5 common PTE mistakes - and how your students can avoid them

Reading time: 7 minutes

Learning from our mistakes is one of the best ways to improve. This is also true for anyone who is preparing for an English language proficiency exam, like PTE Academic.  

 In this post, we’ll look at five common PTE Academic errors test takers make, and how you can help your students to avoid these mistakes when they are sitting their exam.  

1. Reading: reordering paragraphs

In the PTE Academic reading section, test takers are asked to reorder paragraphs taken from an academic text. They see one panel on the screen with a number of sentences in the wrong order, and need to drag these sentences to a second panel in the correct order. This activity tests how well test-takers can understand the structure of a written text in English.  

However, many people struggle with this. They don’t pay attention to language clues such as linking words or sentences that open with an introductory statement. These are all things that allow texts to follow a cohesive pattern.  

Image - reordering paragraph

Check out our Instagram page for activities like this to help students prepare for their PTE exam! 

To help students avoid this mistake, it’s important to teach them about linking words, opening and concluding statements, and how to give opinions or examples in English. You can also have students practice reordering paragraphs in class. For example: 

  • Bring in some news articles, blog posts, or short academic texts  

  • Cut each one up into a number of paragraphs and mix up the order  

  • Put students in groups and have them reorder the paragraphs 

  • When complete, ask students to read the reordered text aloud and have them explain why they chose this order, focusing on the language clues.  

2. Listening: summarize a spoken text 

One of the listening tasks requires candidates to summarize a spoken text. The objective of this is to test how well students can understand the main ideas of a lecture and how well they can summarize those ideas.  

Students listen to an audio recording, and can take notes while listening. They then have 10 minutes to write a 50-70 word summary of the audio. For this task, they’re judged on both the quality of their writing and how well their response presents the key points from the lecture.  

However, test takers often simply copy what they heard in the audio, word for word. This shows they have recognized and understood the words within the audio. But it doesn’t represent their ability to summarize in their own words, using a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.  

In order to get a good score, candidates must paraphrase as much of the listening material as possible. To help them achieve this, you can try the following in class:  

  • Choose a short video to watch, such as a Ted Talk. If it’s only a few minutes long, play it twice so they have a better understanding of the ideas. 

  • Ask students to work in pairs to take notes and paraphrase the key points of the video. The pair that uses the most new vocabulary and synonyms in their summary will win.  

  • Have the pairs present their summary to the rest of the class, give feedback, and select a winning pair.  

3. Speaking: describe an image 

One of the PTE Speaking tasks calls for candidates to describe a picture. The aim of this exercise is to test students’ ability to explain what they see - using their own words - in a graph, chart, map, table or picture.   

Students have 25 seconds to look at an image on the screen and think about what they’re going to say. Then, they have 15 seconds more to describe the image out loud. The microphone automatically turns off after 40 seconds.  

A common mistake that candidates make here is that they memorize a response to images they have seen when preparing for the exam. This often means they don’t actually describe the image they’ve seen in front of them. When this happens, they usually get a very low score, or even a zero.  

Students may do this if they don’t feel confident with their level of vocabulary. To help them avoid making this mistake, practice describing a range of images in class. Have students record themselves doing the task. Then listen back and identify areas where students can improve and note down any gaps in vocabulary which can then be taught in future classes.  

Image- Describe image

Check out our Instagram page for images like this to help students prepare for their PTE exam! 

4. Writing: writing an essay   

There are two PTE writing tasks to complete in the exam. One of these involves writing an essay, which tests candidates’ ability to write a short, persuasive or argumentative piece.  

Test-takers are given a short written prompt asking them to agree or disagree, state their opinion, or comment on a situation or problem. The response is judged on how well they’re able to develop a position, organize their ideas, present supporting details and write with a high level of academic English. They must write between 200 and 300 words in 20 minutes.  

Image - Write essay

Check out our Instagram page and discover more essay questions to help students prepare for their PTE exam! 

One big mistake? Test-takers often do not follow the word count. The essay score guide states that if they write fewer than 120 words or more than 380 words, their answer will be scored a zero. 

One way to help students prepare for this is by getting them to practice writing the essay under timed conditions. When finished, have them swap their essays with another student and ask them to total each other’s word counts before handing them in.  

Read more tips for the Writing Essay task.  

5. Not checking answers  

Apart from the task-related mistakes, candidates can often make, the biggest problem that we see are simple errors in written answers. This may be because the candidate has not checked over their work before moving on to the next task.  

Before moving on to a new question, it is vital that test-takers spend a few seconds proofreading their answers. By doing this, they may avoid simple errors in spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, or grammar. Furthermore, it gives them time to check that they’ve completed all the information set out in the question.  

To help students get used to doing this, you could have them proofread each other’s written work in class. They can then provide feedback to the other student and work together to correct the errors. Another idea is to create your own short text with a number of spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes in it. Tell students that there are X amount of errors in the text, and that they need to work in pairs to find and correct them.  

This way, they’ll train themselves to proofread their work for any small mistakes that could affect their overall PTE score.  

Discover more resources to help you teach PTE!

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    There are many ways you can improve your chances of gaining points in Part 2: Reading during PTE Academic.

    To improve your reading skills, practice increasing your reading speed and comprehension at the same time. In turn, you will improve your writing, grammar and vocabulary skills.

    To do well in this part of the test, you need to be able to read quickly, using effective reading strategies, as there is a limited time to answer all questions.

    Speed reading tasks will help improve your reading speed. Practice speed reading every day and:

    • Aim to be reading at least 220 words per minute

    • Reading short articles of around 300 words

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    You can also try this as a challenge with your friends to help keep motivated. Once you are happy with your comprehension and speed, focus on chunks (groups of words) rather than individual words.

    When your reading skills reach a level you are happy with, you will feel more confident to answer the questions.

    Multiple-choice, choose single answer

    In the Multiple-Choice, Single Answer question type, some test takers make the mistake of scan reading and matching the words in the text to the words in the answer. Generally, the words in the text are not used in the correct answer, therefore it is important to learn how to use synonyms and paraphrasing as it will be used in the test.

    Learn how to improve your grammar in our Reading: Core Skills part 1 article.

    Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers

    In this question type, you will need more time than in the Multiple-Choice, Choose Single Answer question type, as you need to intensively read the stem (the part before the options) as well as the options, then scan read the text on the screen until you find the part of the text that contains information that was in the stem.

    Read the options very carefully and match the meaning of the option with the text. Do not match the words – this is something test takers may make errors with.

    You should also make sure not to choose all the options since you lose one point for each incorrect choice. However, you cannot score below zero.

    Re-order paragraphs

    To do well in the Re-order Paragraphs questions, you will need to have a strong understanding of cohesive devices and how they work. You will also need to understand how articles work, as well as the logical and chronological order of information.

    In this question type, skim-read the text to get the ideas of the topic of the text. From there, you should read all the sentences carefully.

    Fill in the blanks and reading & writing: fill in the blanks

    For both Fill in the Blanks and Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks question types, you will need to understand a range of vocabulary, collocations, grammar, pronouns, and cohesive devices, as well as being able to identify when plural nouns are needed.

    You will also need to be able to skim read to get an idea of the meaning of the text, then read intensively before and after each blank. If unsure, you should guess based on the context.

    Make sure you do not leave any spaces blank. You do not need to correctly fill in all spaces to get points.

    To go back and review the question types within the reading test, we suggest learning more about the reading questions.

    Want more prep ideas?

    Explore Smart Prep, which combines all our practice materials in one place, so it's easier for you to stay on track with your PTE preparation.

    • Smart Prep is a clear path to test day, guiding you through the official paid and free resources available for your test

    • It can be accessed whether you’ve booked a test or not – just create, or sign in to your myPTE account

    • Preparation materials include guided practice tests, introductory videos, video courses and test tips.

    Ready to get started?

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    A Complete Guide to Applying for a UK Student Visa

    By PTE Author
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    Do you have your heart set on studying in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland? The UK is a wonderful place to live and learn, but you’ll most likely need to get a UK study visa before you start packing your bags.

    This comprehensive guide covers who needs a UK student visa, the requirements for getting one, how to apply, how much it costs, and how long it takes.

    Who needs a UK student visa? 

    If you’re an international student hoping to study in the UK, you’ll most likely need a student visa. The only exceptions are nationals of Switzerland and countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), who don’t need a visa to enter the UK. * 

    * Please note: The outcome of Brexit may alter this after 2020. Check the UK government’s website for up-to-date information about this. 

    What are the UK student visa requirements I need to meet? 

    There are several UK study visa requirements you’ll need to meet to successfully apply. These include: 

    • You’ve been offered a place in a full-time course from an eligible university (i.e. the school must be a licensed Student route visa*Tier 4 sponsors)

    • You can understand English (both written and spoken)

    • You have enough funds to support yourself and any dependants, while also paying for the course.

    These requirements apply to students from all over the world. This means the UK student visa requirements for Indian students and American students are exactly the same for Chinese students and Australian students (and so on).  

    Which type of visa do I need to apply for? 

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    10 new English words

    By PTE Author
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    Hundreds of new words are added to the dictionary each year, and it often takes months of consideration to decide which ones. But when the pandemic began in 2020, many words we’d never heard of suddenly became part of our day-to-day vocabulary – think words like “furlough”, “stay at home order”, and COVID-19 (which was only invented in February 2020). With this, dictionaries raced to add new entries, and helped us to define our “new normal”. So, what are some of the words that got added last year? Let’s explore 10 new words you’ll need:  

    1. Adulting 

    Definition: The action of becoming or acting like an adult 

    In December 2020, the Oxford English Dictionary added the word “adulting.” It’s often used by young people when they talk about doing tasks that are essential to every-day life – like cooking meals, buying insurance, or paying taxes.  

    How to use it: My roommates and I are adulting all the time. We clean the whole house every Saturday! 

    2. Awe walk 

    Definition: Taking a walk outside and making an effort to look at the things around you 

    “Awe walk” hasn’t been added to the Cambridge Dictionary yet – but they have noticed it’s been used quite a bit. The word “awe” means a feeling of respect. So when someone says they will take an awe walk, it means they’ll notice – and feel grateful for – all the small things around them. 

    The word was actually coined by the authors of a psychological study, which found older people who took awe walks felt more positive and less stressed over time.  

    How to use it: Today on our awe walk we noticed a tree we’d never seen before.  

    3. Contactless 

    Definition: not having to physically touch or interact with people, or relating to a technological system for payments, where information is transmitted over short distances without physical contact

    “Contactless” delivery became a popular option for shoppers during the pandemic. People who choose contactless delivery get their groceries or food delivered to the doorsteps, but don’t have to go out to receive them. Merriam-Webster added the word to their dictionary in April, right at the beginning of the pandemic. Contactless is also referred to when talking about contactless payment technology.

    How to use it: Our family started to shop at a new grocery store, because we wanted the option to have contactless delivery.  

    The limit on contactless payments has increased. 

    4. Doomscrolling 

    Definition: the action of constantly scrolling through and reading depressing news on a news site or on social media, especially on a phone  

    Dictionary.com added “doomscrolling” in summer 2020. And, we’ve all done it. Doomscrolling is when you become obsessed with staying up to date with bad news. It’s a combination of the noun “doom” and verb “scroll” – and was made popular by the journalist Karen Ho last year.  

    How to use it: I was doomscrolling on Twitter today while reading about Covid-19 cases. I think it’s why I feel so anxious now.  

     

    5. PPE

    Definition: an abbreviation for personal protective equipment 

    Many of us first heard the word “PPE” at the beginning of the pandemic, and the word was added by Merriam-Webster last April. PPE is the abbreviation of personal protective equipment. This is the clothing people wear to protect themselves from danger. Masks, gloves, face shields, and goggles are all examples of PPE. 

    How to use it: Many healthcare professionals and essential workers did not have access to PPE at the beginning of the pandemic.  

     

    6. Quarenteen

    Definition: a teenager during the COVID-19 pandemic  

    Do you know a “quarenteen?” It’s another word that’s been observed by Cambridge Dictionary – but hasn’t been added quite yet. If it is added, quarenteen will be a homophone for the word “quarantine.” It’ll also be a compound noun of “quarantine” and “teenager.”  

    How to use it: My sister was a quarenteen and spent a lot of time on TikTok. 

     

    7. Thirsty 

    Definition: Having a need for attention or approval  

    But doesn’t thirsty mean needing to drink? Well, Merriam-Webster added a new definition of the word last year. “Thirsty” means having a strong desire for attention – especially on social media. Thirsty is informal, and it’s mostly used by young people. 

    How to use it: My brother is thirsty. He posts so many photos of our dog Jellybean on Instagram because he wants her to be a dog model.

     

    8. Truthiness 

    Definition: something that seems true but isn’t backed up by evidence 

    The word “truthiness” became popular after American comedian Stephen Colbert talked about it on his show The Colbert Report back in 2005. It was meant to be a joke, but many dictionaries have now included the word – including Merriam-Webster. With so much disinformation going around right now, we think it’s a great word for today's world.  

    How to use it: In this class, you can’t speak truthiness and expect to get away with it.  

     

    9. Unconscious bias 

    Definition: unconscious prejudice against people of a certain race, gender, or group 

    “Unconscious bias” is a negative term, which was added to the Oxford English Dictionary last year. Everyone has unconscious beliefs about other groups, and these beliefs can cause them to discriminate against others. There is also conscious bias. When people are consciously biased, their discrimination is intentional.   

    How to use it: In this day and age, I hope more workplaces will address their conscious and unconscious bias.

     

    10. WFH

    Definition:  An abbreviation for work (or working) from home  

    The word “WFH” was added to Merriam-Webster in April 2020 when many people were WFH! This is an important word to know if you're part of an English-speaking workplace.  

    How to use it: My co-workers say they’re WFH on Slack everyday.

    So, what’s your favorite new word? We recommend keeping up on all the new words added to dictionaries throughout the year –  it’s a great way to expand your vocab!  

    For more English-learning resources, don’t forget to check out our articles and click on the 'Test tips & advice' filter.