11 Integrated PTE Tasks That Help to Achieve a Higher PTE Score
The problem with most test-takers is that they do not get into the details of the PTE Exam format. For them, it is
just a computer-based exam that assesses your English skills in a 3-hour long exam with questions from 20 different
tasks.
And without getting into details, they prepare for hours and days together. And at the end, they blame themselves
for not scoring upto their expectation.
But have you ever thought, what if someone could tell which tasks contribute to the scores of more than one
communicative skills? Your preparation would become easier, and you could use your time more wisely after knowing
the
PTE exam Format in details. Read this blog to find out what are
those PTE tasks and know all the enabling skill aspects that you are scored for. Also, get tips that you should take
care of while answering the tasks.
11 PTE important tasks contributing to more than one communicative skills:
1. Read Aloud:
It contributes to the scores of both Reading and Speaking.
Length of the question: 50-60 Words
Number of Questions: 6-7
Time to answer: 40 sec
Preparation time: 40 sec
Ideal time spent on each question: 60-90 seconds
Three enabling skills for which you are scored:
- Content- 5
Replacement, Omission, and insertion of words are considered as error.
Your maximum score depends on the word length.
- Oral Fluency- 5
Keep your tone smooth and avoid unnecessary pauses.
- Pronunciation- 5
Consider plosives while pronouncing every word.
2. Repeat Sentences
It contributes to both Listening and Speaking.
Length: 8-21 Words
No. of Questions: 10-12 Questions
Marks: 13 each
Time: 10-12 seconds per answer
Time Spent per Question: 30-45 Sec
Three enabling skills for which you are scored:
- Content-3 marks
75-100% words in a sentence - 3 marks
50-75% words in a sentence- 2
25-50% Words in a sentence- 1
Below 25% words in a sentence- 0
- Fluency- 5 marks
Speak clearly, naturally and smoothly to achieve a good score.
- Pronunciation- 5 marks:
Speak clearly without making any mistakes in pronunciation.
Tips that help you:
- Do not copy the accent. Speak naturally.
- Try to remember the sentence by linking method (Omit connectors).
- Speak the first half of the second half if you get complex sentences.
3. Retell-lecture:
It contributes to the Score of Listening and Speaking.
No. of Questions: 3-4
Time: 40 seconds to speak each answer
Marks: 15 marks each
Three enabling skills for which you are scored:
- Content -5 marks
Do not miss the unique data, information, proper structure and all points of the presentation.
- Pronunciation- 5 marks
Make no pronunciation mistakes.
- Oral Fluency- 5 marks
Do not fumble. Avoid using words like 'hmm' or 'aah'. Speak clearly and naturally.
Helpful tips:
- It is not necessary to paraphrase the sentences.
- Speak for 90% of the time allocated to answer.
- Be quick with note-taking. Note all the keywords.
- Frame sentences with fewer fillers and try to speak the same sentence as the audio.
4. Answer Short Questions
This task contributes to the scores of Speaking and Listening sections.
No. of questions: 10-12
Marks: 1 marks each
Enabling skill for which you are scored:
Vocabulary
You get one mark for the right answer and 0 for the wrong answer or the skipped ones.
Tips that help you score better:
- Speak within 3 seconds after the beep, speak the answer within 3-5 seconds.
- Avoid multiple answers and answer them in a word or two.
- Take care of the singular and plural forms.
5. Summarise Written Text
This task contributes to the Writing and Reading section.
No. of Questions: 2-3
Marks: 8 marks each
Length of the question: 150-400 Words
Length of the answer: 5-75 Words
The ideal length of the answer: 50-65 Words
Enabling skills that you are scored for:
- Content- 2 marks
Cover the main idea of the passage.
- Grammar: 2 marks
Use correct punctuation marks.
Write words in a proper format.
Do not make mistakes with tenses, articles, prepositions etc.
- Form: 2 marks
Write the answer in a single sentence (only one full-stop allowed).
Follow the word limit strictly.
- Vocabulary: 2 marks
Make an appropriate choice of words.
Tips for scoring better:
- Manage your time effectively (Spend 2 min on Reading, 5 min on Writing and 3 min to review).
- Logical continuation and coherence are essential.
- Use FANBOY (For, And, Nor, but, or, yet).
- Do not use informal connectors.
6. Drop-down: Fill in the blanks
This task contributes to the scores of Reading and Writing.
No. of Questions: 5-6
Blanks per question: 4-6
Marks: 1 for the correct answer, 0 for wrong and skipped blanks.
Enabling skills that you are scored for:
- Replacement. Omission or insertion of words is considered as errors.
- The maximum score depends on the word length.
Oral Fluency: Do not take pauses.
Pronunciation:
- Use plosives while pronouncing every word.
Tips for scoring better:
- Do not leave the blanks empty.
- Choose the word you are confident about when confused between more than one option.
- Use suffixes and prefixes properly.
- Collocation, Grammar and lexical resource.
7. Summarise Spoken text
It contributes to the Score of Writing and Listening.
No. of questions: 2-3
Time: 10 minutes
Length of the audio: 45-120 seconds
Length of the answer: 50-70 Words
Marks per Question: 10 marks
Enabling skills that help you score:
- Content: 2 marks
Include the Keywords from the audio.
- Form: 2 marks
Keep the ideal word limit.
- Grammar: 2 marks
Do not make any grammatical mistakes.
- Vocabulary: 2 marks
Make the right choice of words.
- Spelling: 2 marks
Do not get confused between British and American English.
Tips for scoring better:
- Practice note-taking. Focus on writing Keywords.
- Do not use unnecessary connectors.
8. Listening: Fill in the blanks
This task contributes to the scores of Listening and Writing.
No. of questions: 2-3
Length of the questions: 60-100 Words
Length of the answers: 50-70 marks.
Three problems you may face in answering this task:
- You might feel the audio is fast.
- The blanks are close to each other an hence, confusing.
- Confusion between singular and plural forms.
Tips that can help you score better:
- Focus on writing correct spellings.
- Use a box or book strategy to jot down the words.
9. Highlight incorrect words:
It contributes to the score of listening and reading.
No. of questions: 2-3
Length of question: 30-90 seconds.
Marks: 1 mark for the correct answer, -1 for an incorrect answer
Tips for scoring better:
- Practice with different accents during preparation.
- Use the 10 seconds to skim through the text and point-out wrong words.
- Do not choose an option if you are unsure.
10. Write from Dictation:
This task contributes to Listening and Writing.
No. of questions: 3-5
Length of the question: 3-5 seconds
Marks: You get one mark for the correct answer, and 0 for an incorrect answer or the skipped questions.
Tips for scoring better:
- Follow the right structure for the sentences. Use apostrophe at right place
- Avoid spelling errors.
- Capitalise proper nouns.
11. Highlight correct summary:
This task contributes to Listening and Reading scores.
No. of questions: 2-3
Length of the Question: 40-120 seconds
Marks: You get one mark for the correct answer and 0 for an incorrect answer or skipped questions.
Tips for scoring better:
- Use 7-10 seconds to jot down the Keywords.
- Choose the right summary with an introduction, body and conclusion.
- Choose the most relevant information.
Now when you know which are the tasks to prepare for can help you grab a better PTE Score, start taking up the
PTE Practice test and practice. You can take the help of the experts like PTE
Tutorials. With PTE Tutorials, you can opt for the correction services that help you prepare better and to identify
your weak areas and will provide you with a detailed assessment. And for more practice, you can get their Exam
Memories Materials that provide you with a lot of questions to practice.