PTE ACADEMIC

monkeydoo · March 2017

@auitdreamer Thanks a lot for the tips!

auitdreamer · March 2017

@vanessajoy Payment sa tcyonline is via Paypal lang. You can pay via credit through the Paypal website kahit walang Paypal account.

Regarding yung minimum specs nila - best kasi to take the practice tests using their software pero pwede din namang online. Try mo muna with their free sample tests kung ok. Sa kin kasi di ko magawa yung speaking ng maayos w/o using their software.

Tingin ko di naman siguro na di mo maaccess yung mock test nila pero it's possible na magkaroon ng performance issues yung software (i.e. mabagal, etc.)

auitdreamer · March 2017

@monkeydoo No problem

Glad to help.

auitdreamer · March 2017

@frappz Wala namang dress code. Huwag lang po mag slippers, shorts o sando

mariaana14 · March 2017

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

MissM · March 2017

@mariaana14 Congrats, sis! Thanks din sa mga tips.

frappz · March 2017

meron po bang nakakakuha ng below 35 sa actual exam?

MissM · March 2017

Hello guys! I took the exam yesterday (Take 1) and got the results this evening. I'm very happy to announce that I've passed the exam.

Back story lang.. plan ko talaga mag-take ng exam nun January but during Xmas holidays, nagkasakit ako and what's worst, nagkaubo ako and namaos for the whole month. Tapos nagbook ako via online nun Feb 6 and super dami na pala test takers ng PTE compared to last year. Ang earliest schedule na available na lang was March 7 tapos 2pm lang. So I grabbed the chance habang may available slots pa.

As a way of giving back, magpo-post ako ng mga tips and references na ginamit ko while preparing for the exam. To all the future test takers, goodluck! Kayang-kaya nyo yan!

siena101 · March 2017

@auitdreamer help pls. 51 lang speaking ko sa mock. Eto naman enabling result ko:
Grammar-82
Oral fluency-34
Pronunciation-45
Spelling-84
Vocabulaty-81
Written discourse-75
Tingin nyo ano yung prob sakin? Any tips para maimprove ko? Feeling ko naman kasi tama naman ang pagpronounce ko hehe. Thanks in advance!

Ozlaz · March 2017

@siena101 naka headset ka ba or internal mike lang. ganyan rin kasi score ko sa mock test . Ok naman sa pte exam na talaga

ClmOptimist · March 2017

Hi guys,

This might help our speaking scores to improve:

https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/demos/speech.html

Audio recorder na nakakadetect ng sinasabi natin. Good practice for read aloud.
Might not be 100% accurate pero walang masama i-try

auitdreamer · March 2017

@siena101 tama si @Ozlaz. This may have something to do with your mic. Anong mic gamit mo? ako kasi iphone headset mic gamit ko - inayos ko sya para malapit sya sa mouth ko pagnagsasalita. Otherwise, mahina yung kuha nga and yun yung posibleng dahilan kung bkit mababa yung speaking scores mo.
Another thing to consider is kung mahina ka ba magsalita? Ako kasi likas na mahina boses ko so kinailangan kong mag effort na magproject na boses.

sana makatulong.

frappz · March 2017

pano po ang tamang position ng mic sa actual exam?

siena101 · March 2017

@auitdreamer @Ozlaz @ClmOptimist thanks sa tips! Gamit ko headset. And yes mejo mahina talaga natural voice ko. Cge praktisin ko na lakasan konti. Sana mic lang ang prob at maayos na sa actual exam. Btw, lahat ba ng gamit iiwan sa locker? Kahit panyo or even candy di ka pwed mgdala? Pag kinakabahan kc ako kelangan ko candy pra kumalma haha.

vanessajoy · March 2017

@auitdreamer wala kasi akong credit card e.nung one time na nag inquire ako sa website nila.pwd daw ung debit card.pero yung promt na "access denied" laging nag appear.meron bang naka encounter ng ganito?nag try na ako sa computer shop kasi baka internet connection problem, pero hindi e dame pa rin na access denied ung nag appear

dorbsdee · March 2017

@vanessajoy kung wala po kayong credit card suggestion ko po is create po kayo ng paypal account or pwede din naman yung pre-paid credit card mas madali magapply non, or pwede din po kung may kakilala kayo na gusto makaearn ng points sa credit card makisuyo nalang po kayo... sa Union Bank po merong EON pre-paid credit card.

frappz · March 2017

pano po ang tamang position ng mic sa actual exam? at bawal nga po ba magdala ng candy?

hopeful_mea · March 2017

@garfield ah mdami ka pa time to prepare..kayang kaya yan

ask ka lng kng my mga tanong ka ha, gustong gusto ko mkatulong, sa dami kong takes lol

garfield · March 2017

hopeful_mea said:
@garfield ah mdami ka pa time to prepare..kayang kaya yan ask ka lng kng my mga tanong ka ha, gustong gusto ko mkatulong, sa dami kong takes lol

Thanks Sis, currently nag rereview ng E2language focusing on reading & writing yon ang pinkababang score eh.

hopeful_mea · March 2017

@garfield ang writing hangang max words ang isulat mo sis. Like sa essay tlgng 300 words ginawa ko.

hopeful_mea · March 2017

@jrang congrats! Sabay ITA natin (hopeful lng din) sa march 15.

dorbsdee · March 2017

@hopeful_mea ano po ginawa nyo to keep your score in reading & writing, thanks po..

KP · March 2017

@dorbsdee pre, hindi ko na inaral ung McMillan at Kennedy na materials this time around. Binigyan nila ako ng access sa isang software na may mga sample exams na sobrang hirap, doon lang ako nag-focus talaga, sinagot ko lang lahat ng makakaya ko. Never ako bumalik kay McMillan at Kennedy notes.

se29m · March 2017

@hopeful_mea excited nako for you sis!

shaijavier · March 2017

Hi. I've been reading and following this thread for almost a month na din siguro. I'm going to take the exam tomorrow sa Makati, 3pm. Anyone here who's going to take the exam tomorrow as well. Btw, i'm a first taker lang and sana makuha ko yung desired score ko. God bless to everyone whos planning to take PTE-A.

hopeful_mea · March 2017

@se29m hahah naalala mo pa ko bro?lampas 1 yr talaga journey ko lol

se29m · March 2017

@hopeful_mea ok lang yan sis.. pag may chaga may nilaga.. lapit na ita mo nyan hehe.. nung nakita ko sa fb mo about pte, punta agad ako pinoyau para icheck hahaha

hopeful_mea · March 2017

@dorbsdee sa reading ang style ko is inuuna ko basa ang questions saka na ang paragraphs pra 1 quick look lng alam mo na saang part ang need mo basahin ng buo. Tas sa fill in the blanks binabasa ko muna ng buo without thinking or looking at the blanks. Once u get the feel of the attitude/position of the writer,saka na isaisahin ang blanks.