From Fear to 90-90-90-90: My PTE-A Success Story and Preparation Tips

1. Introduction:

   • Initially scared to take the PTE-A exam, especially after failing to achieve a superior score in IELTS twice (scored 9 in Listening and Reading but 7.5 in Speaking and Writing).

   • Decided to switch to PTE and achieved a perfect score of 90-90-90-90.

   • Sharing my experience and preparation strategy to help others.

2. PTE Assessment Experience:

   • Found the PTE assessment to be fair and reflective of my actual skills.

   • Detailed score breakdown: Max scores in all areas except "Extended Speaking," which aligns with my self-awareness of speaking being my weakest skill.

   • Compared to IELTS, PTE felt more accurate in evaluating my abilities.

3. Mistakes I Made During the Exam:

   • Pronunciation: Slightly off in the "Read Aloud" section a few times.

   • Repeat Sentence: Messed up one sentence by reversing words ("notes on the key points" became "points on the key notes").

   • Retell Lecture: One retell was a bit messy.

   • Listening: Likely made mistakes in the "Choose the Right Answer" section.

4. Preparation Strategy:

   • Focus Area: Primarily practiced "Describe the Graph" tasks.

   • Why? Extensive IELTS preparation made me proficient in describing graphs in writing, but speaking required additional practice.

   • Tools Used: Practiced hundreds of graph tasks on Apeuni.

5. Detailed Preparation for "Describe the Graph":

   • Step 1: Formulaic Introductions

     • Prepared introductory phrases for different graph types (line, pie, bar).

     • Example: "The line chart compares the production rates of two companies between 1970 and 1999."

   • Step 2: Formulaic Conclusions

     • Created two concluding phrases for each graph type to handle subject-object inversion.

     • Example: "The value is different for each category" vs. "Each category has a different value."

   • Step 3: Vocabulary for Main Paragraph

     • Learned words like "contribute," "attributed to," "makes up," and "constitutes" to describe values effectively.

   • Step 4: Practice

     • Practiced conclusions separately to build fluency.

     • Also practiced non-graph tasks (e.g., maps, process diagrams) on Apeuni.

6. Other Sections:

   • Retell Lecture: Practiced around 10 tasks. Focused on summarizing key points rather than detailed retelling.

   • Repeat Sentence: Practiced a few tasks to improve accuracy.

   • Listening (Choose the Right Answer): Practiced a dozen tasks.

   • Writing: Did not practice, as IELTS preparation made PTE writing feel easy.

7. Exam Day Experience:

   • Felt nervous in the lobby, especially after meeting a candidate who failed to score 40 twice despite good English skills.

   • My experience, however, was positive and aligned with my preparation.

8. Key Takeaways:

   • Authenticity: Avoid over-reliance on templates; focus on understanding and structuring responses naturally.

   • Practice: Consistent practice, especially for weaker sections, is crucial.

   • Confidence: Trust your preparation and stay calm during the exam.

9. Conclusion:

   • PTE-A is a fair and achievable exam with the right preparation.

   • Focus on your weak areas, practice consistently, and use reliable resources like Apeuni.

   • Feel free to ask specific questions for further clarification.

Wish you the best!

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