Preparing for the Pearson Test of English Academic can be a confusing process for many aspirants looking to submit an evidence of English proficiency with their education or visa applications. As it is comparatively a new test, not much is known about its format. Generally, test takers are more used to the more traditional formats of IELTS or TOEFL. PTE though, offers a whole new level of challenge when it comes to the actual test. So, it is necessary to start from the basics and gear up to ace this test.

Test aspirants should ideally start their test preparations by doing an online search for everything related to PTE. There are several resources available on the internet to help you understand the format of the test, the various sections, and the many question types that make up the test. PTE is one of the most versatile tests of English, especially in terms of the different questions or tasks types that it requires the test takers to complete. The actual number of these questions or tasks types, is twenty.

A quick look at the Pearson PTE website is also required as it provides lot of information. Take the time to download and study the various instructional material available thereon, especially the scoring system for the test. Once you know all of this, it is time to start the actual practice and preparations. There are several ways to go about your preparation, but some of the tried and tested methods are…

1. Read: PTE is a test of English, so it is important that you be fully conversant and comfortable with the language. Getting to know any language requires that you read as much as you can. So, the first step of your preparation for PTE should involve reading, and a lot of it. Ideally, you should read for at least 30 minutes every day. This should be done sitting in front of a mirror, and should be loud. This helps you hear your own pronunciations and note where you lack confidence. It also develops your ear for the language.

2. Practice with the Material Available Online: As mentioned above, there are numerous resources available online for PTE. Majority of the practice material on these websites has been taken directly or indirectly from actual PTE test questions. Checking out all this material can give you a fair idea of the kind of questions you will be answering in the actual test. They also make for very useful tools to help you prepare on your own.

3. Sign Up for Formal Coaching: There is nothing like quality coaching to get yourself fully prepared and score well in PTE. A good coach can not only help you prepare in the right manner, but can also help identify your weak areas and work with you on strengthening those. While there are many coaching institutes around, not all of them know everything there is to know about PTE. Look for a coaching institute where the coaches themselves have taken the PTE and have achieved sectional as well as overall scores of 90. These are the coaches who know exactly how it's done!

As with any other language test, there is no "one size fits all" approach for PTE either. You cannot depend on just one PTE preparation method to get yourself ready. Combine all of the above in the right ratio, and you can be sure that you'll better even your own expectations!