Reading: Core English skills part 1

PTE Author
PTE Author
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Reading time: 5 minutes

In PTE Academic Part 2: Reading, you will be required to read a text in each question to understand what it means in order to answer the question.

To identify and develop your reading skills we’ve put together some information to help you.

Grammar

Grammar skills are important as they help you understand what you are reading. In Part 2: Reading you need to understand the meaning of the tense system, how articles work and how to use pronouns.

Tense

The tense system refers to the way in which you write about situations in the past, present or future. It’s important to be able to understand how time is expressed in reading texts in order to understand the meaning of the text.

To learn more about the tense system view the Anglo-Link’s video on tenses.

Articles

In the reading section, you will also need to understand how articles work in English. Articles are words such as ‘the’, ‘a’ and ‘an’.

Knowing how articles work will help you to understand the topic sentence in a paragraph and that will help locate an answer in a reading passage. This will help you with the Re-order Paragraphs question types in the test.

Indefinite articles (a or an) usually come before the definite article (the) before the same noun.

For example, An eminent scientist worked for years trying to find a new species of exotic bird. She led a team of three field researchers. One of the team members found the bird in a tropical forest. Two years later the same team found another new species in the forest.

You can learn how to use the correctly in this Oxford Online English video.

Pronouns

It’s important to also know what pronouns are to better understand the text you are reading. Pronouns are used to replace nouns so we do not have to keep repeating the same noun.

Knowing how to use pronouns will help in the test, particularly in the Re-order Paragraph questions, as they help you identify the correct position of sentences within a paragraph.

For example, Dr Gomez felt he needed to spend more time with his students when they were new to his faculty. There was so much information that he wanted to give them that he needed to spend more than a whole day with them, which surprised even himself.

To learn more and practice using pronouns, visit Ginger Software’s pronoun page.

Vocabulary

Having a wide vocabulary will help you succeed in the PTE Academic test as you will not need to slow down for as many words that you do not understand.

To widen your vocabulary you should:

  • Choose reading texts across a wide range of topics. Tip: Do not choose difficult texts.

  • Try to read the text and find words you do not understand, then try to work out the meaning from the context first. If you are still not sure, look the words up in a

     

Word families

When it comes to learning vocabulary, make sure to learn the word family of a word.

For example, progress (noun/verb), progressive (adjective), progression (noun). To learn the words, use it ten times, in different ways, such as writing, speaking and reading within a short time.

In PTE Academic you will need to know and demonstrate how to read a word, pronounce it correctly and how to spell it. You will also need to know if it is an academic or informal word and how to use it in a sentence.

Learn more about three aspects of academic vocabulary in the Griffith University’s Learn English- Academic Vocabulary video.

Context

Another important skill to improve vocabulary is inferring unknown vocabulary from context. You should be able to guess the meaning of new words or phrases based on the words around it (the context).

For example, you can guess the meaning of profligate from this sentence: The young man who spent all his money on expensive cars and holidays was so profligate that he wasted his whole fortune.

Sometimes you will be unable to work out the meaning of a word from the context and will need to look it up in a dictionary.

Collocations

Lastly, you will need to understand collocations. Collocations are words that often go together. You will need to have a good understanding of collocations in order to answer the Reading: Fill in the Blanks and Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks questions.

The more you read and listen to English, the more collocations you will learn. The PTE Academic Collocation List will also help you to learn these.

You’ll also need to learn reading methods and styles of writing in order to do well in this part of the test. Read some helpful tips on how to improve these skills.

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    Study in Malaysia with PTE Academic
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    Do you want to study in Malaysia?

    If you are an international student wanting to study in Malaysia, you may need to take an English test.

    International students are required to meet the English language competency requirements set by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

    Do you need to take an English test?

    If you are an international student who meets all academic qualifications but have not met the English language requirement for admission you may receive a conditional offer.

    You will then need to complete an English language preparation program within 12 months at the respective private college or university and pass the language test requirement. Only then will you will be able to commence your course.

    Who is exempt?

    You do not need to prove your English language skills if you are an international student that:

    • is from an English-speaking country

    • has an academic qualification from an institution that uses English as the medium of instruction

    • has completed their education in Malaysia and has decided to further their studies to a higher level

    Where is PTE Academic accepted?

    Since April 2016, the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education has accepted PTE Academic as proof of the English language skills for international students wanting to study at a private higher educational institution in Malaysia.

    There are a growing number of Malaysian Universities that now recognize PTE Academic such as:

    • Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT)

    • Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)

    • Asia School of Business

    • Asia e University

    • Berjaya University College

    • Curtin University (Sarawak)

    • Cyberlynx International College

    • Disted College

    • Education Malaysia Global Services

    • Despark College

    • First City University College

    • HELP University College

    • Heriot Watt University Malaysia

    • Inti International College Subang

    • Malaysia University of Science and Technology

    • Monash University Malaysia

    • Multimedia University

    • MAHSA University

    • Pintar College

    • Segi University

    • Sunway College

    • Sunway University

    • Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak)

    • Taylor’s University

    • The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus

    • UCSI University

    • University of Reading Malaysia

    • University of Southampton Malaysia Campus

    • Xiamen University (Malaysia Campus)

    We are constantly expanding the number of Malaysian Universities that accept our scores, explore our full list of institutions in Malaysia who accept PTE.

    You can take PTE Academic at test centers around the world and at 6 locations in Malaysia. Ready to take PTE Academic? Book now!

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    How to study in Malaysia
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    With high-quality universities, more affordable tuition, and the fastest growing regional economy in the world, Asia has become a popular destination for international students. This includes students from within the region itself.

    Western countries still attract a large number of students each year. “But the idea that a Western degree is automatically better and more advantageous than one obtained in Asia is losing ground.” states by ICEF Monitor.

    In fact, countries like China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia have all been competing to attract more international students in recent years. As a result, Asian students now have the opportunity to receive a world-class education and international study experience much closer to home. This is especially important for many families today, as uncertainty surrounding the pandemic is expected to continue.

    Now, let’s take a look at what one Asian country – Malaysia – has to offer international students. We’ll also go into what students should keep in mind as they plans their studies:

    Malaysia at a glance

    Malaysia boasts innovative universities and excellent intra-regional mobility, making it a great place for students to consider. The country has worked to put itself on the map as a destination for international learners. It hopes to welcome 250,000 students from abroad by 2025. Students come from a variety of countries including Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Yemen, and Nigeria.

    Bahasa Malaysia is the country’s official language. However many university courses are taught in English.

    Universities in Malaysia

    Malaysia boasts more than 100 higher education institutions. Many universities here are also ranked amongst the top in the world by the QS World University Rankings. Included in the ranking are: 

    • University of Malaya (UM): Ranked 60th globally. 

    • Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM): Ranked 148th globally. 

    • Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM): Ranked 138th globally. 

    • Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM): Ranked 146th globally. 

    A number of international universities have also opened branches in Malaysia. These include the University of Nottingham, Heriot Watt University, Monash University, Xiamen University, and Newcastle University, to name a few. They provide students with the chance to earn a degree from Western universities without having to leave the region.

    If you're looking to explore your study options, the government has a great tool for students to find the program that suits them best. You can also learn more about diploma studies with this useful guide.

    In order to study in Malaysia, students will need to prove they are proficient in English and PTE Academic is the ready choice for you to do so. PTE Academic is a computer-based language test that provides unbiased and secure proof of a candidate’s English skills for study, professional, and migration purposes.

    According to language requirements set by Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), students who plan to undertake a Bachelor’s degree and above at university or college must score a minimum of 47 for PTE Academic, which is equivalent to CEFR High B1 level.

    Students who wish to undertake a diploma course will need to have a minimum PTE Academic score of 36, which is equivalent to CEFR Low B1 level. However, students should always check with their respective university or college to confirm their language score requirements.

    Getting your visa

    Applying for a Student Pass to study in Malaysia is relatively simple and can be done online. Before starting your application, you must have a letter of acceptance from your university. The whole visa process takes about one month. You’ll find out how to apply on the Education Malaysia website.

    With a Student Pass you can work up to 20 hours a week, but only during school breaks that last longer than 8 days.

    Cost of living

    Malaysia draws the attention of students all around the world because it offers an affordable, yet still top class education. A bachelor degree, for example, costs between $10,000-20,000 USD. This is a lot less than in the United States or the U.K. In fact, Malaysia’s booming capital city Kuala Lumpur was named the second most affordable city in the world for students by the QS Best Student Cities ranking.

    Financial aid

    International students in Malaysia can apply for financial aid. Universities offer scholarships directly to students. To get an idea of what these might be like, you can take a look at the scholarships offered by University of Malaya.

    The Malaysian government also provides scholarships to international students. The Malaysia International Scholarship – which offers air tickets, tuition, and a monthly allowance, among other benefits – is one scholarship to look into. The Malaysian Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan also offers international students some generous financial support.

    Want an international study experience in Malaysia?

    PTE Academic – a fast, flexible, fair, and secure English assessment can help you get there. Book the test now and get the result within 2 days.

    View prices in your country and find your local test center.

    Last updated 20 December 2024.

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    Are you preparing to take PTE Academic?

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    We are always looking to expand and enhance the services we offer our test takers and we believe the addition of E2Language helps us achieve this goal.

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