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How I Scored 90 in PTE with Self-Study: Tips and Strategies

Updated: 1 day ago

🧲 Title (short, outcome-focused, clickable)

Scored 90 in Listening, Reading, and Speaking and 89 in Writing on PTE in 2 Months: A Consistent-Study Plan That Actually Worked

⚡ Hook (2–3 lines)

If you’re chasing a high PTE score, consistency beats long bursts of cramming. Here’s how I did it, what finally clicked, and what I’d tweak next time to push all bands even higher.

📌 PTE Snapshot (People-like-me)

  • 🎯 Goal: Reach 90 in Listening, Reading, and Speaking; 89 in Writing on the PTE in a single attempt.

  • 🌍 Context: Self-study over 2 months, balancing work and life with 2 hours per day.

  • 🗓️ Timeline: Month 1 – familiarization; Month 2 – intensive practice with paid and free resources.

  • ⛓️ Constraints: Limited time each day, started with free resources, later added paid practice tokens and mock tests.

  • Outcome: 90 in LRS; 89 in Writing on first attempt.

  • 🧾 Evidence: Multiple mock tests with detailed analyses; exam day scores reported within 1 day.

🧭 The Journey (What happened)

In the early days, I treated the PTE like a skill you build, not a mountain you summit in a weekend. I kicked off with familiarization, tapping into free YouTube resources to understand tricks and patterns. For Speaking, I followed specific guidance from PTE Master Speaking videos, and I added Jay from E2Language for other skills. The emphasis was on getting a feel for the exam format and the kinds of questions that repeatedly show up.

Come Month 2, I shifted to more structured, high-quality practice. I used masterpte.com.au to stay current with official-style material and bought a bundle of tokens to unlock richer drills. I also bought four full mock tests and treated one mock test per week as a real exam experience. I mapped out a weekly cadence: speaking on Monday–Tuesday, writing on Wednesday, reading on Thursday–Friday, listening on Saturday, and a full mock test on Sunday. The plan was simple: isolate weaknesses, then hammer the weak spots with targeted drills.

The actual day-to-day looked like this: a focused speaking session with an Excel-based weaknesses tracker, a writing block where I memorized a tailored template and practiced essays, deep dives into reading with fill-in-the-blanks and reordering paragraphs, and a listening block that emphasized summarize-spoken-text and writing from dictation. I kept track of progress with a consistent weekly mock, and the feedback from those analyses helped me correct course quickly. By exam day, my practice payoffs were clear: I hit 79+ in all bands on the actual test, with results posted within a day.

After the exam, the evidence stacked up: two of the four mock tests exceeded 79, and all-band performance on the real test met or surpassed my daily targets. The path was not glamorous, but it was steady, measurable, and repeatable.

💡 What Worked (Xperify Insights)

✅ Insight #1 (Consistency beats intensity)

Why it worked: Daily effort, even when small, compounds over two months and helps you identify your real weaknesses through repeated practice and feedback.

Do this next 👇

  • Set a fixed two-hour daily window.

  • Prioritize one targeted area per day, cycling through speaking, writing, reading, listening.

  • Track weaknesses with a simple sheet or app and update weekly.

  • Use a mix of free resources early, then layer in paid practice for breadth and quality.

  • Review every mock test in detail; note the exact mistake type.

  • Restudy the exact type of question you miss most.

Works best when: You can show up every day, even if for a shorter session.

Might not work when: You skip days or burn out from trying to cram too much in too long a single session.

Evidence note: Present; includes both self-tracking and mock-test analyses.

✅ Insight #2 (Targeted tools reveal weak spots)

Why it worked: A structured tool helped turn raw practice into actionable fixes, preventing aimless drilling.

Do this next 👇

  • Use the PTE Master spreadsheet to isolate weak areas.

  • For each weakness, assign a mini-task (e.g., “repeat-sentence drills 15 minutes”).

  • Pair tasks with short, concrete goals (e.g., “raise correct-answer rate by 10% on this type”).

  • Re-test on the same weakness after 3–5 days.

  • Keep a log of scores before/after.

  • Rotate to keep practice fresh but focused.

Works best when: You have a reliable way to measure improvement.

Might not work when: You don’t translate data into concrete drills.

Evidence note: Present; includes explicit usage of spreadsheets and targeted tasks.

✅ Insight #3 (High-impact sections drive gains)

Why it worked: Focusing on Repeat Sentence, Write from Dictation, and Reading Fill in the Blanks yielded the biggest performance bumps.

Do this next 👇

  • Allocate extra reps to these three sections each week.

  • Create quick templates and templates-aided drills for each.

  • Practice under timing pressure to mimic exam conditions.

  • Keep a small bank of common sentence structures for writing.

  • Use “high-impact” tags in mock tests to group similar questions.

  • Review every misstep to avoid repeating the same error.

Works best when: These sections are consistently under target.

Might not work when: You neglect other sections entirely.

Evidence note: Present; detailed mock-test results show elevated performance in these areas.

✅ Insight #4 (Mock tests are not optional)

Why it worked: Regular full-length simulations gave you real pacing, stress handling, and result-oriented feedback.

Do this next 👇

  • Schedule weekly full-length mocks plus one extra if a score dips.

  • Treat mock reviews as seriously as the real exam.

  • Compare your current score to your target; plot progress.

  • Use the detailed analysis to adjust weekly study blocks.

  • Simulate test-day conditions (timers, breaks, screen setup).

  • Revisit the toughest questions since the last mock.

Works best when: You mirror real-test conditions closely.

Might not work when: You skip the analysis step or rush through reviews.

Evidence note: Present; multiple mock tests with detailed analytics mentioned.

🗓️ 7-Day Mini Plan (simple + realistic)

  • Day 1: Speaking weaknesses + prep with spoken prompts; track progress.

  • Day 2: Writing templates; craft 4–6 practice essays; review structure.

  • Day 3: Reading drills (Fill in the Blanks, Reorder Paragraphs); 50–60 questions.

  • Day 4: Deep listening practice (Summarize Spoken Text, Write from Dictation); focus on accuracy.

  • Day 5: Mix of all sections; targeted drills on identified weak spots.

  • Day 6: Full mock test; simulate exam conditions; time everything.

  • Day 7: Detailed review of mock test; update weakness tracker; plan next week.

🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Skipping daily practice or letting consistency slip.

  • Over-relying on one resource; neglecting variety.

  • Ignoring detailed feedback from mock tests.

  • Not prioritizing high-impact sections.

  • Failing to track progress in a way you can act on.

  • Moving too fast between topics without solid mastery.

  • Not simulating exam conditions in practice.

🧠 If You're Like Me…

You’re aiming for real, durable gains through steady effort. It’s doable if you commit to a predictable routine, use high-quality practice materials, and actively apply feedback. Don’t chase shortcuts—build a repeatable system, and you’ll see results, one solid week at a time.

🔎 Provenance

  • Source platform: Medium

  • Posted date: 2019-12-07

  • Author: Prafull

  • Transformation note: "This is a rewritten, structured summary for learning; original credit remains with the author."

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