How to choose the best English test for US college admissions

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.  

Studying in Australia is a dream for many students. The country is known for its long stretches of white sandy beaches, rugged outback, and charming people. 

It’s also home to more than 1,100 world-class institutions - earning Australia a reputation for being a top study abroad destination. And don’t just take our word for it: 90% of international students reported being happy studying and living in Australia, according to a 2018 government report.  

For many international students, working in-between studies to pay for living expenses is also part of life in Australia. So what kinds of jobs are popular for students in the country? And what is the pay like? Let’s take a look:

1. Barista 

Coffee culture is huge in Australia. Because the country is famous for its “flat white” drinks and quality coffees, there are many different cafes for international students to apply at. After all, where there is a demand, there will always be jobs! 

Of course, working as a barista requires that you have strong customer service skills, are proficient in English, and are familiar with popular coffee orders and how to make them (although your workplace will likely also train you). Because cafe culture is so important to Australians, a job serving coffee is arguably one of the best ways to feel immersed in the local culture.  

2. Bartender  

For students, being a bartender has many perks. The hours you work rarely conflict with regular university class schedules. Being a bartender is a great way to meet new people. You could also earn tips. Tipping isn’t part of Australian culture per se, however it is becoming more common to tip service staff a small amount to thank them for good service.  

If you’re interested in serving drinks, you could also consider getting a job at an Australian winery. Because Australia has so many wineries (about 2,361 in total), wine culture is not only a prevalent part of life in Australia. It’s also always usually a thriving industry with lots of job opportunities. 

3. Server 

Keen on the hospitality industry? Serving is another great job. And, even better if you get to work at a beachside restaurant. The University of Adelaide, The University of the Sunshine Coast, and The University of Melbourne are all institutions located by the coast, where international students have the opportunity to earn a living part-time while also experiencing Australia’s beautiful beaches.  

4. Hotel and hostel jobs 

A bonus of studying in a place that happens to be an internationally-famous vacation spot is that there are many jobs in hospitality. Students studying at institutions like The University of Tasmania, for example, can benefit from the local tourism industry by applying for jobs cleaning in hotels or cooking in hotel kitchens.  

Australia’s hostels are also great spots to look for a job. Foreign students would be a great fit for hostel jobs like receptionists because of their international experience, age, and language skills. The bonus here is that you will find yourself working amongst like-minded and fun travelers.  

5. Fruit picking 

Australia has plenty of fruit picking jobs throughout the country. Strawberry, blueberry, and avocado picking jobs, for example, are all common jobs available to students in Australia. They’re also quite common to come across. Recently, the government also announced they’d allow students working in agriculture to work more hours every week - which is a big plus! We share more on that below.  

How many hours can I work? 

When studying in Australia, one of the main regulations for international student visa holders is that  they can work up to 48 hours every two weeks while studying and unlimited hours during study breaks on an Australian student visa. 

The government changed those restrictions for students working in certain industries to support these sectors during the pandemic. Now, students can work unlimited hours in healthcare, disability care, aged care, agriculture, and tourism. 

What’s the minimum wage in Australia? 

Australia is known for its high minimum wage. The minimum wage in Australia is $24.10 per hour or $915.90 per week - this is a huge draw for many international students.   

Where should I look for work?

Your institution in Australia should have a career center to help you look for work. They should provide you with resume and interview tips, as well as a job board that lists open positions. We always recommend visiting your institution’s career centre when beginning your job search.  

There are also job sites like Indeed, Seek, and Jobactive from the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Skills, and Employment. All of these sites list thousands of part-time jobs for international students to consider.  

Last updated 20 December 2024.

Ready to go? 

PTE can help you secure a spot at an Australian institution. Our test is faster, fairer, simpler, and accepted by all universities in Australia.   

Learn more about PTE Academic.

Part 1 of PTE Academic will take 77-93 minutes and will test your speaking and writing skills.

To test speaking skills, you will be assessed on your ability to produce spoken English in an academic environment.

Your writing skills will be assessed by giving written responses in academic English using correct grammar, spelling, and structure.

Personal Introduction

First, you will be asked to give a personal introduction to give some information about yourself.

You will have 25 seconds to read the prompt and prepare your response. You will only have 30 seconds to record a response and can only record this once.

Don’t worry, your personal introduction is not scored but will be sent together with your score report to the institutions selected by you.

For the speaking and writing test, there are seven types of questions that you will be scored on. Below, we will break down each part of this section of the test.

Read Aloud

The first question type to test your reading and speaking skills will be the Read Aloud assessment. In this test there are 6-7 questions.

You will be shown a text prompt that will be up to 60 words. You will have 30-40 seconds to prepare by reading the passage. You will also have a set time to read aloud, which will vary by item, depending on the length of the text.

To complete the question, speak clearly and straight away after you hear a tone. You must finish speaking before the progress bar on the screen reaches the end.

You can receive a maximum of 3 points for the content spoken, a maximum of 5 points for oral fluency, and a maximum of 5 points for pronunciation.

Repeat Sentence

The second question type is Repeat Sentence, which will test listening and speaking skills.

You will listen to a recording between 3-9 seconds and are given 15 seconds to answer.

Once the microphone shows as recording, you will need to speak straight away and say all the words that the speaker uses, in the same order.

For this question, you can receive a maximum score of 3 for content, a maximum 5 for oral fluency, and a maximum of 5 points for pronunciation.

Describe Image

The third question type will test speaking skills by describing an image. There are 6-7 questions.

You will be shown an image and have 25 seconds to study the image and prepare your response. For this task, use the Erasable Noteboard Booklet to take short notes.

After a short tone is heard, start speaking straight away. You will have 40 seconds to answer and must finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end.

In this question type, you can receive a maximum of 5 points for content, a maximum of 5 points for oral fluency, and a maximum of 5 points for pronunciation.

Re-tell Lecture

The fourth question type, Re-tell Lecture, will test your listening and speaking skills. There are 3-4 questions in this test.

You will be given a prompt of up to 90 seconds and will have 40 seconds to answer.

Audio will be played straight away and you may also see an image related to the audio. While you are listening use the Erasable Noteboard Booklet to take short notes.

Once the audio finishes you have 10 seconds to prepare. To complete the task, in detail, you will need to cover the situation, characters, aspects, actions, and developments given in the recording.

You can receive a maximum score of 5 points on content, a maximum of 5 points on your oral fluency, and a maximum of 5 points for pronunciation.

Answer Short Question

The fifth question type, Answer Short Question, will assess listening and speaking skills. There are 10-12 questions in this test.

Here, you will be given a prompt of 3-9 seconds and will have 10 seconds to answer the question.

You will be required to answer a short question with a clear, simple, single word or a few words. This will not test general knowledge, it will simply test your vocabulary.

You will receive 1 point per correct word. No points are given for no response or incorrect response.

Summarize Written Text

In the first question type in the writing section, you will be required to Summarize Written Text, which will test reading and writing skills.

You will read a text of up to 300 words and have 10 minutes to write your summary. You will do 2-3 of these questions depending on the combination of tasks in the given test.

In this assessment, you must write just one sentence. Try using the Erasable Noteboard Booklet to take notes of the main points.

Make sure to include the main points of the text in a full, single sentence of no more than 75 words.

You can receive a maximum score of 2 points for content, maximum 1 point for the formal requirements, a maximum of 2 points for grammar and a maximum of 2 points for vocabulary.

Essay

The last question type of the Speaking and Writing Test will test writing skills.

In this question type, you will be provided with 2-3 sentences of text prompt and have 20 minutes to answer, by writing a 200-300 word argumentative essay on a given topic.

Time management is important for this task as you will need to plan, write and proofread your essay.

In this question, there are many parts where you can receive points. You can receive a maximum of 3 points for the content, maximum of 2 points for the formal requirements and maximum 2 points for development, structure and coherence.

You can also receive a maximum score of 2 points for grammar, maximum 2 points for general linguistic range, maximum 2 points for vocabulary range and a maximum of 2 points for no spelling errors.

There is a total of 15 points that you can pick up in this question type.

What's next?

Read more about Part 2: Reading Test Introduction.

Want more prep ideas?

Plus, 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.

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