Is it okay to use capital letters in writing?

Don’t use capital letters because you will score zero. The PTE Academic tests English language proficiency and understanding. In proper English writing, you only use capital letters when beginning a sentence or when writing acronyms.

Is there a pen and paper provided or do I need to bring my own stationery?

You will be provided with a pen and 4-5 A4 sheets. If you need more sheets during the examination you can raise your hand and you will be provided with more papers. Remember to check whether the pen is working or not. You are not allowed to carry anything with you to the examination hall. Any additional material will be left in a locker provided upon signing in and taking care of administrative details.

 What other communicative skills are tested in this section?

The other communicative skills tested are reading, listening and reading

How are the enabling skills scored in this section?

Scoring in this section is a bit comprehensive. The enabling skills score range is 0-5. The score is awarded on the basis of the test taker’s proficiency. The lowest mark which is zero is awarded in case of disfluent, and a pronunciation that sounds like non-English. The score of 5 is the highest mark and is awarded when the test taker shows native-like English skills.

What if time runs out before I finish my essay or summaries?

If time runs out before you submit your essay or summary you will be marked on the work that is submitted. This means the words you have already typed count towards the answer and will not get discarded in case you run out of time. However, depending on the word limit you may not get full marks.

How is the test structured for this section?

Speaking and writing are tested together so the test format applies to both speaking and writing. The questions in this section are structured as thus: repeat the sentence, read aloud, describe the image, Retell lecture, answer the short question, summarize written text, and write an essay.

What are some good tips on “Describe Diagram” on PTE Academic?

The image can either be a graph or a pie chart. You have 25 seconds to prepare your answer and actually 40 seconds to respond. The student is advised to provide a brief introduction of the picture. Graphs and pie chart have values, therefore, the student may describe the lowest, middle and highest value lastly the conclusion.

If I finish a task on time does the time carry over to other questions?

The tasks in this section are timed individually but the task taker has to be aware of that time is not carried over to other tasks.

How can I improve my writing communicative skills?

Writing involves summarizing written text and essay writing. To score high in this section a lot of practice is required but there are also other factors that contribute to a better score. In essay writing, you have to be aware that the word limit is 200-300 words. Understanding the question well is beneficial to deliver an appropriate answer. Therefore read the instruction and the question thoroughly. The format structure and the communication tone of the essay must be academic. This means there should be an introduction, body and conclusion. The different sections have to flow and connect for a better understanding.

When summarizing the written text, the advice is to be short and precise. A summary depicts the important points of the written content, therefore, writing many words may lead to straying off topic. In both scenarios, it is always wise to re-read when you are done writing to check and correct any errors.