This week's sessions
Tick each session when you finish it. Your ticks are saved only in this browser.
- Take the quick checkDo all four parts of the quick check. Note which section felt hardest: that's where you'll spend extra time.
- Read Aloud in chunksRead this week's lesson, then do the practice set below. Record each Read Aloud and count your pauses and restarts.
- Learn the 22 task typesRead the test format page. For each part of the test, write down the task types and how long you have.
- Answer Short QuestionRead the tips and do the practice. Answer with one word or a few words, and start speaking straight away.
- Record your Read AloudUse the recorder with real timers. Do five Read Aloud texts. Listen back and check: no restarts, a steady speed, pauses only between chunks.
This week's lesson: how PTE marks you, and Read Aloud
PTE Academic gives you a score from 10 to 90 for each skill: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. For Competent English, every skill must reach its own minimum, and Speaking has the highest one (54). That's why this plan starts with speaking.
Some tasks count twice
Many PTE tasks count towards two skills. If you improve these, you improve two scores at once:
- Read Aloud: Speaking and Reading
- Repeat Sentence: Speaking and Listening
- Write from Dictation: Listening and Writing
- Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks: Reading and Writing
This plan gives these four tasks the most time.
Speaking is marked by a computer
In speaking tasks, the computer listens for three things:
- Content: did you say the right words?
- Oral fluency: did you speak smoothly, at a steady speed, without long pauses or restarts?
- Pronunciation: were your words clear and easy to understand?
The big lesson for this level: a long pause or a restart costs more than a small mistake. If you make a mistake, keep going.
Read Aloud: four simple steps
A short text (up to 60 words) appears on the screen. You have about 35 seconds to prepare, then you read it aloud once.
1. Read it silently first. Use the preparation time to read the whole text in your head. Find the commas and full stops, and say any long words quietly to yourself.
2. Read in chunks. A chunk is a small group of words that belong together. Take a short pause between chunks, and a slightly longer one at a full stop:
Many students find it easier / to study in short sessions. // Instead of working for three hours / without a break, / they study for about forty minutes, / then stop for ten.
Never pause inside a chunk, for example between the and team.
3. Keep a steady speed. Speak at the speed you use with a friend. Very fast reading sounds unclear. Very slow reading sounds like you're reading one word at a time.
4. Stress the important words. Say the key words a little more strongly: usually nouns, main verbs and numbers.
Short breaks help the brain rest.
What to do when it goes wrong
- You don't know a word? Say it the way it looks and keep going. Don't stop to think.
- You made a mistake? Don't go back. Continue with the next word.
- You lost your place? Find the next chunk and continue. A short gap is better than a long silence.
Start quickly
The microphone starts after the preparation time. Start speaking within about three seconds. If you wait too long, the recording may stop. When you finish, stop. Don't add extra words such as "that's all".
This week
You'll take the quick check, learn the 22 task types on the test format page, and practise Read Aloud every day. Record yourself and listen back. Each time, count your long pauses. Your aim this week is zero restarts and no pause longer than a second. Extra practice: read one short paragraph from any article aloud every day.
Practice for this week
Read Aloud in chunks
Loading questions…
Weekly check: PTE practice test
Ten mixed questions in about 15 minutes. Note your accuracy and which task types you got wrong.
When you finish, come back to your plan home: your dashboard updates with the new score.
Answers, explanations and transcripts
Finish the test first, then open each section to check your answers. Every answer has an explanation.
Read Aloud in chunks
Answer key (3 answers)
| # | Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You make a small mistake on one word in the middle of a Read Aloud text. What should you do? | Keep going at the same steady pace | Keep going. A restart or a long pause hurts your fluency more than one small mistake does. |
| 2 | Where is the best place to take a short pause in this sentence? 'After the meeting, the team decided to change the plan.' | After 'meeting,' | Pause at the comma. Pauses should come between groups of words that belong together, never in the middle of a group like 'the team' or 'decided to change'. |
| 3 | What is the best way to use the 35 seconds before you start speaking? | Read the text silently once, marking commas and any difficult words | Read the whole text once in your head, notice where the pauses are, and say any long words to yourself, so nothing surprises you. |
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