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Whether you’re looking to create a new life down under or make your own American dream a reality, one of the first hurdles is proving you’ve got the right English language skills.
English proficiency exams cover listening, reading, writing, and speaking, and it will come as no surprise that it’s the speaking part of the test that people worry the most about.
With PTE there is no face-to-face speaking test to stress about, taking away the concerns around what to wear and whether you will get on with your examiner. Also remember that PTE’s automated scoring technology is trained to understand over 120 different accents so that is one less thing to worry about.
However, it is still daunting, which is why we’ve put together some tried and tested top tips to help you feel confident for the speaking section of PTE.
Learning what to expect from each section of the test can help ease anxieties and allow you to prepare properly. PTE is made up of three sections:
Speaking & Writing (54-67 minutes)
Reading (30 minutes)
Listening (30 minutes)
The Speaking & Writing section is then split into 8 tasks:
Personal introduction
Read aloud
Repeat sentence
Describe image
Re-tell lecture
Answer short question
Summarise written text
Essay
For more information on specific instructions for each task, you can review the test format and scoring criteria.
Feeling confident speaking English takes time and patience. Here are four ways to help you feel prepared for the PTE speaking section.
When something feels new and unfamiliar it can be stressful. Build your familiarity and comfort levels by setting aside time each day to complete short practice activities. It’ll help you learn what to expect from each task, keeping you calm and giving you more time to focus on providing a clear answer on test day.
Surrounding yourself with English-speaking TV shows, audiobooks, and podcasts is a fantastic way to build your vocabulary and practice your listening skills on a daily basis. The more you listen to English, the more you familiarize yourself with the language. You may also find yourself picking up new vocab and phrases that come in handy on test day. To take your speaking and listening skills to the next level, find a range of shows with different accents — American, British, Australian — to really tune into the English language.
Having conversations in English is one of the best ways to hone your language skills and build your speaking confidence. Look online to find a language tandem or see if there are partnership opportunities in your local area to help you get that real-life “I did it” confidence of being understood and connecting in another language.
If you’re struggling to find a language partner, look for language-learning apps like Mondly by Pearson that use technology to practise speaking and pronunciation. Some people actually find it easier talking to a computer rather than having the pressure of a real human, so it can be a great way to build confidence if you’re feeling nervous about speaking up.
There’s no need to pick just one of these ways — try out several to see which works best for you or combine multiple ways of practicing to make sure you’re at your confident best on test day.
You’ve done all your preparation, you’re feeling confident, now you’re in the test center ready to show everyone what you can do.
Here’s how to make sure that practise shines through during the speaking exam:
During the test, make use of the few seconds before each recording begins to properly read the material and mentally prepare your answer.
Punctuation helps you decide where to pause and change your intonation. Good pausing techniques can help you read more fluently and give more meaning to the text.
Add more emphasis to the words you think are important. Try to copy the tone and intonation of recordings to replicate the patterns of the sentences you hear.
Pinpoint the most meaningful parts of the sentence and remember those phrases. You’ll be scored on correct word sequences, so remembering words as phrases will help you.
Remember to stay calm, speak clearly and try not to rush to make sure that your recording showcases the very best of your speaking ability.
We want PTE to be the worry-free way to start your new chapter. That’s why we offer a range of preparation preparation packages, which include a mixture of Scored Practice Tests, our Question Bank and our Official Guide to PTE Academic.
You can also make the most of our free resources, including our Taster Test, which offers five questions in five minutes with instant feedback. For those who are juggling priorities, our free Practice App is perfect for preparing on the go.
Looking for more PTE tips? Take a look at our guides on what to expect on test day and how to prepare for PTE Academic.
PTE Academic is completed on a computer, including the speaking part of the test.
So make sure you are prepared by familiarizing yourself with the equipment you will use during your test. Reading these test tips and you will be fully prepared.
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
Read often for short periods of time
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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).
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