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Common Mistakes in PTE Exam and How to Avoid Them

Common Mistakes in PTE Exam and How to Avoid Them

Achieving a high score in the PTE test requires more than just knowing the material. Due to the exam comprising multiple sections, candidates often encounter pitfalls that can negatively impact their scores. In this blog, we’ll explore the most frequent mistakes made in each section and share practical solutions to help candidates navigate the exam with confidence and achieve their best score.

  1. Speaking Section:

Speaking Too Quickly or Too Slowly

Candidates often rush through their answers in the ‘Read Aloud’ and ‘Repeat Sentence’ sections, which affects clarity. Conversely, speaking too slowly can result in a lack of fluency. Hesitation or panicking, especially in the ‘Repeat Sentence’ segment, can disrupt performance. In fact, missing two or three words is quite acceptable.

Tips

  • Record responses and play them back to assess speed and clarity.
  • Practice with prompts to improve fluency and minimize pauses.
  • Don’t worry about missing a word or two.

Ignoring the Microphone

The PTE speaking test uses a microphone to capture responses, and improper positioning can affect the score.

Tips

  • Check your microphone setup before starting the test to ensure it’s working properly.
  • Test your volume by speaking in a clear, steady voice.
  • Avoid background noise by choosing a quiet environment to take the test.
  • Keep your mouth slightly away from the microphone to prevent muffled sound.
  • Maintain a consistent distance from the microphone, neither too close nor too far.

Description Cut Off Due to Exceeding the Time Limit

In the ‘Describe Image’ section, some candidates exceed the usual response time of 10-15 seconds. As a result, their response is cut off mid-sentence when the microphone turns off.

Tips

  • Focus on describing the most significant features of the image, such as the main categories in pie charts.
  • Avoid going into excessive detail. 
  • Take mock tests to improve your speed and accuracy.

 

  1. Writing Section:

Not Using Templates for Summaries and Essays

Many candidates spend too much time thinking about what they will write. They often end up surpassing the usual range of 5-75 words in the ‘Summarize Written Text’ segment, or their essays exceed the typical 200-300 word limit. This results from a lack of clear structure.

Tips

  • For the ‘Summarize Written Text’ part, focus on the core message
  • If possible, aim for a shorter summary (20-30 words) that still conveys the main ideas clearly.
  • Do not spend a lot of time thinking what you will write. Practice using templates for essays and summaries to quickly organize your thoughts.
  1. Reading Section:

Choosing the Incorrect Option

A common mistake in this task is failing to select the correct option from the drop-down list or the available choices. Candidates may get confused between similar-sounding or meaning words.

Tips

  • Carefully read the sentence before selecting an option to ensure it fits logically.
  • Eliminate obviously incorrect options to narrow down your choices.
  • Practice with mock tests to strengthen your decision-making skills under exam conditions.

Wasting Time on Less Impactful Tasks

Candidates often stress about unanswered multiple-choice questions (MCQs), which can negatively affect their performance in other sections. If you overthink it and select even one incorrect options in the ‘MCQs with multiple options’ segment, negative marking will reduce your score. Thus, it’s essential not to worry too much about these questions as you can still achieve a good score even if you leave them unanswered. [This suggestion also applies to the ‘Highlight Incorrect Summary’ question in the Listening section.]

Tips:

  • Don’t stress over MCQs as they don’t carry as much weight.
  • Focus on other sections where you can score higher.
  1. Listening Section:

Incorrect Approach to Unclear Dictation

In the ‘Write from Dictation’ segment, many candidates make the mistake of writing only one word when unsure about what they heard. For instance, if you hear ‘measures’ but are unsure of the spelling, you should write both the spellings you have in mind side by side. This way, you’ll earn marks if one of the spellings is correct. However, if both are wrong, no marks will be awarded.

Tips:

  • Focus on the context to guess the word.
  • Don’t rely on just one guess. Write both possible options if unsure.

Grammar and Spelling Errors in the ‘Fill in the Blanks’ segment

‘Fill in the Blanks’ is a key task in the listening section, where precision in grammar and spelling is essential. Since the system evaluates responses based on exact matches, even minor spelling errors can result in lost marks.

Tips

  • Make sure to double-check both grammar and spelling before finalizing your answers in this section.
  • Give mock tests to familiarize yourself with commonly tested vocabulary.

Misinterpreting due to unfamiliarity with accents

Candidates often struggle to understand the audio in the test because they are not accustomed to the accents of native speakers. This can lead to missing key information or misunderstanding the content.

Tips

  • Listen to TED Talks, podcasts, and news reports to become familiar with various English accents.
  • Watch movies or TV shows with diverse accents to improve your ability to understand.

Achieving success in PTE requires strategic preparation. It’s important to identify common mistakes and actively work on avoiding them through regular practice. PTE may seem tricky, but with the right approach, candidates can make considerable progress toward success.

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