Sitting PTE Academic for the first time

PTE Author
PTE Author
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Reading time: 3 minutes

Choosing to study or migrate abroad is a big decision and may require you to demonstrate your skills in English.

The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) is widely trusted by universities, colleges, and governments around the world. Taking PTE Academic can create opportunities for you around the world.

If you are taking the test for the first time, study each part of the test thoroughly to demonstrate your English skills as best you can.

Even people that consider themselves to be fluent in English need to prepare as they can sometimes score fewer points than they should have as they have not prepared.

We can help you achieve your best!

What should I expect on test day?

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What should I expect during the test & how do I prepare?

There are three parts to PTE Academic:

You should aim to study well in advance before taking the test as PTE Academic is an integrated skills test and there are a wide variety of skills you will need to apply.

When you first begin to study, look at the overview of the test and what question types each part contains. Then look at the skills that may be needed.

You can start by reading through the Speaking: Core English Skills.

From there, visit our Improve your score hub to learn more about the self-improvement strategies you can use to do your best in PTE Academic.

Take a practice test and assess

A Scored Practice Test will give you an idea of your likely score and is a great way of guiding your preparation.

Once you take the Scored Practice Test, consider how close you are to your target score and plan to improve your results.

Are you close to your target score?

If you are close to your target score make your preparation test-focused rather than learning English in general. Determine the skills you need to improve, then focus your preparation on these. These include both the enabling skills (grammar, oral fluency, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, and written discourse) and communicative skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing).

Remember, your overall score is based on your performance on all test questions, so focus on the weaker areas and plan how long you’ll need to study to improve your English skills to the desired level.

Do you have to make up a lot of points?

If there is a big gap between your score and your target score you should take the test at a later time. Aim to improve your general and academic English skills with self-study or by taking a taught English course.

Good luck!

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    Learning a language is much easier when you’re enjoying yourself – which is why watching movies can be a great way to immerse yourself in the language.

    What better way is there to pick up new phrases and slang terms that you would not learn in the classroom, all with popcorn in hand?

    It can be hard to know which movie to choose so here are our top ten to help you get started. These films are chosen for their language clarity and cultural insights, offering a fun way to improve English skills for beginners and advanced learners alike.

    If you are not feeling confident, watch with subtitles and you will soon pick things up.

    1. Forrest Gump (1994)

    A fantastic choice for beginners, this film teaches English while taking you through the heart of American history. This movie is one of the best English movies for learners as Forrest speaks so slowly throughout the entire movie. It is also an iconic 90’s movie which will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.

    2. Harry Potter series

    Perfect for all ages, these films are a treasure trove of rich vocabulary set in a magical world. Many things make the Harry Potter series great for your linguistics skills! Aside from the rich vocabulary, due to the sheer number of films in the series you will get to build up your understanding of different characters, their personalities, accents and ways of communicating.

    3. The King's Speech (2010)

    What a great idea for learning English – watching a film where the main character – a historic British figure – is learning to speak! King George VI struggles to communicate due to a speech impediment, which means pronunciation is a very big focus in this movie.

    4. Pride and Prejudice (2005)

    For lovers of classic literature, this film offers a window into historical British English. The movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice will also expose you to societal norms, colloquial expressions, formal language and phrases as this movie is set in the early 19th century England.

    5. Home Alone (1990)

    This is one of the best English movies to watch, especially for beginners. It is full of day-to-day phrases and a slower pace, so it is easier to follow along. It is also a Christmas classic for all the family.

    6. Love Actually (2010)

    Great for picking up informal turns of phrases, slang and expressions used by British people. It also showcases a variety of British (and Irish) accents, so you can expose yourself to a breadth of British ways of speaking.

    7. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

    A charming film for mastering conversational American English.

    8. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

    Immerse in everyday conversational English set in contemporary America.

    9. Brave (2012)

    Animated and perfect for beginners, this film is set in Medieval Scotland so you will get to experience the Scottish accent and culture as well as learning some everyday phrases and idioms.

    10. Inception (2010)

    This movie should be on your list if you are focusing on advanced language learning. The language and the plot are both really complex. You will be exposed to advanced vocabulary and narratives which are really thought-provoking.

    These films offer an immersive, engaging, and often emotionally resonant context for language learning. Whether you're just starting or looking to refine your skills, each movie is a step forward in your language-learning adventure.

    More ways to prep

    Ready to prepare for your English language test? 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.

  • Portrait of student learning online with headphones and laptop taking notes in notebook sitting at her desk at home - mixed race Asian Chinese model
    Build all-round confidence with Smart Prep
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    Smart Prep brings all our free and paid preparation into one convenient place, so you can mix and match to fit your unique needs. Perfect if you have booked your test and are not sure where to start with your preparation journey.

    Here are four top tips to help you get started:

    1. Explore Smart Prep

    All you need to do is set up your free myPTE account, and you will have access to all our free and official prep resources — so everything you need to be ready ace your test is at your fingertips.

    2. Use Scored Practice Tests to track your progress

    As close as you can get to the test without taking the real thing. Our unique Scored Practice Tests are just like a mock test and are marked in the same way as your PTE test. So you can see how you score and then focus on the areas you need to improve.

    With five to choose from, we recommend you use them throughout your prep journey to check your progress.

    3. Practice with 300+ questions

    Practice makes perfect and our PTE Academic Question Bank is packed full of questions with model answers, plus samples for speaking and writing. So you have plenty of opportunity to practice before the real thing.

    4. Read our handbook and Score Guide

    Finally, don’t forget to download our free PTE Academic Handbook and Score Guide.

    The handbook covers everything you need to know about taking PTE Academic - from how to prepare and test day policies, to how to retake your test if necessary.

    And, the PTE Score Guide helps you understand things like what you’re graded on, how automated scores work, and how our scores compare with those of other English language tests.

    Ready to achieve your dreams?

    PTE is more than an English language test. It’s your ticket to studying abroad.