Hello All! Just received my test scores from last March 3 and I got 90 in all sections. I don't actively participate in this forum but I wanted to share what I know as I got a lot of tips from here that were very effective!! 🙂 Thanks for all your help!!!
I initially took IELTS but found my writing score frustrating so I decided to take PTE-A instead. I think it's a better test and it's fairer as it checks for your mastery of English as a language and not your creative writing skills (IELTS checkers, in my opinion, check more of the content of your essay than the grammar, form, etc.).
Sharing some tips from my end! Good luck to those taking the test soon! 😃
SPEAKING
You will be in a room full of people talking loudly at the same time so remember that when you're practicing. I imagined that I was in a train/bus talking to someone else (in this case, my exam machine) to drown out the voices of my "classmates".
Repeat Sentence - I found this section difficult but it helps to write key words while listening to the sentence. If you forget some of the words, just go on a say what you remember. I forgot a couple of words in this section but still got perfect marks so I think knowing the gist of the sentence counts for something 🙂 Fluency is a point here so remember that throughout the speaking part.
Describe Image - You can use the template for this section. Describe what the image is and the highest and lowest points. Avoid using fillers in this section (Umm, ahh) and just keep on talking. Again, fluency is important here. Also, I only used the Macmillan and offline test reviewers so I was surprised to see a pyramid in the test! When I started reviewing for PTE-A, I really found this section difficult but it helps to practice out loud! The key here is to get comfortable describing what's in front of you.
Re-tell lecture - The items from the test were easier than what's in the Macmillan reviewer. Focus on the main point of the script and try to use synonyms for the terms you hear.
WRITING
For writing, be mindful of your spelling, punctuation marks and word count. If you check the score guide, spelling and form (word count) make up a huge chunk of your score. Keep it simple and avoid compound/run on sentences. It's not really an essay writing contest. Use the normal templates like intro-supp1-supp2-conclusion.
Also, the tips from this page are good:
http://pinoyau.info/discussion/4233/pte-academic/p98
For sample essay questions, this blog was very helpful:
https://dylanaung.blogspot.com/2015/04/pte-academic-essay-questions-and-ideas.html