Overview
This lecture provides last-minute strategies and exam-day tips to help candidates confidently approach the PTE exam, covering speaking, writing, reading, and listening modules.
Exam Day Preparation
- Arrive with your passport; entry is denied without it.
- Ensure your MyPT account details exactly match your passport (name, DOB).
- Store all personal items in the provided locker; no notebooks, pens, bottles, watches, or heavy jewelry allowed.
- Check that headphones and microphones work; request a replacement immediately if faulty.
- Position the microphone three fingers away from your lips for optimal audio.
Speaking Module Tips
- Start with a clear, fluent personal introduction to warm up (no marks awarded, but helps software gauge fluency).
- For Read Aloud: Speak confidently, maintain flow and accent, submit immediately after finishing to avoid background noise.
- In Repeat Sentences: Focus on fluency and pronunciation, reproduce as much as possible, do not leave answers blank.
- For Describe Image: Speak for 30–35 seconds, highlight maximum, minimum, and key trends without attempting to cover all details.
- In Retell Lecture: Aim for 5–8 phrases, fit them into your template, avoid excessive repetition, ensure legible handwriting.
- For Short Answer Questions: Respond within 3 seconds, guess if unsure, focus on fluency and clarity.
Writing Module Strategies
- Summarize Written Text: Use 50–60 words, connect sentences logically, avoid grammar/spelling errors, proofread forward and backward.
- Essay Writing: Spend 20 minutes (10 for template, 5 for content, 5 for proofreading), write 200–250 words, check all grammar and spelling.
Reading Module Advice
- Fill in the blanks: Spend no more than 2–2.5 minutes per question, use grammar and collocation knowledge, trust first instincts.
- Reorder Paragraphs: Aim for correct pairs, don’t overspend time, get at least two pairs right if possible.
- Multiple Choice: Mark your first choice, don’t overthink or linger on difficult questions.
Listening Module Guidance
- Summarize Spoken Text: Write 65–70 words, include 10–18 keywords, repeat phrases if audio is short, proofread carefully.
- Multiple Choice: Mark answers as you listen; move on quickly after audio ends.
- Fill in the blanks: Write answers vertically, check spellings closely, avoid errors.
- Highlight Incorrect Words: Tap incorrect words confidently, beware of negative marking.
- Write from Dictation: Add extra/filler words if needed, each sentence starts with a capital and ends with a period, handle contractions and hyphens as best as possible.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Read Aloud — Reading a text aloud, focusing on fluency and clarity.
- Repeat Sentence — Repeating sentences exactly as heard for fluency and pronunciation assessment.
- Describe Image — Describing charts or images within a time frame, focusing on key features.
- Retell Lecture — Summarizing spoken content using noted phrases.
- Summarize Written/Spoken Text — Writing concise summaries within a word limit.
- Fill in the blanks — Completing sentences using context, grammar, and collocation clues.
- Reorder Paragraph — Arranging sentences in logical order.
- Highlight Incorrect Words — Identifying spoken-word errors compared to written text.
- Write from Dictation — Typing out sentences exactly as heard.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Confirm passport and MyPT account details before exam day.
- Practice speaking with a microphone at correct distance.
- Familiarize yourself with all question types and templates.
- Do last-minute practice focusing on time management for each section.
- Proofread all written responses forward and backward for errors.