Plan • Prepare • Improve

The second module of the PTE Test is Reading. Unlike IELTS, the reading in PTE doesn't include a lot of reading. There are usually 19-22 questions divided by 5 question types which are to be solved in a collective time of 32-41 minutes as there are no individual timers for each question. The question types are as follows.

Reading
• Multiple choice questions (single answers)
• Multiple choice questions (Multiple Answers)
• Re-order the paragraph
• Reading-Fill in the blanks
• Reading & Writing- Fill in the blanks

So let's quickly jump into the details.

1.    Multiple choice questions ( Single Answer)
There will be a passage of 70-90 words on screen besides which a question with four answer options will appear. The candidate has to read the text and choose the correct option. There will be 2-3 such questions on different screens which will have their individual passages. 

2.    Multiple choice questions ( Multiple Answers)
A paragraph of circa 100-120 words will be there on screen and next to it will appear a question with 6 to 8 options. The candidate may choose more than one options upon reading the text. But, BE AWARE OF THE NEGATIVE MARKING!!!!!, if any of the response is incorrect a reward of -1 will be given. There are 2-3 of such questions.

3.    Reorder the paragraph
4-5 disarranged sentences will appear on screen, which are to be arranged in an order to make them a meaningful paragraph. There will be 2-3 such questions and they are very time consuming, hence put extra efforts. 

4.    Reading- Fill in the Blanks
There is a small paragraph on screen with 4-6 blanks which are to be filled with the options given in a box below the text. These are vocabulary based. So work on your vocabulary to do well in this section. There are 4-6 such paragraphs on different screens.

5.    Reading & Writing- Fill in the blanks
This time the basic question type is same i.e. to fill in the blanks but with a twist. The passage is a bit longer than the previous question type and instead of a universal set of options there will be 4 options given fir each blank. These options are either vocabulary based or grammar based. There are 6-7 such passages on different screens.

Unlike the other modules, reading is a bit different, as the questions types will not be in serial order. Sometimes, the reading 7 writing –fill in the blanks will appear first or sometimes the module will start from the MCQs. But, don't be confused just be prepared for any of the two situations. Since the given time is quite less, so you have to manage your time according to the weight-age of question types. Fill in the blanks have more weight-age, so try to save more time for the fill ins, and consume less time on MCQs. Para-jumbles are usually confusing so focus on the cue words, but, don't consume a lot of time on them, be a quick reader. 
Hope it was an informative session for you. Keep on practice.

 

Unlike IELTS, PTE has merged speaking and writing modules. This uni-section is of 77-93 minutes long and contains 7 question types. Both the sections are attempted on computer, for speaking every candidate is given a pair of head phones with attached mic, both have to be checked before starting the test. Fortunately, PTE is quite aware about the importance of these instruments, hence there provision of mic and headphone testing at the beginning of the test. 

Introduction
Introduction is the first question after instrumental testing. There will be 5 general questions on computer screen which are usually about interest, future planning and reason of choosing PTE and the candidate is given 30 seconds to prepare a response and another 30 seconds to record the response with the help of microphone. 
Then the speaking starts:

1.    Read a loud
It is one of the easiest question types. In this the candidate will see a small paragraph on screen and 35-40 seconds will be given for preparation, later another timer of 35-40 seconds will start during which the candidate have to read the paragraph for computer. There will be 6-7 such paragraphs one on each screen. 

2.    Repeat sentence
The candidate will listen to a sentence and later in the given time, the same sentence has to be repeated for computer in the mic. There will be 10-12 sentences.

3.    Describe image
An image which is usually a graph or a map is shown on screen and a preparation time of 25 seconds are given, after a response timer of 40 seconds starts during which the candidate has to describe the salient and striking features of the image in the mic. There will be 6-7 images.

4.    Re-tell a lecture
The candidate will listen to a lecture, during listening jot down the important points or the points you've heard. Later a response timer of 40 seconds will start in which the candidate has to record the response which is based on the points he or she has listened in the lecture. It should be in the form of a central idea with beginning and a conclusion. There are usually 3 lectures of 1- 2 minutes of duration.

5.    Short Answer Type Questions
These are some general knowledge questions or some questions asked about a particular image or graph, which have to be answered in one to three words, usually one word. There are 10-12 such questions. 

After above question type, the writing section starts:

6.    Summarize the written text
It is usually a text of 100-150 words and the candidate has to write its summary or central idea in one sentence only. The words limit should be in between 5-75 words and the sentence structure should be complex to compound. There are 2-3 such tasks and for each task 10 minutes' of response timer is given. The response is to be types in the dialog box given below the text box.

7.    Essay
The essay is also to be types in the given space. There may be 1-2 essays with 20 minutes as a response time for each. The word limit is 200-300 words. 
Hope this insight into the first module of PTE would be fruitful and helpful for you during test preparation.
 

Those who have already made attempts to IELTS and lack in the reading module will find this session quite helpful as today, we are going to talk about the Do's and Don'ts while taking IELTS Reading. IELTS reading module is quite tricky as there are just 60 minutes to solve 40 questions based on 3 passages. Especially, the aspirants of IELTS Academic have always been seen worried and perplexed as the passages in academic reading modules are quite lengthy and are a tough nut to crack. So, let's start:
•    Skim the passage. Yes, this is the major mistake students do; they don't know the importance of skimming. This technique actually helps in getting a general idea of the passage especially while solving the questions like matching the headings and matching the statements with the sections from which they are taken. Those who don't know what skimming is: reading the first two and last one sentences of each paragraph is called skimming, or to save time you may just read the first two sentences. Don't spend more than 2-3 minutes on each passage.  However, don't try to understand the text - just read it, and while skimming, underline the data and information you think could be important.
•    Scan the keywords and data. Scanning means the ability to find answer quickly, for that you need to understand the demand of the questions first. For example, if you question demands the discovery made by any scientist, you should quickly find the name of the scientist in the passage and then read a few sentences to get the name of what he has discovered. 
•    Grammar is important. Questions like summary completion, sentence completion and matching the sentence endings are mostly based on the grammatical rules, so be careful while answering them. 
For example:
…….. Garbage cans are not magical portals. Trash does not disappear when you toss it in a can. Yet, the average American throws away an estimated 1,600 pounds of waste each year. If there are no magic garbage fairies, where does all that trash go? There are four methods to managing waste: recycling, landfilling, composting, and incinerating. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses. Let's take a quick look at each. Recycling is the process of turning waste into new materials……….

Complete the sentence by using one to three words and /or a number

Sample 1. In America, approximately 1600 pounds trash ________ by an average household annually. 
Answer: is thrown away
It is apparent that in passage the information is given in an active sentence structure, however, in question the sentence formation is passive. Hence, such knowledge is mandatory, so be attentive to such grammatical shifts.

•    Read for a purpose. Understand the question and use Wh-family to find the purpose. 
Using the same text given above, here is an example.

Sample 2. How much trash is produced every year by an average American household?
On reading the question, the demand is clear, 'How much' means the quantity, hence the answer must include a number.

Sample 3. Which is a method of waste management?

'Which' means you are expected to write the name of the method. Since there are four so you may write any one of the names.

•    Manage the time. The first passage is always easy as the level of difficulty increases while we go on. So there is no need of spending all the 20 minutes on first passage, try to solve it in 15 minutes. The target for next passage should be 17 minutes and last passage should be solved in 20 minutes. Rest of the time should be used in transferring/re-checking the answers.

Just don't panic when you encounter a long technical passage. We would suggest you to not read too much and be a fast reader. Skim, Scan and Comprehend. Guess the meaning of the words instead of over-spending your time in thinking about the probable meaning. Use your instincts.