PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

Dear fellow PTE and PR aspirant,

Greetings!!

I am Mukesh Nayak, a businessman by profession aged 43. For me getting superior English was the only way out to
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qualify. I appeared for my PTE-Academic on 6 April’19 (My First Attempt) and I am fortunate to have scored 90 in
each of the four modules in the very first attempt. (With a preparation time of less than a month and about one
hour every alternate day). I have enclosed my Score report on the last page for your reference. Now, I wish to help
as many people as I can in getting a high score by sharing my experiences. Hence I have compiled all the resources
and some tips in this PDF.

This PDF might help you clear some if not all of your doubts, ambiguity, reservations and uncertainties about PTE.
This write up is intended to sincerely extend a helping hand to those who are seeking more information on the
intricacies of PTE and I shall be as honest, candid and elaborate as I can in trying to portray a comprehensive
picture of my PTE escapade. (Yes!! it is no less than an adventure)

As soon as I tell anyone about my PTE SCORE of a perfect 90 in all, the first reaction is of disbelief, which is quite
understandable. Then I am inundated with numerous queries, questions and doubts about how I did it. Rightly so,
as this exam is a ladder to scale up the upper echelon that every applicant yearns to reach in the overall point test
system devised for Australian immigration and visa purpose.

On one hand, all this adulation and attention gives me an opportunity to bask in the glory of my supposedly
momentous achievement; Nevertheless, I am equally intrigued as anyone else about the score I have attained. If
truth be told, I am not really certain how to answer questions like "how did you do it," or what strategies and
tactics you used", as no candidate ever goes out there thinking of getting a full score of 90 in each module. Never
in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would accomplish this. After all, it’s the efforts that are in our control and
not the results. (Bhagdwad Geeta, ofcourse!)

So while I might not have answers to general questions like how to crack PTE, all I can do with all the humility at
my disposal is share my experiences of the efforts I did, the hardwork I put in and the practice I underwent to
approach this exam.

Before I talk about that, let me give you a background to this score. Just a few weeks before I appeared for my PTE,
I was sailing in the same boat as many other friends, having scored an overall 8 Bands in IELTS (March’19) even
though I needed 8 in each module to score 20 points for superior English. (My IELTs score LRWS was 8/9/7/7.5
respectively, yet not enough, unfortunately.) I was dejected and shaken. But I quickly gathered myself up and a
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friend suggested that I should appear for PTE (which I had no prior knowledge of until 9 March’2019). From here
started my journey to prepare for one of the most intimidating yet interesting exam formats there is to test one’s
knowledge of English language, “(THE) PTE”.

So whatever is your present state, no matter how many attempts you may have given, all I can say is, “don’t give
up”. Chase your dream. I shall consider myself fortunate if my experience could result in positive consequences for
you like it has done for many who have used the resources in this PDF.

Please go through the following pages and follow the resources diligently. PRACTICE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
Success will knock on your door, soon.

With Best Wishes,

Mukesh Nayak

DISCLAIMER: The resources are compiled based on my personal experience only. I make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the absolute
accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents and expressly disclaim liability for errors and omissions in the contents presented here.
Individuals are advised to use their discretion in using the content.

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

Pearson’s Test of English (PTE) Academic Exam (https://pearsonpte.com)

TEST FORMAT https://pearsonpte.com/the-test/format/ - PLEASE REFER THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR

MORE DETAILS ON EACH TASK) – Strongly Recommended.

TASK SCORE/360 PTE LEVELS OF ENGLISH

Part 1: Speaking & Writing 180 30 Each – FUNCTIONAL
(77 – 93 minutes)
Personal introduction 0 50 Each – COMPETENT
SPEAKING 148
65 Each – PROFICIENT
1 Read aloud 44.3
2 Repeat sentence 51.8 79 Each - SUPERIOR
3 Describe image 22.2
4 Re-tell lecture 20.9
5 Answer short question 9
WRITING 31.9
6 Summarize written text 20.7
7 Essay (20 mins) 11.2 Prepare for ONE
TASK at a time.
Part 2: Reading 69.6 Don’t keep
(32 – 41 minutes) jumping from one
task to the other
8 Multiple choice, choose single answer 1.5
like a nomad.
9 Multiple choice, choose multiple answers 3
10 Re-order paragraphs 5.9
11 Reading: Fill in the blanks 14.8
12 Reading & writing: Fill in the blanks 44.4

Part 3: Listening 110

(45 – 57 minutes)
13 Summarize spoken text 25
14 Multiple choice, choose multiple answer 2.6 SEE THE NEXT PAGE
15 Fill in the blanks 14 FOR WHICH TASKS
16 Highlight correct summary 2.8 CONTRIBUTE
17 Multiple choice, choose single answer 1.3 MAXIMUM TO YOUR
18 Select missing word 1.3 SCORE AND PREPARE
19 Highlight incorrect words 16.7 ACCORDINGLY.
20 Write from dictation 46.5

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

WEIGHTAGE OUT OF 360 MARKS - Although the total score is 90 per module, the weightage is NOT, as
in PTE there are many tasks where you end up getting score for more than one module. (For example, in
READ ALOUD, over and above the speaking, you also get marks for reading & so on...) for more details
you can refer the PTE SCORE GUIDE available in Pearson official website.

Here’s the link to download SCORE GUIDE

https://pearsonpte.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Score-Guide.pdf

The weightage of each task is as below

 Speaking = 148.2 (41%)

 Listening = 110.2 (31%)
 Reading = 69.6 (19%)
 Writing = 31.9 (9%) This means Essay and SWT are not the only tasks to get score for writing.
TOTAL = 360 (100%)

In order of importance all individual tasks are listed below with their contribution.

Task
Order Name of Task Marks Section Speaking Writing Reading Listening
2 Repeat sentence 51.8 Speaking 32.1 19.7
20 Write from dictation 46.0 Listening 26.8 19.7
12 Reading & Writing: Fill in the blanks 44.4 Reading 22.3 22.1
1 Read aloud 44.3 Speaking 22.2 22.1
13 Summarize spoken text 25.0 Listening 11.9 13.1
3 Describe image 22.2 Speaking 22.2
4 Re-tell lecture 20.9 Speaking 11.1 9.9
6 Summarize written text 20.7 Writing 10.4 10.3
19 Highlight incorrect words 16.7 Listening 8.9 7.9
11 Reading: Fill in the blanks 14.8 Reading 14.8
15 Fill in the blanks 14.0 Listening 7.4 6.6
7 Essay (20 mins) 11.2 Writing 11.2
5 Answer short question 9.0 Speaking 2.5 6.6
10 Re-order paragraphs 5.9 Reading 5.9
9 MCQ, choose multiple answers 3.0 Reading 3.0
16 Highlight correct summary 2.8 Listening 1.5 1.3
14 MCQ, choose multiple answer 2.6 Listening 2.6
Multiple choice, choose single 1.5
8 answer 1.5 Reading
Multiple choice, choose single 1.3
17 answer 1.3 Listening
18 Select missing word 1.3 Listening 1.3
TOTAL 360 90 90 90 90

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

From the above it is clear that Speaking is the single most important module of PTE that you must focus the
maximum as it contributes to more than 40% of your score. (For instance, say if you have 100 hours left to
prepare give atleast 40 to 50 hours, i.e. half the time to the first 5 tasks of speaking only. (Min 40, Max. 50)

So devote your preparation time based on the table above.

SOME TIPS FOR IMPORTANT TASKS

READ ALOUD:

1. Oral Fluency: SPEED IS THE MOST IMP ASPECT OF THIS TASK. “BE FAST. BE CLEAR.” BUT DON’T “BABBLE”

Try to Read the sentence at least twice before you begin speaking in the 35 seconds you get before the actual
recording begins. While reading, ensure pronunciation of difficult words is correct and mentally note where to take
a pause and which words to emphasize.

One you start speaking after the beep, finish the sentence in 15 to 20 seconds only instead of utilizing the full 40
seconds if you can. Don’t be too fast yet, try your best to speak fluently. As soon as you are done, DON’T WAIT OR
LOOK HERE AND THERE TO SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING.. Just click the next button without wasting anytime
and move on to the next sentence. Don’t take too many pauses or don’t just read the sentence word by word.
Read the phrases together. Read the entire sentence in one go, and pause only when there are commas or full stop
or other punctuation marks.

2. Try to speak like a native speaker if you can. For e.g. “K’ is spoken as “kh”, “P” as “Ph” and “T” as “Th”

For e.g My car is parked near the cafeteria. = My khar is pharked near the cafetheria. Don’t fake the accent. Do it
only if you are comfortable.

3. NO ADDITION - Don’t add a new word which is not there in the sentence. Especially articles like a, an, the or any
other word.

4. NO OMMISION - Don’t forget to read a word which is already there in the sentence.

5. NO REPLACEMENT - Don’t replace an existing word – Speak exactly the way it is written in the sentence.
(Including small but important things like articles e.g “an” umbrella must not be spoken as “a” umbrella or “the”
umbrella on your own.)

REPEAT SENTENCE

1. DON’T REMEMBER EACH AND EVERY WORD SPOKEN. JUST BREAK THE SENTENCE INTO PHRASES.

For e.g The university cafeteria is located behind the library.

The university cafeteria (1) + is located (2) + behind the library. (3) (You have to remember just three phrases and
not 8 words)

2. While speaking - be clear, be fast and use the same intonation as that of the speaker you just heard.

3. In case you did not understand a certain word, don’t worry…just speak whatever words you could hear. There is
a partial scoring for each word spoken correctly. So don’t panic if you could not remember the entire sentence.
Just SPEAK.

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

DESCRIBE IMAGE - Please don’t read the image nor analyse the image. Just describe it, as the task says. This would
mean you have to paraphrase and use some of your own words (synonyms) wherever possible. Also make sure
that every single DI has an introduction, two or three sentences explaining the image and one last sentence as
conclusion. Maximum number of sentences you can speak per image is five, if you are looking to finish well within
time. Don’t try to describe everything that you see. Just pick up the most important aspects only. Try and include
all PROPER NOUNS (names of places/people/things etc) and all that is written on the graph as much as possible.

Practice different types of DI generally asked so you are not surprised in the real exam when something comes up.

Conclusion is a must for every DI. So even if you think there is nothing to conclude, just say in the end of every DI
Task, “In conclusion, the image/graph/pi-chart/map gives a clear picture of…………(just say introduction again)

TRY AND FINISH EACH “DI” TASK in 30 SECONDS or MAX 35 SECONDS…NOT MORE THAN THAT. YOU DON’T GET
EXTRA MARKS FOR SPEAKING MORE….REMEMBER !! More you speak, more mistakes you might make, and loose
on grammar, fluency and pronunciation. So 30 to 32 seconds is optimum timing and then CLICK NEXT.

You can follow the following template if you find it very difficult

1. I can see a very interesting/exciting/fascinating/informative image/graph/picture/figure in front of me.

2. Let me have a closer look.

3. By looking closely I can see/observe that several trends are emerging.

4. I can see the title of the image __________ ( mention the title here and try to re-word if possible)

5. I can see some words over here such as ____________________ ( speak all words on the graph such as country
names, parameters or anything you can read from the image)

6. I can also see some numbers which are__________(mention all the numbers you see on the graph/image)

7. I can also see some colours which are __________, _____________ and ___________

8. In conclusion/ Overall, the graph/picture represents/depicts/portrays an interesting analysis

of__________(mention title or main aspect of the image once again.)

RE-TELL LECTURE - Use the principle of elimination here. You would observe that the lecture is always longer than
the time you get to speak. So you need not remember all the details spoken. Make notes as much as you can. Just
note down key words only. DO NOT WRITE FULL SENTENCES. If you are able to write 10 to 12 words in the entire
lecture, you would be easily able to speak for 30 seconds (which is more than sufficient). Try to note down Proper
Nouns if spoken, such as the name of a person, place or a thing etc. n mention them in your description.

Every retell lecture must start with an introduction, three more sentences explaining the other aspects spoken in
the lecture and one last sentence as conclusion. Maximum number of sentences you can speak per lecture is five
to six only, if you are looking to finish well within time. Don’t try to speak everything that you heard. Just pick up
the most important aspects only.

Conclusion is a must for every re-tell lecture. So even if you think there is nothing to conclude, just say in the end
of every RTL Task, “the lecture concluded by focusing on………….., …………………and ………………………….”

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

TRY AND FINISH EACH “RTL” TASK in 30 SECONDS or MAX 35 SECONDS…NOT MORE THAN THAT. YOU DON’T GET
EXTRA MARKS FOR SPEAKING MORE….REMEMBER !! More you speak, more mistakes you might make, and loose
on grammar, fluency and pronunciation. So 30 to 32 seconds is optimum timing.

I used the following template for this task. There are a total of 9 sentences. Even if you speak any five well by just
adding the words from your NOTES, you would do well in this task.

1. The talk/lecture delineates/describes a detailed picture regarding……………………

2. The speaker also mentioned………………………..
3. He/She also said…………………………
4. …………………………was also established in detail during the lecture.
5. The lecture also focused on …………………………
6. Besides all these ideas, arguments and propositions, the lecture also highlighted………………….
7. He/she not only discussed…………………….but also explained………………………
8. In addition to taking about…………………, the speaker also described………………..
9. The lecture concluded by focusing on …………….., …………………… and ……………………….

WRITE FROM DICTATION – This is the last task of PTE exam, so most people often lose concentration by then. But
this is also a very important task for Listening as well as you get score for Writing. So make sure that you
concentrate well when you write the sentence. Use a simple trick of writing down the first letter of the word on
your writing pad as you listen to the dictation.

For example,

Some of the features are part of the previous research.

Just write the first letter from each word i.e. SOTFAPOTPR…then write the sentence based on what you heard. This
way you won’t miss a single word.

Make sure you DON’T ADD A NEW WORD, TRY NOT TO DELETE OR OMMIT ANY WORD SPOKEN. Concentrate.

Try to finish other listening tasks faster so you get ample time for Write from Dictation as it carried more weight.

What did I do for my preparation & how did I practice ?

INVEST IN A GOOD HEADPHONE AND MICROPHONE FOR PRACTICE. Don’t just read books or material.
PRACTICE ALL TASKS ON A DESKTOP COMPUTER TO GET REALLY READY BEFORE THE ACTUAL EXAM.

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

I referred the following “FREE” (who doesn’t love it) resources on the web to prepare for various tasks.

1. https://www.ptepractice.com/ - START WITH THE OFFICIAL SITE FIRST BEFORE YOU REFER
OTHER RESOURCES ON THE WEB.

This is the official Pearson website for Practice with enough Free Material to get acquainted with the
test format and question types. I would strongly recommend that every test taker must go through this
site.

You are required to create a LOGIN for the first time to be able to use the material. (It’s ok to give away
some basic details in return for some very good practice material. After all, there are no free lunches.)

Once you login, you would see the following screen

Go through all the sample questions first.

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

1A. You can also visit the following PEARSON official website link

https://pearsonpte.com/preparation/resources/

Click on “Offline practice test” under PREPARATION Tab.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

Good for Practice on mobile while

you are on the move or travelling

Then, if your time and budget permits, you might try the PAID Online Practice Tests too. (I didn’t find
the need, but in case you want to be doubly sure, it’s a good idea to invest before actually taking the
test)

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

2. https://www.pte-practice.com/ (Australian Institute of Language) - MOST RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

It is a Chinese website, but a damn good one for practice. (Oops! yet again, China to our rescue)

So don’t panic if you notice some words written in Chinese language. It’s a very useful site. Don’t forget the “-”
between PTE and Practice when you login as there is another site “ptepractice.com” also, which is the official
Person site for practice. I have mentioned about that too in the previous pages.

You need to register (Create a login) for the first time to avail the material in this site. It’s free! (Just like
many other great things in life that comes free). Once you login you would see the following screen as
you scroll down:

Select FREE SAMPLES (ofcourse!!)

And you would get enough to practice for all the 20 tasks with suggested answers for most tasks.

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

3. Youtube Videos – These 3 Channels mainly. (See these videos only for tasks where you think you
need help. No Need to see all the videos on all the suggested channels. ) I had only watched about 2 or 3
videos on each of these channels. NOT MORE. If you have time and patience, or if you need more
practice, you can watch more.

A) Language Academy by Varun Dhawan (Very good videos. Varun has an Indian accent just right for
most people from India, quite easy to understand. He speaks slowly and clearly with conceptual clarity. I
saw his videos for retell lecture and essay writing. I found them useful. You may refer more videos on his
channel if you wish to know more.

Link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-yXI8Y7cry-D5uuNGbYbsw

B) PTE Academic Gold - This is another YOU TUBE CHANNEL very good for FREE Practice. I used this
specifically to practice for READ ALOUD. It is almost like its name. It’s really GOLD.

Link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmfdDoEJmPtIop6GWm68Tbg

C) E2 Language by Jay (saw some videos that are good and helpful but his accent could be a problem for
many Indians to comprehend what he is saying on some occasions. However, if you looking at how a
native speaker speaks, you must see this channel, as Jay is a native speaker, and he is undoubtedly
good.) Link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvSdD8_0DAKn-ThHWhAhoAg

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

* E2 language is also Pearson’s trusted online test preparation partner.

There are several other channels on YouTube that you might come across as you start surfing. If you find
a particular style of any teacher interesting and useful, there is no harm in exploring the same. I have
only mentioned those that I had referred, but by no means is this an exhaustive list. You can discover
some more by yourself. There are channels like Sonny English, Moni PTE Magic and many more that you
might want to take a look. (I didn’t use them much though, just came across while watching other
videos)

4. PTE Tutorials by Aussizz group

- PTE Tutorial website https://ptetutorials.com/ also has a lot of practice material and mock tests.

- PTE Tutorial Mobile APP (download from Google Play) Once you download their APP, you will also get
10 Mock test FREE. You may DOWNLOAD APP HERE. https://ptetutorials.com/mobile-app

The Mobile app too has a lot of practice material, which you can practice on the go, while travelling or
commuting. So it is a good resource for working professionals and all those who are short on time.

5. PAID Material by Aussizz PTE Tutorials (I found these pdfs very very useful personally and worth an
investment) - I purchased the following 4 PDFs out of 5 (all except retell lecture) from PTE Tutorials
@Rs.320 per PDF. Here is the link

https://ptetutorials.com/practice-materials

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

Disclaimer – I am not advertising or endorsing the above material on behalf of PTE Tutorials. I genuinely
purchased it and found the above material useful. Please exercise your own judgment and buy only if
you think you need them.

These PDFs are prepared by Mr. Malcolm, who is a PTE-A Master Tutor. Later I also came to know that
there are several videos available on PTE Tutorials You Tube Channel also from him. You may go through
them if you wish. (I came to know about these videos only after the exam though !)

Lastly,

I took some mock tests which I got free from PTE Tutorials ( just 3 diff mock tests I took..). This will
prepare you for the real exam. As this is free, I highly recommend that you take these test as much as
time permits. ‘

You also have an option to make a payment to PTE Tutorial people and get your test scored to see
where you lack. I didn’t do it. If you find the need you may do it. The fees is pretty reasonable.

Additionally,

Person official website also provides a scored test for a fee…If your budget permits you may take that. I
did not. But many people say it was useful.

https://pearsonpte.com/preparation/practice-tests/

That’s it.

This is all I did.

MOST IMP THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT PTE

PTE is not just a test of your English Language ability. It is also a test of your nerves. So please keep calm.
Keep cool. Take enough rest before the day of the exam. Don’t stress yourself. Have fun and enjoy the
exam. You are likely to score more.

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

BOOKING YOUR EXAM

It is important to book the exam timings that suit your biological clock. A very early morning test could
be problematic for some late risers. So is the case with tests conducted in the late afternoon, as it might
be difficult to concentrate after lunch. The best time to give the test is around 10 or 11 AM, as you get
enough time to gather your thoughts, have a light breakfast and then leave for exam. (This is my
personal opinion. You can book as per your preference, situation and availability of dates and timings.)

A DAY PRIOR TO THE EXAM

Please take proper rest on the night before the exam. It is very important that you allow your mind to
relax and recollect all that you have learnt in the past few months. PTE-A is a very intense examination,
hence a stressed mind would further add to your woes. Stay calm. Stop reading and worrying about the
exam and engage in the activities that you enjoy the most.

ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM & TIMING

I would advise people in metros and big cities to hire a cab instead of driving to the venue yourself or
ask someone to drop you to the venue. This way you can relax on the way to the exam. DO NOT READ
OR THINK ANYTHING ABOUT THE EXAM ATLEAST 2 HOURS PRIOR. JUST RELAX. PRAY. SING YOUR
FAVOURITE SONG. REMEMBER THE HAPPIEST THINGS ABOUT YOUR LIFE. STAY POSITIVE. DON’T LET THE
STRESS OF SCORING OVERPOWER YOU. After all you are a human and its just a computer. You are far
more POWERFUL.

I have made a tiny attempt to help you dear friend, in your endeavour to get good score. Hope this helps
you in getting your desired score. May you achieve all the success in life.

Wish you good luck in your efforts,

May the almighty lord bestow more power to you,

Respectfully yours,

Mukesh Nayak

P.S. Please note that the views expressed above are my personal views and not influenced by anyone and are
solely based on the information I got from my friends. No claim is made on their correctness or accuracy.
Readers are requested to exercise their best judgment before acting upon the advice. What worked for me may
not work for you. So do what suits your learning style.

If you have any further questions, I can be reached on muksnayak@gmail.com I would be more than
happy to help, if you have any specific questions that are not answered above.

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

MY PTE SCORE REPORT (Just incase…)

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

MY IELTS SCORE REPORT

DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this booklet is for general information purposes only for those seeking
guidance on PTE. The information is provided by MUKESH NAYAK based on his personal experience and
while the endeavour has been to keep the information up to date and correct, he makes no
representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy,
reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the booklet or the information, products, services, or
related graphics contained in the booklet for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is
therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will he be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or
consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits
arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this booklet.

Through this booklet you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of MUKESH
NAYAK. He has no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any
links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.

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PTE Academic: Resources for Practice – A compilation by Mukesh Nayak (PTE SCORE: 90)

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