Monday, 29 April 2024

PTE Speaking, Writing, Reading & Listening

 

PTE- PEARSON TEST OF ENGLISH

PTE Academic: the computer-based English test. PTE Academic tests your skills in speaking, writing, reading, and listening in a single, two-hour test. PTE is an alternative to other English proficiency tests like IELTS and TOEFL. 

PTE-Academic Exam is divided into four modules: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. While the Speaking and Writing modules are combined in one session, Listening and Reading have separate sections. 

1 Speaking and Writing

2 Reading

3 Listening

How can I book the PTE exam?

To book PTE Academic, first visit the official PTE Academic website and create your Pearson account (once you complete the registration process, you will receive an email within 48 hours from Pearson with your login details).

Then, search for your nearest test centre and also select a suitable time and date. After selecting all your details, make payment and finalize your booking.

What do I need to take in the PTE exam?

You must bring an acceptable ID, most preferably your passport. They will ask for a digital photograph, your signature, scan your palm, and assign you a locker to check in your belongings. Also make sure you arrive 30 minutes before the test starts.

When will I receive my PTE results?

PTE Academic Results are usually available online within two working days from the test date, and you can access the result from your PTE Academic student account. First, you will receive an email within five working days with instructions about accessing the results online.

What is PTE?

The PTE Academic exam is a computer-based English language test accepted by educational institutions around the world.  PTE-Academic is the English test undertaken by students and aspirants who desire to go abroad for studying or immigrate to a major English-speaking country.  Students are required to take the PTE exam to prove their English language competency.

The two-hour-long computer-based test focuses on day-to-day English rather than high-level English language and tests a student on his/her ability to effectively understand the language as spoken daily. The multi-level grading system of the PTE exam ensures a better understanding of the student’s proficiency in the English language. As the tests are completely computerized, the PTE results and scores are declared much quicker, typically in two business days.

PTE writing and speaking questions format

Duration: 54-67 minutes

The questions in the PTE writing and speaking section are divided into 7 segments.

The time allotted to attempt questions in each segment of the section is mentioned below:

Segment

No.of questions in the segment

Approximate time to answer

Personal introduction

1

55 seconds: 25 seconds for prompt; 30 seconds to record

Read aloud

6-7

30-40 seconds: Read aloud a text of 60 words

Repeat sentence

10-12

15 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt prior; the 15 seconds is for recording

Describe image

3-4

25 seconds: To observe the image and prepare the prompt

Recite lecture

1-2

90 seconds: This is the prompt length; then you’ll have 10 seconds to prepare and 40 seconds to answer

Answering short questions

5-6

20 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt; 10 seconds to answer

Summarization of written text

1-2

10 minutes to summarize a given content within 300 words 

Essay writing

1-2

20 minutes to write an essay (200-300 words)

 

 

            The PTE Reading Section has 5 sub-sections.
The total duration to complete this section is 29 to 30minutes.

PTE Reading and Writing - Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks in the given passage with the right answers.

PTE Multiple Choice - Multiple answers

Read the given passage and choose multiple right answers.

PTE Reordering paragraphs

Reordering the given sentences in the correct order to form a coherent passage. 

PTE Fill in the blanks

Choose the right word from the dropdown boxes and fill in the blanks.

PTE Multiple Choice - Single answer

Select a single right answer from the list of options.

 

PTE Academic listening
The total duration to complete this section is 32 to 40 minutes

PTE Summarize spoken test 

Summarize the audio in about 50-70 words in 10 minutes.

PTE Multiple Choice - Multiple answers

Carefully listen to the audio and choose multiple correct answers.

PTE Listening and Writing - Fill in the blanks

Listen to the audio and fill in the blanks with the exact phrases in the given transcript. 

PTE Highlight the perfect summary

Listen to the audio and choose the right summary.

PTE Multiple Choice - Single answer

Choose a single right answer from the multiple-choice.

PTE Find the missing words

Listen to the audio, find the missing words and fill in the blanks.

PTE Highlight the incorrect words

Listen to the audio and change the incorrect words.

PTE Write from dictation

Listen to the audio and highlight the incorrect words.

 

Question Types

Number of Questions

Speaking score

Writing score

Reading score

Listening score

% of total score

Read Aloud

6-7

22.2

 

22.1

 

12.31

Repeat Sentence

10-12

32.1

 

 

19.7

14.39

Describe Image

3-4

22.

 

 

 

6.17

Retell Lecture

1-2

11.1

 

 

9.9

5.81

Short Answer question

5-6

2.4

 

 

6.6

2.50

Summarize Written Text

1-2

 

10.4

10.3

 

5.75

Write Essay

1-2

 

11.2

 

 

3.11

High light Incorrect Words

2-3

 

 

8.9

7.9

4.64

Reading Fill In the blanks

4-5

 

 

14.8

 

4.11

Reading and writing Fill in the blanks

5-6

 

22.3

 

22.1

12.92

Re-order paragraph

2-3

 

 

5.8

 

1.64

Reading Multiple choice, choose multiple answers

1-2

 

 

3.0

 

0.83

Reading Multiple Choice, Choose Single answer

1-2

 

 

1.5

 

0.41

Listening fill in the blanks

2-3

 

7.4

 

6.6

3.88

Listening Multiple Choice Choose Multiple answers

1-2

 

 

1.5

 

0.41

Listening Multiple Choice Choose single answer

1-2

 

 

 

 

0.36

Highlight correct summary

1-2

 

 

1.5

1.3

0.77

Summarize Spoken Text

1-2

 

11.9

 

13.1

6.94

Select Missing Words

1-2

 

 

 

1.3

0.36

Write from dictation

3-4

26.8

 

 

19.7

12.92

 

 

90

90

90

90

100%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to interpret PTE scores?

PTE result is presented in the form of a number between 10 and 90. This is based the global scale of English where 10 is the lowest score assigned for simply sitting the test without answering anything while 90 is the maximum anyone can score.

What is the PTE scoring system?

The PTE scoring system is based on automated scoring technologies where some of the answers are rated only on the basis of their correctness and incorrectness, while others are based on formal aspects (e.g. word limit of the task) and the quality of response (e.g. fluency and pronunciation). There are two methods of scoring adopted in the PTE exam calculator:

• Correct or incorrect: The candidate gets one point for every correct answer without any negative deduction for an incorrect answer.

• Partial credit: Tasks under this method are scored as correct, partially correct or incorrect. For instance, if the candidate’s response towards a task is correct, full points are given, but if the answer is partly right, some score points are given, and if the response is incorrect, no score is given.

 

Speaking and Writing Score Chart

Speaking and Writing is a 54-67 minutes section that evaluates the following traits of a candidate:

Task type

Number of tasks

Scoring

Communicative skills scored

Traits assessment based on

Read aloud

6-7

Partial credit

Reading and Speaking

Content

Pronunciation

Oral Fluency

 

Repeat sentence

10-12

Partial credit

Listening and speaking

Content

Pronunciation

Oral Fluency

 

Describe image

3-4

Partial credit

Speaking

Content

Pronunciation

Oral Fluency

 

Re-tell lecture

1-2

Partial credit

Listening and speaking

Content

Pronunciation

Oral Fluency

 

Answer short questions

5-6

Correct/ incorrect

Listening and speaking

Vocabulary

 

Summarize written text

1-2

Partial credit

Reading and writing

Form

Content

Grammar

Vocabulary

 

Write essay

1-2

Partial credit

Writing

Content

Form

Development, structure and coherence

Grammar

General linguistic range

Vocabulary range

Spelling

 

 

 

PTE Reading Score Chart

Reading is a 29-30 minutes section that tests a candidate’s reading abilities on the basis of tasks mentioned in the table below.

Task Type

Number of tasks

Scoring

Communicative skills scored

MCQs, choose single answer

1-2

Correct/ Incorrect

1 Correctly completed blank

0 Minimum score

Fill in the blanks

4-5

Partial credit

1 Correctly completed blank

0 Minimum score

Re-order paragraphs

2-3

Partial credit

1 Correctly completed blank

0 Minimum score

MCQs, choose multiple answers

1-2

Partial credit

1 Each correct response

-1 Each incorrect response

0 Minimum score

Reading and writing: Fill in the blanks

5-6

Partial credit

1 Each correctly completed blank 0 Minimum score

 

PTE Listening Score Chart

Listening is a 30-43 minutes section based on the candidate summarizing the spoken text. The section evaluates a candidate’s listening ability on the following traits:

Task type

Number of tasks

Scoring

Communicative skills scored

Traits assessed

Summarize spoken text

1-2

Partial credit

Listening and writing

Content:

2 Provides a good summary of the text. All relevant aspects are mentioned.

1 Provides a fair summary of the text, but one or two aspects are missing

0 Omits or misrepresents the main aspects

_________________________________

 

Form:

2 Contains 50-70 words

1 Contains 40-49 words or 71-100 words

0 Contains less than 40 words or more than 100 words. Summary is written in capital letters, contains no punctuation or consists only of bullet points or very short sentences.

__________________________________

 

Grammar:

2 Correct grammatical structures

1 Contains grammatical errors with no hindrance to communication

0 Defective grammatical structure which could hinder communications

__________________________________

 

Vocabulary:

2 Appropriate choice of words

1 Some lexical errors but with no hindrance to communication

0 Defective word choice which could hinder communication

__________________________________

 

Spelling:

2 Correct spelling

1 One spelling error

0 More than one spelling errors

 

 PTE Speaking and Writing

PTE Read Aloud

PTE read aloud question type comes first in the exam for the speaking section. Looking at the question prompt type, all students feel easy at first. But, when it comes to the exam day it brings down your confidence when unfamiliar words are put to pronounce.

You will get 30-40 seconds to prepare before the recording starts. Each read aloud in PTE contributes 15 points and they’re going to be around 6 questions of this kind in the exam. It has three scoring aspects: Content, Oral fluency, & Pronunciation. Once the beep sound is played, you can start reading the passage loud and clear. Remember don’t start speaking before the beep sound is played, as your voice will not get recorded.

PTE Speaking read aloud is scored based on three factors.

1.      Content: Have you included all the words as per the given passage? The addition and removal of the extra word will negatively impact your score. So, try to read the passage as it is in the question. You are given a maximum of 5 marks for the content.

2.      Oral Fluency: Your ability to speak in a fluent tone without hesitating or taking a long pause will determine your Oral fluency score. Repetition and hesitating will lower your scores.

3.      Pronunciation: Are you able to demonstrate the proper speech sound as the normal speaker of the language? It is determined if your speech is easily understandable by most of the regular speakers.

Be confident, loud, and clear enough for a computer to recognize your voice. To be confident, try to read the newspaper daily in front of the mirror as if you are trying to convey the message to a larger audience. This will help you to overcome your nervousness before speaking any answer.

DO’s and Don’ts for the PTE exam:

Do’s:

1.      Try to mock the answer before the recorder starts.

2.      Repeat and pronounce the difficult words during the count-down timer.

3.      Divide the text into meaningful chunks.

4.      Read at a normal pace with full confidence.

Don’ts:

1.      Don’t hesitate or repeat the sentence.

2.      Don’t add the extra words or letters apart from the original text.

3.      Try to eliminate the ‘Um, Oo, Sss and Ah’ while speaking.

4.      Ignore the mistakes and keep on reading the next word.

5.      Don’t be silent more than 3 seconds

 

Note: Focus on punctuation such as commas, semi-colon, and full stops; ignoring this will make your oral fluency suffer.


PTE Repeat Sentence

This task contributes the highest marks to PTE 32 marks given to speaking section and 19.7 for listening section. There can be asked all together 10 questions in the test. In this task the Content carries 3 marks unlike other speaking modules as it carries 5 marks. Fluency and pronunciation carries 5 marks each. And it is scored by counting the number of correct word sequences.

Addition or omission of words – Don’t include any new word as it doesn’t carry any marks. But if you don’t remember much, you can add some words to get marks in fluency and pronunciation. But try to capture more words and repeat in the same sequence.

No hesitations – Don’t interrupt but speak whatever comes in your mind.

Don’t repeat the words and do not do false starts. i.e. before the recording bar starts or waiting for few seconds after the recording starts. Pronunciation should be understandable to regular speakers as well as whoever listens whatever you speak. So your voice should be clear and pronunciation should be accurate.

Tips for the task Repeat Sentence in PTE Speaking

1.      Don’t write down the sentence, you don’t have enough time.

2.      Don’t stop speaking as the microphone will close after 3 seconds of silence.

3.      There is no time to think or remember. Just give it your best shot and try not to hesitate too much.

4.      Continue to work on your grammar and build up your bank of vocabulary.

5.      Practice listening to sentences and trying to repeat them back to improve your working memory.

6.      Figure out which sounds you have difficulty with and get practicing.

7.      Watch YouTube videos and Ted Talks copying the intonation, stress and pronunciation of the native speaker to improve your overall fluency.

Additional tips:

·         Pay attention to the intonation

·         Pay attention to word order

·         Pay attention to fluency

·         Pay attention the words (content)

·         Pay attention to pronunciation

Describe Image

For this task, you will be prompted to give a verbal response to a single or more images, occasionally the question would also come with text. The response length should be at a minimum of 25 seconds long and up to a maximum of 40 seconds. Additionally, it should be noted that in some rare circumstances, the image can be very odd or even bizarre which may catch students off guard.

It is important that you speak about the key information in the image. This is not a test of your analytical skills, so don’t worry about capturing each and everything.

Your response to PTE Describe Image should follow a proper structure and your speaking should display good quality of pronunciation and fluency.

Major tips to secure better band score:

1.      Content is not as important as pronunciation or fluency.

2.      You are not expected to explain every detail within the image

3.      Try to speak more than 30 seconds.

4.      Organize your description of image.

Note: You should focus these parts while practicing this section.

·         Introduction

·         Describe the main features: highest and lowest, maximum and minimum.

·         Talk in detail with the mentioned colors, numbers, percentage etc.

·         Conclusion

There are 5 types of Describe Images typically show in the PTE Academic Test.

1.      Bar Chart

2.      Pie Chart

3.      Line Chart

4.      Table

5.      Others – Flow Chart, Map, Mixed Chart, Picture, etc.

Your answer can be assessed in these categories with the score for each question.

Each Describe image is of 15 marks as under:

Content – 5
Pronunciation – 5
Oral Fluency – 5

Use the template

The image in front of me looks interesting and fascinating.
Let me take a closer look and by looking closely I can see it is a _______
The heading provided on top of the picture is _______There are some words in this picture namely _______There are some numbers in this picture such as _______  in percentage/dollars/year with some colors provided such as _______Overall, it can be concluded that this image is having crucial information about the topic………………….

Sample 1


The image in front of me looks interesting and fascinating.
Let me take a closer look and by looking closely I can see it is a bar graph.
The heading provided on top of the picture is earnings and unemployment rates by educational attainment.
There are some words in this picture namely doctorial degree, professional degree and master’s degree.

There are some numbers in this picture such as 2.5, 2.1 and 3.5 in percentage with some colours provided such as purple, green and black.
Overall, it can be concluded that this image is having crucial information about the topic, strongly supported by important facts and figures and have great impact on earnings and employment rates.

Sample 2

The image in front of me looks interesting and fascinating.
Let me take a closer look and by looking closely I can see it is a map.
The heading provided on top of the picture is linear temperature trend.
There are some words in this picture namely North America, Africa and India.
There are some numbers in this picture such as 1.2, 1.6 and 2.4  in Celsius with some colours provided such as blue, yellow and orange.
Overall, it can be concluded that this image is having crucial information about the topic, strongly supported by important facts and figures and have great impact on linear temperature trend.


Sample 3 Process

The image in front of me looks interesting and fascinating.
Let me take a closer look and by looking closely I can see it is a process.
The heading provided on top of the picture is trading goods.
There are some words in this picture namely imports and exports.
There are some details in this picture such as ancient Egypt, timber, horses and honey with some colours provided such as gold, yellow and red.
Overall, it can be concluded that this image is having crucial information about the topic, strongly supported by important facts and figures and have great impact on trading goods.

Sample 4 Pie chart


The image in front of me looks interesting and fascinating.
Let me take a closer look and by looking closely I can see it is a pie chart.
The heading provided on top of the picture is online sales for retail sectors in Canada in 2005 and 2010.
There are some words in this picture namely Electronics, food and video games.
There are some numbers in this picture such as 22, 30 and 32 in percentage with some colours provided such as yellow, blue and orange.
Overall, it can be concluded that this image is having crucial information about the topic, strongly supported by important facts and figures and have great impact on online sales.

Sample 5

Answer: This bar graph closely represents the reasons for studying according to the age of students. 

About 80 students under the age 26 chose study to work towards their career, while only 10 are doing it because studying is their interest. There are an equal number of students in the age group of 40 to 49 who choose studying as a hobby and as a career. 

While, students over the age 49 prefer studying out of their own interest. In conclusion, younger students study for making their career and older students study because it makes them happy.

 Sample 6


Answer: This graph indicates the number of international students enrolled in higher education in top countries like the US, UK and Australia in the year 205-2019.

According to the graph, the US has seen the highest number of enrollments from 2015-2019 fluctuating between 850,000 and nearly one million.

The image shows that the US is the most popular country with international students, followed by the UK, then Australia.

 Sample 7

The pie chart reveals the annual greenhouse gas emissions by different sectors. Upon observing the chart, I can deduce that power stations have the largest share of emitting greenhouse gas, 21.3%, than any other sector . Similarly, industrial processes and transportation fuels also contribute heavily with the figures of 16.8% and 14.0 % respectively, to greenhouse emissions. Interestingly, agriculture by products too generate a sizable share of 12.5%. Waste disposal and treatment has the least share of 3.4% in the emissions. 

In conclusion, I can say that the figure above provides vital information regarding the contributors of greenhouse gas emissions. 

Sample 8

 

The line chart gives projects the information regarding the increase in the cyber crime in India in the past decade. Based on my observations of the chart from 2010 to 2018, I can see a great variation in the figures. The crime rate increased sharply from 2016  and peaked at 27,248 cases in 2018. Before that there had been a steady increase from 966 cases in 2010 to around 12,000 cases in 2016. I can locate an incline from 2013. It can be clearly stated that never was there a decline in the number of cyber crime cases. 

Consequently, I can conclude that the data shown is pivotal in providing information regarding the exponential increase of cyber crime in India.

 Sample 9


The image I see looks fascinating and interesting. It is a plain balck and white image but it has a lot of depth. The highlight of the image is an old man, who is standing in a store. I can observe books neatly arranged in book racks. There are several rows and the image clearly depicts the man tilting his head to read the titles of the books. There are books behind the old man as well. In the background I can locate other people in the book shop. Also noticeable is a shopping bag that the man has kept next to him on the tiled floor of the shop. 

It is not false to conclude that the image shows a person deciding on which book to purchase.

                                                       Retell Lecture

The audio length will be up to 90 seconds and you will get 40 seconds to answer in your own words. The 10 seconds is given to prepare before the recorder starts. You must speak for at least 38 seconds and complete your answer with key highlights from the lecture. You must finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. Do remember that if you are silent for more then 3 seconds, the recorder will stop recording your voice.

Score Assessment for PTE Retell Lecture:

The PTE academic will judge your response on how well you have given the answer and covered all the key points. The scores of PTE retell-lecture are based on three criteria:

  1. Content
  2. Oral Fluency (Enabling Skills)
  3. Pronunciation (Enabling Skills)

Some useful tips to learn:

 

Try to understand the question types and build the techniques.

Include the key points, which will increase your score for the content.

Improve your pronunciation to get higher marks for enabling skills.

Oral Fluency which will be the key factor. Speak at a normal pace and avoid repeating the words.

Note down the key points while the audio is playing.

Prepare the techniques using the templates.

 

Useful templates for Summarize spoken text

Template-1

The speaker was discussing ………. (topic)………… She/he mentioned that................Moreover, she/he talked about…………………. She/he described…………………In conclusion, the lecture suggested that……………

(19 words)

Template- 2

The mentioned lecture was about………. (topic)……….and several points were mentioned. Firstly, the speaker described ………… (idea 1) ………. Secondly, she/he talked about …… (idea 2) ………. Moreover, she/he mentioned…………Overall, the lecture suggested that…………….

(26 words)

Template 3

The main idea of the lecture was (main topic).
Firstly, the speaker was discussing……………...
Secondly, he talked about…………….
Finally, he mentioned ………………...
Overall it can be concluded that this lecture is having crucial information about the (topic), strongly supported by important facts and figures, and have great impact on (main topic).

Template 4

In this lecture, the speaker explains the major information about………. “Topic”.
According to the speaker, he/she mentions that ………. “NP” or “keyword, keyword and keyword” is/are important.
Moreover, what the speaker is trying to say is that……………. “NP” or “keyword, keyword and keyword” is/are relevant.
Last but not least, the speaker highlights the importance of “NP” by suggesting that ……………… “NP” or “keyword, keyword and keyword” is/are crucial.

 

Retell Lecture – You will hear an interview. After listening to the interview, in 10 seconds, please retell what you have just heard from the interview in your own words. You will have 40 seconds to give your response. This item type integrates listening and speaking skills.

PTE Short Answer Question

here would be around 5-6 Answer Short Question type questions in the exam and contributes towards your PTE Speaking and Listening section score. The answer should be short and crisp as they intended to assess your speaking and listening skills. To answer each question, you have three seconds. Between three seconds if you are not uttering any word, the recorder will stop and you will get zero marks for that question.There is no negative points for wrong answers here. So do not leave any question unanswered.

Answer as soon as the microphone opens, don’t wait for the tone

You will have a large number of questions of this type and they will come at you quickly one after the other, so be ready and as soon as the microphone opens up give your answer. There won’t be any tone to indicate that the recording has started. Look at the recording status on the screen and based on that start your response.

Maintain your focus while listening

As there are too many questions to answer, it is possible that you might lose your focus. Don’t let that happen. Be fully attentive both while listening to the question and while giving your answer. This is a very simple but very important point in our PTE Answer Short Question Tips and Tricks list!

Don’t try to take notes in PTE Answer Short Question

The questions are short and if you try to write them down you will either miss a part of the question or fail to understand anything at all. Therefore, practice enough that you can understand by hearing once and give your answer immediately after that. If you ponder for a few seconds, you might forget what you have heard or become confused about that.

Don’t be nervous when giving your answer

You only have to speak a word or couple of words. So, say it will full confidence, don’t worry about the right or wrong.

Don’t stay silent while you think about the question

Ideally your answer should be ready as soon as the question has ended. If you are silent for too long the microphone might shut down, so better be confident and give an answer quickly.

Feel free to correct yourself if you make a mistake

If you have made a mistake – for e.g., mispronounced the answer – you can correct it and speak again. Don’t get stuck at any point.

Practice common questions before the exam

The questions in PTE Answer Short Question are based on common everyday general knowledge topics. You don’t need any specialized knowledge to answer these questions. PTE Mock Tests packages include plenty of practice materials along with scored mock tests to help you do this.

Don’t attempt to give a smart answer

We have seen many test takers who unnecessarily complicate this question type. They think too much! For e.g. if the question is – “Who is responsible for flying an airplane”, the simple and correct answer is – “a pilot”, but some people will think too much and say – “air traffic controller”. What comes to your mind first is usually the correct answer.

Speak clearly and pronounce the words correctly

You only have to speak a word or couple of words. So it is important that they are spoken clearly and the pronunciation is correct. If the computer isn’t able to understand the word or interprets it as something else, you will not get a point for that.

Practice a rapid fire round with a friend

Just like in the television quiz shows, request a friend to ask you 10-15 questions one after another. This is good way to practice and also have a lot of fun.

Some [possible questions with their answers:

1. What does ice become when you heat it?

Water

2. What adjective is opposite to Plural?

Singular

3. What is the antonym of predecessor?

Successor

4. On a computer, what is Times New Roman an example of?

Font

5. What is three quarters expressed as a percentage?

75%

6. Which field of study uses the periodic table?

Chemistry

7. Paper manufacturing results in the destruction of what natural resource?

Wood

8. What is the name of the punctuation mark that shows the end of a sentence?

Period / Full stop

9. What is the term for two siblings who are born from one mother at the same time?

Twin

10. Is plastic or paper easier to recycle?

Paper

11. What is the name of the story you write about yourself?

Autobiography

12. From where in the universe do we get solar energy?

The Sun

13. Kilograms, ounces, tons and stones are types of units to measure what?

Weight

14. What do you call a university student who has not yet attained a degree?

Undergraduate

15. In what household appliance do you store perishables?

Refrigerator

16. If something is irreparable, what could no one to do it?

Repair

17. If the temperature is falling, is it increasing or decreasing?

Decreasing

18. A new lecture is arriving later this week on Wednesday. If today is Tuesday, when will they arrive? Today, Tomorrow or Next week?

Tomorrow

19. What is the term for the political line that separates two nations?

Border

20. Which of the following represents a strong economy? High unemployment or Low unemployment?

Low unemployment

21. What do people use to see distant stars and planets?

Telescope

22. Which part of the body controls your thoughts?

Brain

23. In a job interview, would nice candidates try to appear enthusiastic, lazy, or confused?

Enthusiastic

24. which potentially hazardous activity involving the inhalation of tobacco products is widely discouraged by doctors?

Smoking

25. What type of coastal building warns sailors of dangerous coasts?

Lighthouse

Most frequent Real answer short question from recent exams(updated):

1. What is the first paragraph of an essay? – Introduction
2. What do we call the thread in the center of the candle? – Wick
3. What are the mountains that can erupt? – Volcanoes.
4. What are the people who study history and historical evidence? – Historian.
5. Which symbol is used to complete a sentence? – Full stop / period
6. Where does a camel normally live? – Desert.
7. A document protecting someone’s intellectual property? – Copyright.
8. What is the job title for someone who makes meals in a restaurant? – Chef/Cook
9. Which part at the end of book can be used for further reading? An index or a bibliography? – Bibliography
10. What does a Sundial measure? – Time
11. How many years are there in a passage of decade? – 10 years
12. Who sits in the cockpit of an airplane? – Pilot.
13. When your bone is injured and broken, what would you say you have? – Fracture.
14. How do you call the people who work for a company? – Employees.
15. Which one is more fuel efficient, a small car or a large truck? – A small car.
16. What is the big musical instrument that has 88 black and white keys? – Piano.
17. What is the meaning of “post” in the word “postgraduate”? – After
18. How many days are there added in February during a leap year? – ? 1 day
19. How do you call a doctor who can sell prescribed medicines in a hospital? – Chemist/Pharmacist.
20. Which one would a vegetarian most likely to eat, sandwiches or fruit salad? – Fruit salad.
21. Which one has a lower humidity, a desert or a rainforest? – A desert.
22. If you have a toothache, do you go to a surgeon or a dentist? – Dentist.
23. Animals with white ivory and long trunk? – Elephant
24. How many years does a centennial celebrates? – 100 years.
25. What do you call a list in front of a book which outlines the structure of a book? – Table of Contents

More Answer short questions

1. Which one has a higher humidity, a desert or a rainforest? – A rainforest.
2. Under which circumstance would you describe the economy as a good one, the one with high unemployment or low
unemployment? – Low unemployment.
3. How do you call the book where you collect all your photos together? – Album.
4. How many days are there in February during a leap year? – 29 days.
5. When you use Microsoft Word, what does “Times New Roman” mean? – Font.
6. Which organ is the blood pumped from? – Heart.
7. How would you describe someone who can speak two languages? – bilingual.
8. What is the outer part that protects fruits like oranges and bananas? – Peel.
9. Where can students borrow reference materials in school? – library.
10. How do you call the money that citizens must contribute to the government for public use? – Tax.
11. What kind of clothes and shoes do you wear to keep it comfortable when hiking? – Hiking outfit.
12. What is the hardest/toughest part of your hand? – Nails.
13. What is the hard object in the center of peaches, apples and pears? – Stone.
14. In a grassland or a swamp can you normally see an alligator ? – Swamp.
15. If you want to find the map of the US, what type of book should you use? – Atlas.
16. Where can you find the index in a book? – At the end.
17. What is the electronic device that wake you up in the morning? – Alarm clock.
18. How do you describe the line that divides a circle in two pieces? – Chord
19. When you react to a stimulus, is your response quick or slow? – Quick.
20. Why are bees so important to agriculture? – Pollination.
21. If you are happy with an agreement, what would you like to put at the bottom of the contract with the date? – Signature.
22. What is the natural material used to make a car tire? – Rubber
23. What does the chemical symbol H2O stands for? – Water.
24. A newspaper is published everyday, and a journal is published every month. What do you call the publication that is
published four times a year? – Quarterly.

PTE exam questions from recent test-PTE exam memories

PTE Academic speaking short question answer practice sample 2

46

What can be added to the drink to cool it down on hot day ?

Ice

47

What special document do most people travelling from one country to another carry  ?

Passport

48

What kind of equipment is used to protect motorbike rider’s brain from injury  ?

a Helmet

49

What is the last thing to do when baking a cake ?

cook it in the oven

50

Would you go to the pharmacy or surgery to get a prescription filled after visiting a doctor  ?

a pharmacy

51

There are two main way to pay in shop, one by cash and other by ?

Credit Card

52

How many days are in a leap year ?

366

53

To improve their health and fitness, most people either try to improve their diet or  ?

do more physical exercise

54

Would it be better to use kilometers or kilograms to measure the distance between two cities  ?

Kilometers

55

The large island just off the coast of mainland Europe is home to which country  ?

The United Kingdom

56

Would it be better to go jogging at noon, or in early morning, if you wanted to avoid the hottest part of the day?

early morning

57

In which century did the automobile manufacture in large scale?

20th Century

58

Name the country located in North America ?

United States

59

Some calendar begins the week on Sunday. What is the other day which commonly starts as week  ?

Monday

60

Where would you see the exhibits of dinosaurs ?

A Museum

61

Which country is in the southern hemisphere, Canada or Australia?

Australia

62

In which season people will be least likely to go skiing?

In summer

63

Which of these was last to be explored, Himalayas, the moon or Australia  ?

the moon

64

Would letter or email would be the fastest way to get a message to your professor?

Email

65

Jane and Peter have 3 children. They are 4, 13 & 15 years old. They only have one son, who is their  youngest

13 years old

child. How old is their middle child ?

66

Which would be better to report the population of a major global city – hundred, millions or  billions

Millions

67

This work is due for submission, one month from 15th June, on what date it be submitted  ?

15th July

68

Who would you consult to treat a fear of crowded places, a philosopher or psychologist  ?

a psychologist

69

How would most people travel to work each day, in big cities like Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York  ?

by public transportation

70

Would a supermarket, a cafe or bookstore probably have the widest range of products available?

a supermarket

71

In which room of their home would someone usually wash their clothes  ?

in the laundry room

72

Despite all the advances in equality between the sexes, would more men or women play professional football?

more men

73

Which major branch of science deals with classification of human beings  ?

biology

74

In most university courses there are two ways of being assessed, one is orally, the other is  through

written assignments

75

Name the month that falls between September and November  ?

October

76

Would a town, city or village probably cover the largest area  ?

a city

77

Which of these would probably be found in most homes around the world, a computer, a bed or a tv  ?

a bed

78

What does the main difference between the wrist watch and a clock relate to  ?

their relative sizes

79

Which section of the train timetable will tell you, what time the train leaves  ?

Departures

80

What do we call the list of steps, which tell you to put something together  ?

Instructions

81

What do we call the meeting, where an employer ask potential employee questions about their work experience?

Interview

82

What desk you go to when you first arrive at the hotel ?

Reception or Check in desk

83

What is the job title, someone who designs  building

Architect

84

What term is used for the amount you pay to the landlord, for living in his house or apartment?

Rent

85

What do we call a first meal of the day?

Breakfast

86

What word is used for someone who watches the sports event ?

Spectator

87

What object will you use to climb up to the roof of the house  ?

Ladder

88

If you don’t feel like eating, what do we say you don’t have ?

appetite

89

What do we call the organ in our chest, we need to breath ?

Lungs

90

If someone lives in the urban areas, where do they live  ?

in city

Summarize Written

Scoring Guide

Your score in Summarize Written depends upon 4 things – Content, Form, Grammar & Vocabulary. But the most important is content. If no response or irrelevant response is given, you will get a zero straight away. If you have provided an acceptable response then your content will be scored on ‘form’. Then after your response will be scored for grammar and vocabulary.

1. Content – You get full marks if you provide a good summary (good summary means that it should cover all relevant aspects). Partial credit, if your summary misses one or two aspects. No marks, if your summary misses the main aspect of the text.


2. Form – Full marks if you write your summary in one sentence. You get zero if you write more than one sentence or your sentence contains fewer than 5 or more than 75 words.

3. Grammar – Full credit if you use correct grammatical structure. Partial credit if your sentence contains grammatical errors but with no hindrance to communication. No marks, if your sentence has a defective grammatical structure which could hinder communication.

4. Vocabulary – Full credit if your sentence has the appropriate choice of words. Partial credit if you sentence has lexical errors but with no hindrance to communication. No credit if your sentence has defective word choice which could hinder communication.

General Tips To Improve Summary Writing

1. Thoroughly read and understand the text carefully. When you read it, you will get the feeling for the author’s style, tone, and mood.

2. Identify main ideas and supporting ideas – You have to summarize only key information, write down all the key points. Words that are repeated several times are likely to be keywords. You just have to include one main idea & at most 2-3 supporting ideas. That’s all. Don’t stuff the summary with unnecessary information.

3. Rewrite using complex sentences  As per PTE guidelines, you have to summarize the passage and give your response using one sentence between 5 and 75 words. So it is necessary that you learn to write complex sentences.

Please keep in mind that ‘Paraphrasing’ is very important. Don’t copy the exact words from the paragraph; always rewrite the information in your own words.

Below is a list of the most commonly used linking words:


while

after

though

because

as soon as

until

where

even though

whether

whereas

wherever

when

before

if

although

since

unless

so that


Summarize written text :( R: 3, W: 8)

1.      You will have two questions

2.       For each of the questions, you will have  10 minutes

3.      You will have 2/3 paragraphs having 200 words to read.

4.       You will have to write 5 to 75 words ( in average 25 to 40 words)

5.      Make a single sentence, having a capital letter in the first word, comma, use connectives such as and, but, also, as well as, however, moreover, furthermore, because, although etc.

6.      You have to read for 2 min, write 7 min, and edit 1 min.

Tentative marks:

      Content: 2

      Form: 2

      Grammar: 2

      Spelling: 2

                  Useful templates for summarize written text

The text offers insight into…………and the author began by explaining about……..along with mentioning about………. finally adding about……

                  Or,

The text is based on……………………… and it is…………………………………as well as it tells about …………………..which is …………………………..

                  or,

The provided text is about…………….which (tells/ means)………………where/ whereas…………………..so that……………………

PTE Essay

PTE Essay Writing Tips and Strategies

Before you start writing, you need to plan what you are going to write. Read the topic and plan your ideas in the first 2 minutes. Gather some relevant points, your experience related to the topic and some supporting points if any. Take 15 minutes to write and review in the last 3 minutes. 

Plan to divide your time to write essay in PTE

Topic

 Time

Brain storm ( Reading question)

 2 minutes

Develop your essay ( Writing )

15 minutes

Proof reading/ editing

3minutes

 

Always use the structure and limit the number of lines. Introduction, 2 body paragraphs and a conclusion. This will do to write around 230 to 260 words, which is more than enough. But how will you check if you will be able to complete your essay in PTE writing within the word limit. Though you can see the word count at the bottom, even when you complete the first body paragraph itself, sometimes you will be reaching around 180 to 200 words. Therefore, limit the number of lines for each paragraph as mentioned below.

Paragraphs

Number of sentences

Introduction

Not more than 2 lines

Main body Paragraph 1

Not more than 4 lines

Main body Paragraph 2

Not more than 4 lines

Conclusion

Not more than 1/2  lines

Understand the PTE Essay writing task

Let us understand the task first. As per Pearson the word limit should be between 200 to 300 but the recommended word limit is between 230 to 260 words. Sometimes you may get 1 or 2 essays in PTE writing. Each question has 2 to 3 sentences.

20 minutes to write an essay. Make a plan to think about the ideas, write the essay and then allocate some time to review it. Spend atleast 3 to 5 minutes to review in order to check the spellings, grammar and correct the sentences if required. This task contributes only for writing section.

Scoring structure

This task contributes 11.2 marks. It is scored based on our ability to write a convincing essay on the given topic. And it affects the scoring of grammar, spelling, vocabulary and written discourse. Also the score is awarded based on the below factors.

Content
Content is scored by determining if all aspects of the topic have been addressed in your response. If your essay does not address the topic, you will not receive any score points for your essay on any of the factors, which we are discussing now. Your essay will be scored zero in PTE writing section. Also you have to support any arguments with details, examples and explanations.

Development, structure and coherence


These are scored according to the organization of your response. Make sure the essay writing in PTE contains an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion that relate to the topic of the essay. Within the paragraphs, ideas should be clearly presented and supported with details, examples and explanations. Transitions between paragraphs must be smooth.

Form

Scored by counting the number of words in your response, you will receive full credit if your essay in PTE writing section is between 200 and 300 words. Writing less than 200 words or more than 300 words will decrease your score. Zero marks will be given for all the factors if your essay contains less than 120 words or more than 380 words.

General linguistic range

This is scored if you accurately communicate your ideas. Provide clear descriptions to highlight key ideas without any doubt and ensure clear communication. And use complex sentences rather than using simple sentence structures and use academic vocabularies appropriately. These are all give full credits to your response.

Grammar, Vocabulary and Spelling

Grammar is scored by examining sentence structure, punctuation and capital letters wherever is required. Use variety of academic words. And use synonyms in the introduction to paraphrase the topic sentence. But avoid repetition of same words. Most importantly PTE Academic recognizes English spelling conventions from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. But use only one spelling convention consistently in all your responses. Don’t mix the spelling content from different countries. This is very important point to be noted.

 

PTE Write Essay Score Summary

·         Content -- Include all relevant aspects

·         Development, Structure & Coherence -- Good structure with Introduction, Body & Conclusion, spread in multiple paragraphs

·         Form -- 200 to 300 words

·         General linguistics -- Smooth and Clear communication (using transition words)

·         Grammar -- Consistent grammar (error free)

·         Vocabulary -- Good command of a variety of words

·         Spelling -- Correct spelling

PTE Essay Template

One of the conspicuous trends of today’s world is a colossal upsurge in the number of people believing that <negative point of the topic>. There is a widespread worry that this will lead to a myriad of concerns in one’s life. However, I do not entirely accept this and I will explain why in this essay.

There are a number of arguments in favor of my stance. Most preponderant one is that <positive point of the topic> and there are numerous other benefits in various fields. Thanks to the wide range of advantages it offers, not only one benefit more when it comes to being effective, but they can enhance productivity and quality of their lives, with much ease, efficacy, and convenience. Needless to say, all these merits stand one in good stead, as far as augmenting the chances of prosperity and excellence is concerned.

Another pivotal factor in the aforementioned proposition is that it is only likely to help one thrive and excel in varied areas. Besides, when only one follows such a system, they can broaden their horizons, thus learning such attributes as dedication and perseverance. Hence, it is apparent why many are in favor of <positive key point>.

In the views of the arguments outlined above, one can conclude that the benefits of <positive key point> are indeed too great to ignore.

Advantages and Disadvantages

With the increase of digital media available online, the role of the library has become obsolete. Universities should only procure digital media rather than constantly updating textbooks. Discuss both the advantages and disadvantages.

So we have to discuss both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of digital media outweighs drawbacks in library is the negative point. So the contradicting point is digital media provides latest information in one click. Therefore, many are in favour of digital media. Simple.

Using Template
One of the conspicuous trends of today’s world is a colossal upsurge in the number of people believing that advantages of digital media outweighs the drawbacks of traditional way of reading in the library. There is a widespread worry that this will lead to a myriad of concerns in one’s life. However, I do not entirely accept this and I will explain why in this essay.

There are a number of arguments in favor of my stance. Most preponderant one is that digital media provides latest information in just one click and there are numerous other benefits in various fields. Thanks to the wide range of advantages it offers, not only one benefit more when it comes to being effective, but they can enhance productivity and quality of their lives, with much ease, efficacy, and convenience. Needless to say, all these merits stand one in good stead, as far as augmenting the chances of prosperity and excellence is concerned.

Another pivotal factor in the aforementioned proposition is that it is only likely to help one thrive and excel in varied areas. Besides, when only one follows such a system, they broaden their horizons, thus learning such attributes as dedication and perseverance. Hence, it is apparent why many are in favor of digital media.

In the views of the arguments outlined above, one can conclude that the benefits of digital media are indeed too great to ignore.

Causes and Effects

The time people devote in job leaves very little time for personal life. How widespread is the problem? What problem will this shortage of time cause?

Here also there is a problem statement but here solution is not asked. What effects will this problem can create? So causes and effects is the prompt here. Shortage of time for personal life leads to many family problems – negative side of the topic.

Using Template
One of the conspicuous trends of today’s world is a colossal upsurge in the number of people believing that shortage of time for personal life leads to many family problems. There is a widespread worry that this will lead to a myriad of concerns in one’s life. However, I do not entirely accept this and I will explain why in this essay.

There are a number of arguments in favor of my stance. Most preponderant one is that in long term perspective one can achieve high standard of living, variations in lifestyle, luxurious life with the family and there are numerous other benefits in various fields. Thanks to the wide range of advantages it offers, not only one benefit more when it comes to being effective, but they can enhance productivity and quality of their lives, with much ease, efficacy, and convenience. Needless to say, all these merits stand one in good stead, as far as augmenting the chances of prosperity and excellence is concerned.

Another pivotal factor in the aforementioned proposition is that it is only likely to help one thrive and excel in varied areas. Besides, when only one follows such a system, can they broaden their horizons, thus learning such attributes as dedication and perseverance. Hence, it is apparent why many are in favor of spending less time for family.

In the views of the arguments outlined above, one can conclude that the benefits of spending less time for family are indeed too great to ignore.

Discuss two opinions

Some people point that experiential learning can work well in formal education. However, others think a traditional form of teaching is the best. Do you think experiential learning can work well in high schools or colleges?

Using Template


One of the conspicuous trends of today’s world is a colossal upsurge in the number of people believing that experiential learning is best compared to traditional way of education. There is a widespread worry that this will lead to a myriad of concerns in one’s life. However, I do not entirely accept this and I will explain why in this essay.

There are a number of arguments in favor of my stance. Most preponderant one is that experiential way of learning provides practical knowledge and there are numerous other benefits in various fields. Thanks to the wide range of advantages it offers, not only one benefit more when it comes to being effective, but they can enhance productivity and quality of their lives, with much ease, efficacy, and convenience. Needless to say, all these merits stand one in good stead, as far as augmenting the chances of prosperity and excellence is concerned.

Another pivotal factor in the aforementioned proposition is that it is only likely to help one thrive and excel in varied areas. Besides, when only one follows such a system, they can broaden their horizons, thus learning such attributes as dedication and perseverance. Hence, it is apparent why many are in favor of experiential learning.

In the views of the arguments outlined above, one can conclude that the benefits of experiential learning are indeed too great to ignore.

 

Agree or disagree

Big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.
Do you agree or disagree? Provide relevant examples if necessary.

Here they have directly given as agree or disagree. Sometimes they will not mention this and we have to identify by understanding the topic. Always mention the negative side of the topic in the first paragraph. Some contradicting point relevant to the main idea in the second paragraphs and supporting points in the subsequent paragraphs..

Using Template


One of the conspicuous trends of today’s world is a colossal upsurge in the number of people believing that low salary is more disadvantageous. There is a widespread worry that this will lead to a myriad of concerns in one’s life. However, I do not entirely accept this and I will explain why in this essay.

There are a number of arguments in favor of my stance. Most preponderant one is that job satisfaction gives people a sense of fulfillment and there are numerous other benefits in various fields. Thanks to the wide range of advantages it offers, not only one benefit more when it comes to being effective, but they can enhance productivity and quality of their lives, with much ease, efficacy, and convenience. Needless to say, all these merits stand one in good stead, as far as augmenting the chances of prosperity and excellence is concerned.

Another pivotal factor in the aforementioned proposition is that it is only likely to help one thrive and excel in varied areas. Besides, when only one follows such a system, they can broaden their horizons, thus learning such attributes as dedication and perseverance. Hence, it is apparent why many are in favor of job satisfaction.

In the views of the arguments outlined above, one can conclude that the benefits of job satisfaction are indeed too great to ignore.

In the views of the arguments outlined above, one can conclude that the benefits of job satisfaction are indeed too great to ignore.

 

 

 

 

PTE Listening

1.      Summarise spoken text

2.      Listening multiple choice, choose multiple answers

3.      Fill in the blanks

4.      Highlight correct summary

5.      Listening multiple choice, choose single answer

6.      Select missing word

7.      Highlight incorrect words

8.      Write from dictation

PTE Listening Section Question Topics

PTE Questions per task (November 16, 2021)

Duration per task

Summarize spoken text

1 - 2

60-90 seconds to retain  50-70 words, 10 minutes to write

Multiple choice, multiple answers

1 - 2

40-90 seconds for prompt

Fill in the blanks

2 - 3

30-60 seconds

Highlight correct summary

1 - 2

30-90 seconds

Multiple choice, single answer

1 - 2

30-60 seconds

Select missing word

1 - 2

20-70 seconds

Highlight incorrect word

2 - 3

15-50 seconds

Write from Dictation

3 - 4

3-5 seconds

Total questions

12 - 20

Time Allocation: 30 - 43 minutes

PTE Listening Section Question Topics

PTE Questions per task (w.e.f November 16, 2021)

Duration per task

Summarize spoken text

1 - 2

60-90 seconds to retain  50-70 words, 10 minutes to write

Multiple choice, multiple answers

1 - 2

40-90 seconds for prompt

Fill in the blanks

2 - 3

30-60 seconds

Highlight correct summary

1 - 2

30-90 seconds

Multiple choice, single answer

1 - 2

30-60 seconds

Select missing word

1 - 2

20-70 seconds

Highlight incorrect word

2 - 3

15-50 seconds

Write from Dictation

3 - 4

3-5 seconds

Total questions

12 - 20

Time Allocation: 30 - 43 minutes

 

1 Summarize spoken test

Task

After listening to a recording, write a 50–70 word summary.

Prompt Length            Skills Assessed                   Time to Answer

60–90 seconds           Listening and writing           Not applicable

How to answer this question

For this item type, you will hear an audio recording and will need to write a 50–70 word summary of what you heard.

You have 10 minutes to listen and 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”.

            Some useful tips and strategies to learn for Summarize the spoken text

  1. Make sure your pen and notepad are ready before lecture starts.
  2. Write down around 6/7 broken sentences or group of words.
  3. Hit important names, dates, places, things, technical terms and quotes.
  4. You can write short forms and abbreviations just to remember.
  5. If you skip something, don’t try to remember it. Better go ahead.
  6. While making notes, avoid any types of article and spelling errors.
  7. Write capital letter for the first letter in the sentence.
  8. Unlike Re-tell lecture, you can make 4/5 sentences.
  9. Don’t make mistake in spelling.
  10. Don’t repeat the same words/meaning.
  11. Don’t write abbreviations/ contractions ( short for of the word/ letter like, ‘Don’t’.
  12. Don’t use slang/ informal language.
  13. You will be listening to a short recording in each task, all of which will relate to academic subjects such as humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.
  14. Don’t worry, you won’t need to be particularly knowledgeable about these subjects, as all of the information needed to answer the questions can be found in the recordings.

                                                Marking Criteria

Content

2

Form

2

Grammar

2

Spelling

2

Vocabulary

2

                       

Useful templates for Summarize spoken text

Template-1

The speaker was discussing ………..( topic)………… She/he mentioned that................Moreover, she/he talked about………………….She/he described…………………In conclusion, the lecture suggested that……………

(19 words)

 

Template- 2

The mentioned lecture was about……….(topic)………..and several points were mentioned. Firstly, the speaker described …………( idea 1)……….Secondly, she/he talked about ……(idea 2)……….Moreover, she/he mentioned…………Overall, the lecture suggested that……………..

(26 words)

PTE Summarise Spoken Text Practice 1

Listen to the following text, take notes of the main ideas, and write a 50 to 70-word response. You have ten minutes to complete the task.

So, my mother’s a pediatrician, and when I was young, she’d tell the craziest stories that combined science with her overactive imagination. One of the stories she told was that if you eat a lot of salt, all of the blood rushes up your legs, through your body, and shoots out the top of your head, killing you instantly. She called it “high blood pressure.”

This was my first experience with science fiction, and I loved it. So when I started to write my own science fiction and fantasy, I was surprised that it was considered un-African. So naturally, I asked, what is African? And this is what I know so far: Africa is important. Africa is the future. It is, though. And Africa is a serious place where only serious things happen.

So, when I present my work somewhere, someone will always ask, “What’s so important about it? How does it deal with real African issues like war, poverty, devastation or AIDS?” And it doesn’t. My work is about Nairobi pop bands that want to go to space or about seven-foot-tall robots that fall in love. It’s nothing incredibly important. It’s just fun, fierce and frivolous, as frivolous as bubble gum — “AfroBubbleGum.”

 

Notes:
• Mother paediatrician young crazy stories
• Blood shoots out the top of your head— “high blood pressure”
• Science fiction / fantasy = unAfrican
• “Africa is the future, Africa is serious.”
• “What is important about your work? War, poverty, AIDS?
• It’s not imptnt. It’s fun, fierce, frivolous.
• It’s AfroBubbleGum

Summarise Spoken Text Answer:

The speaker was discussing her music and African heritage. She mentioned that her mother was a pediatrician and told her crazy stories when she was young. She talked about how she was told that Africa is the future and is serious. She described how when people ask if her work is about poverty, war or AIDS, she says it isn’t, suggesting that it is fun and frivolous like bubblegum—AfroBubbleGum.

(70 words)

 

2. Listening multiple choice, choose multiple answers

  1. In this task, you will be tested on your ability to comprehend the main ideas in a text and determine which connections between pieces of information. There is negative marking where points are deducted for incorrect options. So, if a test taker scores 2 points for correct options, but the scores -2 for two incorrect options chosen, they will score 0 points overall for the item.
  2. Skim the possible options. Listen very carefully. You may take notes to help you focus and remember, especially names and numbers. Read the options and eliminate the incorrect ones, select the correct ones. Check your answers and submit.
  3. In short,          

      Don't make blind guesses as this question has negative marking 

      It is recommended you read questions before the audio starts. 

      Stay focused till the end as the answers could be in the end.

You will be scored 1 for each correct response and -1 for each incorrect response. 0 is the minimum score.

3. Fill in the blanks

      This task tests your ability to understand academic and identify words and phrases appropriate in a context.

      Use the provided notepad to take notes otherwise, you will miss the next word. 

      Carefully listen and determine whether the word was singular or plural, with an article or not etc.  

You will be scored 1 for each word spelled correctly, with 0 the minimum score.

4. Highlight Correct Summary

This task tests your ability to identify a topic, follow a sequence of information and comprehend a different accent.

  1. You will listen to a text of 60-90 seconds. You will then select the correct summary from a list of possible options. Only one summary will be correct. The other options may be similar but there will only ever be one correct option.
  2. Read every word in each option before you make your selection. Sometimes some words or phrases that you heard are in each option, but do not be tempted to select the first option that you think is correct on this basis, but rather read each option from the first word to the last. The meaning may change during the sentence!

In short,

      Understand the theme and the message conveyed by the speaker. 

      Use the elimination method to narrow the options. 

Marks are awarded as 1 for a correct response and 0 for an incorrect response. These marks count towards both your PTE Listening Test and PTE Reading Test results.

5 Multiple Choice, Choose Single Answer

  1. Similar to the Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answer, in this task, you will be tested on your ability to comprehend the main ideas in a text and determine connections between pieces of information.
  2. Skim the possible options. 
  3. Listen very carefully. You may take notes to help you focus and remember, especially names and numbers.
  4. Read the options and eliminate the incorrect ones, select the correct one. Check your answer and submit.

Marking is 1 for correct response and 0 for an incorrect response.

6 Select Missing Word

  1. In the PTE listening ‘select missing word’ task, you will be tested on identifying a topic, theme or main ideas and form a conclusion from what a speaker says. As the instructions state:
  2. You will hear a recording about (topic). At the end of the recording the last word or group of words has been replaced by a beep. Select the correct option to complete the recording.
  3. Do not take notes. Listen for meaning. You will either know or not know the answer.

Marks are 1 for a correct response and 0 for an incorrect response.

7.Highlight Incorrect Words

      You will hear a recording and read a transcript of the recording which differs from what the speaker says. You will click on the words in the transcript that are different.

      Listen and be prepared to act quickly. If you are uncertain about whether to click on the word or not, do not click on the word.

      Review your answers before submitting, in case you have missed something. 

      Double-clicking a word will unselect the word. So click only once. 

      Negative marking applies. So, if you score 2 points for correct options but then score -2 for two incorrect options you will score 0 points overall for the item.

      This part has negative marking, so be careful.  

8.Write from Dictation

      Here you will be tested on academic vocabulary, follow an oral sequencing of information and use of correct spelling.

      You will be asked to listen to a sentence and type the sentence in a box exactly as you hear it. You will only hear the sentence once, so listen very carefully and write as much of the sentence as you can.

      Listen carefully and write the sentence down on the erasable pad. You can then type the sentence on to the screen. If you are a very good typist then you can type directly on to the screen as you listen. Work quickly and accurately.

      It is better if you type your answer directly on the computer instead of taking notes on the notepad first as it will save time.  

      Check the spellings, singular and plural forms, punctuation etc.

Marks are awarded as 1 for each word correctly spelled. 0 is for each incorrect or misspelled word. Marks count towards the PTE Listening Test and PTE Writing Test.

 

 

IELTS Reading Sentence completion

  Sample 1 In Australia, the platypus is officially classified as ‘Common but Vulnerable.’ As a species, it is not currently considered to...