PTE – TIPS AND STRATEGIES
PTE is an exam to test English Language skills of Non-English Speakers. While PTE General proves the English Language proficiency for admission into schools but it cannot be used for securing Visa. PTE Academic helps a candidate to study abroad and for the application of Visa as well. It is accepted by Universities in U.K, USA, Canada and Australia.
PTE ACADEMIC judges a candidate on the criteria of these four categories- speaking, writing, reading and listening skills.
BASICS OF PTE
The speaking and writing requires the candidate to give his Personal introduction, summarizing a text of one paragraph and a sentence each and writing an essay as well.
The reading section involves the candidate to fill in the blanks and re- structuring of the passages.
The third part listening consists of summarizing spoken text, writing from dictation and highlighting the correct summary from among others.
Thus, the Pearson Academic text does not focus on the candidate’s ability to draw things out from his memory rather than exercising the necessary skills in combination with intelligence.
PTE ACADEMIC tests are very much influenced from the real life situations as they feature lectures and content from real Life.
WAYS TO PREPARE FOR PTE
1. READING:
Begin by reading short tales from story books or newspaper loudly. This would enhance your Listening & speaking skills simultaneously. Check for spellings of commonly used words, try to memorize their usage and understand their context.
2. TAKE NOTES:
Start watching simple English news channels and taking notes from it. This would help in your improvements of spellings and would increase your speed and accuracy for the listening section.
3. PRACTICE PAPERS:
Practice as many sample papers as you find in your books or over the internet. Study according to the college or school that you prefer to go in.
4. SPECIAL FOCUS ON ESSAY:
Essay is what gives the examiner a clear reflection of the candidate’s caliber. Hence pay special attention to that. Be clear with your thoughts, maintain clarity and coherency in your essay. Use proper paragraph formations.
5. BE MENTALLY FOCUSED:
Avoid distractions at the time of listening task, be relaxed and don’t panic if you missed on something, and maintain your pace for further part of the test. Immediately move on rather than wasting time over what you have missed or unable to solve.
BE SMART WITH THESE PHRASES
A finer quality of English Speaking does not only include applying fancy words like Flamboyant and Quagmire in your regular conversations, but it is also important to comprehend the commonly used phrases and use them correctly as a part of your daily lives. Henceforth, here are five commonly used phrases which are wrongly used and can even make a smart person look dumb. You can thank us later for brushing up your knowledge accurately.
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One in the same – X
The literal meaning of “One in the same” would be “one” is inside the same thing as itself, which is irrelevant completely. The appropriate phrase is “one and the same,” that means the same thing or the same person. For example, “Whether you select 6 months package or 3 months package the facilities provided are one and the same in both.”
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Make due or Make Do?
To “make due” is to “make owed,” but the phrase to “make do” is being used for “to make something do well” or “to make something fulfilling.” When life gives you lemons, you make do and make lemonade.
- By in large-X
“Its origin was in terms of nautical aspect derived from the sailing terms “by” and “large.” While its literal meaning that makes sense is “anything general”, “by and large” is the correct version of this phrase. For example By and large each one of us has gone through a mild depression.
- I could care less-X
“I couldn’t care less” is rightly what you would say to express utmost apathy towards a person or situation. While basically you’re conveying, “It’s impossible for me to care less about the particular event/person because I have been left with no more care to give. I’ve ran out of care.” Hence using the inappropriate “I could care less” indicates that “I still have care left to give–would you like some? This is an entirely nonsensical statement.
5. First-come, first-serve- X
This phrase as it is generally used this way conveys that the first person to arrive has to serve all who follow. However, the actual correct phrase is “first-come, first-served,” to suggest that the participants will be served in the order in which they arrive and hence one must hurry up to avail the benefits by being quick. For example, most of our trip circulars in schools followed the policy of “first come first served” but always wrongly quoted it as first come first serve basis.
The correct application of these phrases is definitely going to give you an edge over other speakers. And you can be labeled as the smart one in your group. So get ready to showcase your English Grammar knowledge. This implicit knowledge can make it easier for you to crack English Tests like TOEFL, PTE and IELTS. New Cambridge College in Sector 17, Chandigarh provides training for all the above mentioned exams, under the experienced guiding staff and with the help of its updated study material.