the kind of information you need:

For listening multiple-choice questions, the main part of the question tells you what to
listen for. Being aware of the focus of the question will help guide your listening.

For example, it will tell you whether you are listening for the main idea: What was the main
cause of the company’s collapse?

Or listening for some supporting information or details: What aspect of past transport
policy does the speaker mention?

Or listening for an inference drawn by the speaker: What does the speaker suggest that the
factory may have to do?

Or listening for the speaker’s purpose: Why does the speaker talk about the fall in car
ownership?

Skim the question and answer options before you listen to understand the
topic:
In the 5 seconds before the recording begins, quickly read the question and answer options
to make sure you understand the topic.
For example, in the sample, the question shows that the speaker will talk about the future, and
the options show you they all include the word ‘media’. So you are listening to hear what the
speaker thinks will happen to the media in the future.
How this question is scored:

Your response for Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer is judged on your ability to Your
response is scored as either correct or incorrect. No credit is given for no response or an
incorrect response.

Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of only listening.

 Your speaking and writing skills are not tested with this question type, and your
reading skills are only used to read the instructions, prompt, and response options.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com/

Tips By ALFA:

Read the question and then pick a few words from each option. Together
this will help you to understand what the audio is going to be about. If you
know a few words from each option, you will know what specifically you
are listening to.

When the audio starts, try to understand the theme and how the audio
related to the question and the options. You are not listening just for the
sake of it. You are listening to identify or validate some specific
information.

Take notes whenever you hear some important pieces of information –

event, person, place, an explanation, a specific detail, etc. These are the
important bits in audio.

As you listen, keep your eyes on the options. Your goal is to shortlist
some of these options. Validate them as you get more information from the
audio. When you hear a word that relates to an option, try to judge if it
makes that option right or wrong. Remember! This is just a short list. This
is not the final selection. So select your answer during the audio.

audio ends, click next. Do not waste your time on this as it is not very
scoring.

Listening: Fill In The Blanks

About Listening Fill in the Blanks

A transcript of a recording appears on screen with several gaps. After listening to the
recording, a student will have to type the missing word in each gap. This question will be
testing a students’ Listening & Writing skills.

For this item type, you are presented with a transcript of the audio recording, however, some
words are missing. Restore the transcript by typing in the missing words

 Task - A transcript of a recording appears on screen with several gaps. After listening
to the recording, type the missing word in each gap
 Skills assessed - Listening and Writing
 Prompt length - 30-60 seconds
The audio plays automatically. You are only able to listen to the audio recording once. Left-
click on each gap and type in the missing word. You can also use the Tab button on the
keyboard to move between gaps.

Note: While the audio is playing, you can take notes on the erasable noteboard provided and
then fill in the gaps.

Test Tips:

Skim the text before the recording begins:

In the 7 seconds, before the recording begins, you only have time to skim the text. As you do
this, ignore the gaps and try to get an overall idea of what the text is about. This will help you
recognize the words that fit the gaps, as you hear them.

Some of the things you can look for:

 Proper nouns (that begin with a capital letter). They can give you information about
people and what they do (e.g., ‘Mike Griffiths … conservationist’), places (e.g.,
‘Indonesian island of Sumatra’) and organizations (e.g., ‘conservation group The
Leuser International Foundation’). (Don’t worry if you don’t know where or who they
are).

 Nouns that are repeated in the text. They may help you decide on the topic.
As you listen, write the words you hear for the blanks on your ‘erasable
note board booklet’:
The recording is at normal speed and is only played once. When you are listening, you do not
have time to think about how to spell the missing words. Use your erasable noteboard booklet
to write down what you think you hear:

After the recording has finished, you can read through the text, and use your notes to decide
on the words that are missing and how they are spelled. Then type them into the gaps:

Remember, the next item does not start until you click Next (N) at the bottom of the screen,
so you have a little time to think about your answers.

How this question is scored:

Your response for Fill in the Blanks is judged on your ability to listen for missing words in a
recording and type the missing words into a transcription. Your score on Fill in the blanks is
based on the following factor:

Content: Does your response include all the missing words? Content is scored by counting
the number of right words with correct spelling in your response. Each correct word spelled
correctly scores 1 point.

Note:

 If all blanks are filled with the right word spelled correctly, you receive the maximum
score points for this question type. If one or more blanks are filled incorrectly, partial
credit scoring applies. This question type affects the scoring of listening and writing.
 Your speaking skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading skills are
only used to read the instructions and the transcription.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com/

Tips By ALFA:

Read the transcript before audio starts: Even if you are not able to read
the whole transcript, you will benefit from whatever you are able to read.
Knowing the words around the blanks will alert your mind about what to
listen for. Your focus will be on listening for the words you need for the
blanks.

Keep your cursor in the first blank: Be ready to type as soon as the
audio listens. You can always be ready for at least the first blank. But do
not get stuck at the first blank or any other blank for that matter.

Follow the speaker: Do not stop to think about one particular blank or
word. Keep moving with the speaker. Your eye and hand should follow the
speaker. If you are typing directly into the screen after each blank quickly
place the cursor in the next blank and listen for the words before it.
 Be ready to write in the rough notepad: If your strategy is to first write
down in the rough notepad and then transfer to the screen in the end, you
should be ready to write in the rough notepad as soon as the audio starts.
Typing with a hand is usually slower. So, do not attempt to write the whole
word, just write enough letters that later on you can recognize what the
word is.

Always review in the end: Do not submit your answer without reviewing
what you have filled in. In any case, the passage with the correct blanks
will make good sense. If for some reason the words that you have filled in
do not make sense, you can consider replacing them. But do that only if
you know a more suitable word than what you have already filled in. Also,
check for grammar and spelling mistakes. These mistakes can be easily
avoided by a quick review in the end.

Have your time management strategy ready: As the PTE Listening

section has only an overall timer, it is up to you to decide how much time
to spend on the PTE Listening Fill in the blanks questions. It will anyway
be the time what the audio runs for, plus whatever time you want to spend
on the review. Get an understanding of how much time on an average you
need for this, during your practice sessions.

Highlight Correct Summary

About Highlight Correct Summary

After listening to a recording, the student will need to select the paragraph that best
summarizes the recording. This question type will be assessing the Listening & Reading
ability of the student.

For this item type, you need to select the summary that best matches the recording

 Task - After listening to a recording, select the paragraph that best summarizes the
recording
 Skills assessed - Listening and Reading
 Prompt length - 30-90 seconds
The audio begins to play automatically. You are only able to listen to the audio recording
once. There are several possible response options but only one is correct. To select an
option click on it using the left button on your mouse. If you change your mind, left-click on
the option again to deselect it, or left-click on a different option. The option you select is
highlighted in yellow.

Note: It may be difficult to read and listen at the same time. It is recommended that you listen
first, make notes on the erasable noteboard, and then read the summaries.

Test Tips:

Take notes and match them to the correct summary:

Don’t read the options before or while you are listening to the recording as there is too much
to read, and this will distract you. Instead, note down the key ideas on your erasable
noteboard booklet as you listen (e.g., keywords and phrases, numbers, names and dates, and
any information that is highlighted by the speaker through stress and intonation). Then read
the options and match the option that is closest in detail to your notes:

How this question is scored:

Your response for Highlight Correct Summary is judged on your ability to comprehend,
analyze, and combine information from a recording and identify the most accurate summary
of the recording. Your response is scored as either correct or incorrect. No credit is given for
no response or an incorrect response.
Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of listening and reading.

 Your speaking and writing skills are not tested by this question type.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com/

Tips By ALFA:

It may be difficult to read and listen at the same time. It is recommended

that you listen first and then read the summaries.

Use the time before the audio starts to have a quick glance at the options
given. You will not be able to read the full summaries, but you can
definitely catch a few words from each option. This has two benefits – it
will give you a better idea of what you are about to listen to, and it will
also help you shortlist options while listening.

When the audio starts, try to understand the main idea – the theme of the
audio. Take some notes and at the same time visualize what you are
listening to. This will help you remember the main points of the audio.
When you are listening, keep an eye on the options in front of you.

Often, you can eliminate or shortlist a couple of options at the same time
as you listen to the audio.

Once the audio ends, read the summary options in detail and look for the
ones which carry the key points that you remember and that are in your
notes.

The option that includes all or most of the key points mentioned in the
audio is the one that is correct. For example, if Option 1 has 2 key points,
but Option 2 has 3 key points then Option 2 is the correct one, provided
all the key points in the options are the ones that were actually in the
audio. So, if there is Option 3 which has 3 points but 1 one of them was
not mentioned in the audio, it is not your correct summary.

Do not spend more than 40 seconds on this question.

Listening: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer

About Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

After listening to an audio, answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the
text by selecting more than one response. This question carries negative marking & hence, a
student will get penalized if chosen a wrong answer.

For this item type, you need to listen to the recording and answer the multiple-choice
question. There is more than one correct response

 Task - After listening to a recording, answer a multiple-choice question on the

content or tone of the recording by selecting more than one response.
 Skills assessed - Listening
 Prompt length - 40-90 seconds

The audio begins to play automatically. You are only able to listen to the audio recording
once. You need to select all the response options that you think are correct from the list of
possible options.

To select an option click on it using the left button on your mouse. If you change your mind,
left-click on the option again to deselect it. The options you select are highlighted in yellow.

Test Tips:

Take notes of the main points and supporting details:

In the 7 seconds before the recording begins, read the question and get ready to take notes to
help you answer. Taking notes is likely to be more helpful than trying to select options while
you listen because you may not hear the information in exactly the same order as the options.
Note down details (e.g., times, places, things that happened) as well as the main points,
because you will need to select more than one option:

Select for meaning, not just to match the words you hear:
Select the options that best match the meaning of what you have heard. Don’t just
choose an option because it has the same words or phrases as the recording. Several options
may use words from the recording but may not match the meaning of what you have heard.

How this question is scored:

Your response for Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers is judged on your ability to
analyze, interpret, and evaluate a brief audio or video recording on an academic subject. If all
response options are correct, you receive the maximum score points for this question type. If
one or more response options are incorrect, partial credit scoring applies.

Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of only listening.

 Your speaking and writing skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading
skills are only used to read the instructions, prompt, and response options.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com/

Tips By ALFA:

Make use of the 7 seconds: Quickly read the PTE Listening questions and options. Give
your mind something to focus on. Understand the question and pick some words from each
option.

Shortlist while listening: Don’t just sit there and listen to the audio. Keep your eyes on the
options in front of you. When you hear a word that corresponds to an option, check if it
validates that option or not. Use this time to prepare a shortlist.

Note down the key points: Whenever you hear a key point, an important piece of
information, note it down. It will help you in the end to identify the correct options.

Finalize options only in the end: Even if you think you have found the
correct answers while listening, don’t be in a hurry. Wait for the audio to
complete and then revisit the PTE Listening question and the options
before deciding on your final choice.

Consider all options: Always consider all the options given to you. Don’t
skip any. You must have a reason for selecting or eliminating any option.

Select Missing Word

About Select Missing Words
An audio is played wherein the last part of the audio is replaced by a beep sound. After
listening to the audio, one will have to select the missing word that completes the recording
from a list of options.

For this item type, the last word or group of words in the recording has been replaced by a
beep. Select the most appropriate option to complete the recording.

 Task - After listening to a recording, select the missing word that completes the
recording from a list of options
 Skills assessed - Listening
 Prompt length - 20-70 seconds

The audio begins to play automatically. You are only able to listen to the audio recording
once. There are several possible response options but only one is correct. To select an
option click on it using the left button on your mouse. If you change your mind, left-click on
the option again to deselect it, or left-click on a different option. The option you select is
highlighted in yellow.

Test Tips:

Know what to do if you change your mind about the answer:

For each item in this task, there are three to five response options but only ONE option is
correct. At the end of the recording, click on the option you think is correct. The next
recording does not begin playing until you click ‘Next’. So you have a little time to think
about your answer. If you want to change your answer, click on it again to ‘de-select’ it.
Then click on the option you think is correct.
How this question is scored:

Your response for Select Missing Word is judged on your ability to predict what a speaker
will say based on contextual clues in a recording. Your response is scored as either correct or
incorrect. No credit is given for no response or an incorrect response.

Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of only listening.

 Your speaking and writing skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading
skills are only used to read the instructions and the response options.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com/

Tips By ALFA:

To score well in this question type you not only have to understand what
is being said but also understand the overall context and then decide
which of the given options fit in that context.

Your understanding of English language vocabulary, sentence usage,

grammar, can also be tested in this question type.

You can think of this question type as made up of two parts. The first part
is understanding what is being said, especially the last sentence and
words before the beep. The second part is then picking out the word which
can be put in place of the beep.

Pay attention to the audio, especially the last part of it. Be ready to listen
as soon as the audio starts and try to understand its theme. More you can
understand, the easier it will be to decide which word out of the given
options fits into that context.

Keep an eye on the progress bar. You should be extra attentive as it

approaches the end. Make sure not to miss the last few words. Once you
have this information, then the next step is to decide which of the given
options will go with it.

Start picking the options one by one and add to the last few words that
you captured. Does it make sense? Does it complete the incomplete
sentence? These are the questions you should ask yourself. If a given
option answers positively to all these questions, that is your correct
option.

Highlight Incorrect Words

About Highlight Incorrect Words

The transcript of a recording will appear on the student’s screen and while listening to the
recording, he/she will have to identify the words in the transcript that differ from what is said.
This question carries negative marks and tests Listening & Reading skills.

For this item type, you are presented with a transcript of the audio recording, however, the
transcript contains some errors. While listening and reading, you need to select the words in
the text that differ from what the speaker says

 Task - The transcript of a recording appears on the screen. While listening to the
recording, identify the words in the transcript that differ from what is said.
 Skills assessed - Listening and Reading
 Prompt length - 15-50 seconds

The audio begins to play automatically. You are only able to listen to the audio recording
once. To select a word click on it using the left button on your mouse. If you change your
mind, left-click on the word again to deselect it. The words you select are highlighted in
yellow.

Test Tips:

Quickly read the transcription before you listen to focus on keywords:

In the 10 seconds, before the recording begins, you cannot read word-for-word, but you
can skim the transcription.
Focus on the words that give you information: e.g., nouns (‘economy’), adjectives
(‘industrial’), and verbs (‘manufactured’). Decide what the general topic is. This will help
you pick out words that do not fit this topic area, as you read and listen:

Follow the text with the cursor as you listen:

In this item type, you have to select the wrong words as the text is read. Don’t try to make
notes as you listen.

Move the cursor along the screen as the words are spoken, and click on any words that sound
different from the words on the screen:
How this question is scored:

Your response for Highlight Incorrect Words is judged on your ability to listen for and point
out the differences between a recording and a transcription. Each selected word is scored as
either correct or incorrect. If all the selected words are correct, you receive the maximum
score points for this question type. If one or more selected words are incorrect, partial credit
scoring applies. This is the third of three question types where you can lose points if you
choose any incorrect options. For any wrong options chosen 1 point is deducted, whilst
correct options are given 1 point. Make sure you are confident in your choices.

Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of listening and reading.

 Your speaking and writing skills are not tested by this question type.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com/

Tips By ALFA:

After a short countdown, the audio will start playing. Once the audio
ends you can take your time to finalize the answer and submit your
response. Please note that in the Listening section, there is only an overall
timer. There is no time limit on a per question basis. Therefore, you need
to develop your own time management strategy.
 You don’t want to be in a situation where you spend so much time on
Highlight Incorrect Words that in the end, you don’t have any time left for
the Write from Dictation questions.

Another key point to note here is the negative marking. Don’t think that
you can just randomly click and get at least some words right. You can
lose marks this way. Therefore, always be careful when clicking on a
word.

You can also click on a highlighted word and remove it from the answers!

In this item type, you have to select the wrong words as the text is read.
Don’t try to make notes as you listen.

Move the cursor along with the screen as the words are spoken, and click
on any words that sound different from the words on the screen.

Write From Dictation

About Write from Dictation

This is the last question of both the test & the most important & scoring questions list. An
audio of a sentence will play and after listening to that, the student will have to type the
sentence accurately in the box provided. This question contributes marks to both the
Listening & Writing module

For this item type, you hear a short sentence. Type the sentence into the response box at the
bottom of the screen

 Task - After listening to a recording of a sentence, type the sentence.

 Skills assessed - Listening and Writing
 Prompt length - 3-5 seconds
The audio begins to play automatically. You are only able to listen to the audio recording
once.

Note: While the audio is playing, you can take notes on the erasable note board provided.
Remember to check your spelling.

Test Tips:

Type as many correct words as you can remember into the response box in
the correct order:
You will score points for every correct word that you write in the response box. If you can
remember a word but you are not sure where it goes in the sentence, use your knowledge of
English grammar to help you decide:

How this question is scored:

Your response for Write from Dictation is your ability to understand and remember a
sentence you hear, and then write it exactly as you hear it using correct spelling Your score
on Write from dictation is based on the following factor:
Content: Does your response include all the words in the sentence and only these
words? Content is scored by counting the number of correct words in your response.

If all the words are right and spelled correctly, you receive the maximum score points for this
question type. If one or more words are incorrect, partial credit scoring applies.
Note:

 This question type affects the scoring of listening and writing.

 Your speaking skills are not tested by this question type, and your reading skills are
only used to read the instructions.

Source: https://pearsonpte.com/

Tips By ALFA:

You will have 7 seconds before the audio starts playing. Use this time to
focus on the question. Once the audio starts playing you can either try to
type it directly in the answer space or first understand and then type after
the audio has stopped playing.

It can be challenging to type the whole sentence correctly while listening

to the audio. Some of these sentences can also be a bit longer. Typing
directly will become especially difficult in that case.

One alternative is to just listen and try to understand and remember the
sentence and then reproduce it in the end.

alternative is to write it down in your rough scratchpad and use that to

write the final answer in the end.

The approach we recommend is usually a combination of all these

methods. If you are typing indirectly, instead of typing the whole words,
you can just note down the first few letters or just the first letter of each
word. If you are writing in your rough scratchpad you can do the same
there.
 Along with this, try to understand what the sentence is about. This makes
it easier, in the end, to look at what you have written and expanded it into
complete words.

Whether you type directly or first write on the paper depends upon how
confident you are of your typing speed. We recommend that you do some
practice using both approaches and see which gives you better results.
Follow that method in the exam.

You will score points for every correct word that you write in the
response box. If you can remember a word but you are not sure where it
goes in the sentence, use your knowledge of English grammar to help you
decide.