Speaking: Core English Skills

PTE Author
PTE Author
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Reading time: 3 minutes

In Part 1 of the PTE Academic test, you require certain skills to answer the questions within the test to the best of your ability.

We’ve put together some tips and advice on how to practice and improve your core skills.

Oral Fluency

Oral fluency applies to the Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image and Re-tell Lecture question types.

To improve your oral fluency before your test, we recommend that you speak English as often as you can. If you don’t have anyone you can speak English with, join an English-speaking club or take a short course.

As soon as you’ve booked the test, we suggest that you try to read, listen and write in English as much as you can.

If you’re having trouble with speaking too slow or too fast, record yourself and listen back to identify where you need to improve.

You can also use Tiny Texts to help improve your speaking. Read the text silently to yourself, then listen to a recording while you read and have a try afterward to read at a similar pace.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation skills are required for the Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image and Re-tell Lecture question types.

In PTE Academic you do not have to speak like a fluent speaker of English to do well. However, you do need to use a pronunciation that can be understood by a regular speaker of English.

This means you need to make sure your vowel and consonant sounds are pronounced in a fluent-like way with the correct words. You also need to use the correct sentence stress to convey meaning.

Luckily, there are many online tools that can help with your pronunciation, such as:

Vocabulary

The only question type in the speaking section that will require strong vocabulary skills is Answer Short Question.

The easiest way to improve your vocabulary is to keep a vocabulary notebook to use as your own personal dictionary. When you hear or see new words, add them along with the meaning and put them in a sentence.

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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