As promised, here are some tips and tricks that helped me (or could have helped me if I just realized them earlier). But please note that these may not be applicable to everyone.
GENERAL TIPS:
Familiarize yourself with how the exam is being scored. May madadownload na PDF regarding this sa PTE website. This will help you understand what matters and what doesn't.
Use Macmillan and PTE-A Offline Test to get an idea about the type of questions and the degree of difficulty. In my case, masasabi kong magkasing-hirap lang ang Macmillan, PTE-A Offline at yung actual exam.
Take the online mock test to gauge the flow of the exam and the time allotted for each part. Looking back at my experience, I would suggest maging conscious po tayo sa time limit lalo na sa reading.
Very important: Sa pagrereview, focus more on your weaknesses. In my case, hindi ko na masyadong pinansin yung mga alam kong kaya naman.
SPEAKING:
Read aloud - This is easy for most of us, I guess. Ang crucial lang dito ay yung pace ng reading. Wag masyado mabilis na parang kinakain na ang words. Wag naman mabagal dahil baka sumobra sa time limit. The right pace will let you read the passage in 30-40 seconds.
Repeat sentence - Just listen to the audio intently. No need to write it down. Usually, maiksi lang naman ang sentences kaya hindi mahirap tandaan.
Describe image - If you look at how PTE is scored, you will see that what matters here is your fluency, mentioning of keywords, grammar, and pronunciation. In my case, walang kakwenta kwenta yung mga sinabi ko. Pero I made sure tama ang grammar ko, nakapag-mention ako ng keywords related to the graph, and I delivered it as fluently and clearly as possible. Keep ah, um, er, and other fillers to a minimum.
Re-tell lecture - same as Describe Image. Fluency, mentioning of keywords, grammar, and pronunciation. I only jotted down the keywords. Hindi ako masyadong nag-notes para mas makapag-focus ako sa audio. May items na hindi ako nag-notes at all. Give it a try and see kung mas effective din ba sayo kapag mag-focus na lang sa audio instead of taking down a lot of notes.
Answer short question - easy part. Just answer the question straight. No need to say it in a complete sentence.
WRITING:
Summarize written text - keywords, grammar, and correct use of punctuation. And follow instructions, one sentence lang dapat. Hindi ko alam kung may word limit dito pero yung sentences ko nasa around 30 words. You will have enough time for this part. Don't be pressured.
Write essay - again, keywords, grammar, and correct use of punctuation. Yung structure hindi na masyadong importante, I guess. I don't think the computer is smart enough to check if you're making sense or not. Pero makakatulong ang familiarity sa structure ng essay para free-flowing ang ideas at alam mo kung ano ang isusulat. Refer to youtube videos of IELTS Ryan for the structure of argumentative and discussion essays.
READING:
Hindi ko na iisa-isahin. Refer to previous posts in this forum or dun sa wordpress ni @filipinacpa for specific tips. Ang key lang naman talaga dito ay intindihin ang binabasa, and be conscious of the time remaining. Sobrang bilis ng oras dito lalo na kung nagtagal ka sa isang part na pinilit mong intindihin. That happened to me kaya hindi ko natapos ang reading part. Kaya kung hindi talaga maintindihan ang passage, just have a guess. Otherwise, you might run out of time and miss the easier parts.
LISTENING:
Summarize spoken text - similar to Re-tell Lecture, keywords, grammar and correct use of punctuation ang importante dito. Again, I only wrote down the keywords at hindi na ako masyadong nag-notes para mas makapag-focus ako sa audio. Kapag hindi talaga maintindihan ang audio, just compose sentences kahit hindi related sa subject basta andun ang keywords at correct ang grammar & punctuation.
Multiple choice - make sure naiintindihan mo ang question before the audio starts. Then, if you have more time, skim through the choices. Pero pag nag-start na ang audio, I think it would be best if mag-focus muna sa pakikinig. It's usually hard to listen and read at the same time.
Highlight correct summary - same as Multiple Choice, skim through the choices before the audio starts pero kapag nag-start na, focus on listening.
Fill in the blanks - easy part. You can type the word straight to the box kapag mabilis ka mag-type. Maging vigilant lang dun sa sunod-sunod na blanks kasi baka habang nagta-type ka ay ma-miss out mo yung next word.
Select missing word - listen to the audio, and try your best to understand the gist of the speech. Kapag naintindihan ang audio, this will be easy. Pag hindi, just have a guess.
Highlight incorrect words - another easy part. Basta sabayan mo lang ng cursor on the text yung sinasabi ng audio recording. Then upon spotting on the incorrect word, click.
Write from dictation - easier version of Repeat Sentence. Kapag mabilis mag-type, pwedeng direcho na sa screen. Otherwise, you can write it down first. Hindi naman mahaba ang sentences so they should be easy to remember.
So that's it! If I missed out anything or if you have further questions, just ask. Cheers!