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How I Scored 90 in PTE with Just One Week of Preparation
- Quora
- Mar 6, 2018
- 6 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
🧲 Title (short, outcome-focused, clickable)
Aced PTE in All Four Sections in 7 Days: What I Did to Score 90
⚡ Hook (2–3 lines)
Short on prep time? I squeezed in one week and still hit 90 in every PTE section. Here’s a practical plan I followed, plus what I’d tweak next time.
📌 PTE Snapshot (People-like-me)
🎯 Goal: Score 90 in all PTE sections (Speaking & Writing, Reading, Listening)
🌍 Context: IT professional, lived in the US; confident English, but only about 2 hours per day for a week
🗓️ Timeline: 7 days of focused study, test day soon after
⛓️ Constraints: Time-limited prep, needed efficient tactics, quiet test center ideal
Outcome: 90 in all four sections
🧾 Evidence: Self-reported results; week-long plan; ~2 hours/day
🧭 The Journey (What happened)
I had just one week to prep for the PTE, and I managed to score 90 across all four sections. With an IT background and prior exposure to US English, I felt reasonably confident, but I kept to a strict two-hour daily routine to maximize impact.
First, I kicked off with a free mock test to see where I struggled. My big challenges were Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, and Reorder Paragraphs—areas I knew time pressure would amplify. After the mock, I leaned into video guidance: Navjot Brar's content first, then deeper insights from E2 Language to reinforce the tricks that matter.
A few general tips helped frame the week: keep fluency and pronunciation sharp in speaking, and don’t let hesitation stall you. I also chose a small test center—one with just five seats—to cut down on noise and distractions. Time management became a running rule: move through questions without overthinking.
Breaking it down by section, I built a simple, repeatable system. In Speaking, Reading, and Listening, I focused on practical routines rather than perfect theory. For Read Aloud, I ignored minor mispronunciations and pressed on. Repeat Sentence benefited from 10–20 quick attempts; I’d close my eyes, chunk the sentence into parts, and keep the flow for better recall and rhythm. Describe Image required substantial practice—roughly 100 samples helped me internalize a reliable structure: Introduction → 2–3 key observations → Conclusion. If a graph wasn’t crystal clear, reading the labels often worked well enough to produce solid results.
For Re-Tell Lecture, I took notes while listening and spoke around those keywords, summarizing if time allowed. Short Answer questions needed concise 1–2 word responses; I made a couple mistakes here, but they didn’t derail the overall score. In Writing, I used 1–2 examples of complex sentences before the test and followed a clear essay structure: strong opinion introduction, supported points, and a concluding recap. Plenty of time helped with the Essay.
In Reading, most of the work was practice with MCQs and being mindful of negative marking, especially on multiple-answer tasks. Describe Image and Re-Order Paragraphs drew the most attention—Navjot Brar’s tips and plenty of practice (20–30 questions) paid off. For Fill in the Blanks and Highlighting tasks, vocabulary confidence boosted performance, and Summarize Spoken Text required concise notes and a tight summary. The “Write from Dictation” mindset echoed Repeat Sentence: practice rhythm and fluency.
The final prep steps were simple but powerful: take at least two mock tests (one before you start, one after you’ve practiced). Keep drilling weak areas, stay calm, and manage your time; these small choices add up to big gains.
🎉 Good luck, everyone! I hope this guide helps you ace your PTE too. 🚀
💡 What Worked (Xperify Insights)
✅ Insight 1 — Start with a diagnostic mock to target weak spots
Why it worked: It pinpointed repeats, image description, and paragraph reordering as the key bottlenecks so I could focus fast.
Do this next 👇
Take a free mock test first thing
List your top 2–3 weak tasks
Watch targeted videos for those tasks (e.g., role-specific tips)
Draft a tiny, daily practice plan focused on those tasks
Re-test to measure improvement
Keep a running log of weak vs. improved tasks
Works best when: You’re unsure where to begin.
Might not work when: You ignore the feedback and dabble aimlessly.
Evidence note: Present + identifies concrete weak areas surfaced by the mock test
✅ Insight 2 — Choose a quiet, small center to reduce distractions
Why it worked: Less noise let me focus and maintain pace.
Do this next 👇
Find a center with few seats or a quieter environment
Visit beforehand if possible to gauge noise and seating
Plan travel so you’re not rushed on test day
Request seating away from doors/windows if available
Bring essentials to minimize breaks
Practice there if you can during prep
Works best when: You’re easily disrupted by noise.
Might not work when: All centers are noisy or crowded.
Evidence note: Present + aligns with the observed impact of a quieter test center
✅ Insight 3 — Prioritize fluency and avoid routine hesitations
Why it worked: Smooth speech reduces errors and reflects confidence.
Do this next 👇
Practice speaking in longer, uninterrupted chunks
Learn quick fillers and transitions to avoid dead air
Rehearse speaking with notes but speak naturally
Record and review to catch tiny hesitations
Use a daily 5–10 minute speaking drill
Keep moving through prompts instead of pausing
Works best when: You naturally speak well but fear pauses under pressure.
Might not work when: Anxiety spikes and you freeze.
Evidence note: Present + direct link to spoken performance choices
✅ Insight 4 — Section-specific practice with a simple structure
Why it worked: A clear routine for each task reduces cognitive load on test day.
Do this next 👇
Speaking: Read Aloud, then Repeat Sentence with short deductions
Describe Image: Practice 100 samples; structure: Introduction → observations → conclusion
Re-Tell Lecture: 10–20 attempts; take notes and summarize with keywords
Write: 1–2 strong complex sentences before practice; follow a fixed essay format
Reading: practice MCQs; avoid over-guessing on multiple answers
Listening: summarize Spoken Text concisely from notes
Works best when: You benefit from a repeatable, easy-to-execute plan.
Might not work when: You skip the structure and improvise inappropriately.
Evidence note: Present + ties directly to the per-section tactics described
✅ Insight 5 — Two mocks are worth their weight in gold
Why it worked: Confirmed readiness and reinforced time management.
Do this next 👇
Schedule one mock before you begin serious prep
Schedule a second mock after you’ve trained the weak areas
Review results, update targets, and adjust the plan
Simulate real timing and test conditions
Use insights to finalize your practice focus
Keep final tweaks narrow and targeted
Works best when: You want a clear pre/post performance picture.
Might not work when: You skip the post-test review.
Evidence note: Present + explicitly stated as a best-practice step in the plan
🗓️ 7-Day Mini Plan (simple + realistic)
Day 1: Take a free mock test; list weak areas; pick 2–3 focus tasks; watch targeted videos
Day 2: Practice Repeat Sentence and Describe Image with structured templates
Day 3: Practice Speaking fluency and pronunciation; small center practice if possible
Day 4: Do Write from Dictation + Summarize Written Text drills; daily essay planning
Day 5: Intensive Reading practice; focus on multiple-answer questions and negative marking
Day 6: Re-Order Paragraphs and Fill in the Blanks; quick-fire drills
Day 7: Take two mock tests (before and after a final targeted review); stay calm, review time-management cues
🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overloading on theory without practice in real test settings
Underestimating the value of a quiet test center
Ignoring time management and rushing last-minute answers
Skipping targeted practice for Describe Image and Re-Order Paragraphs
Guessing on multiple-answer questions to avoid negative marking
Trying to memorize words rather than improving fluency and pronunciation
🧠 If You're Like Me…
One week isn’t a long runway, but it can be enough if you’re intentional about where you spend time. Focus on your real weaknesses, maintain composure during the test, and keep your practice tight and repeatable. Confidence grows when you see steady gains from small, disciplined steps.
🔎 Provenance
Source platform: Quora
Posted date: 2018-03-06
Author: unknown
Transformation note: This is a rewritten, structured summary for learning; original credit remains with the author.
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