PTE Speaking: Read Aloud

What is ‘Read Aloud’?

• Read Aloud is the first speaking Item type in the PTE Speaking section. There are usually 6-7 questions for Read Aloud and it credits you score for both Speaking and Reading.
• Read Aloud requires you to demonstrate your ability to read fluently and pronounce correctly a passage provided on the screen.
• Read Aloud tests you on your ability to identify a writer’s purpose, style, tone or attitude; understand academic vocabulary and read a text under timed conditions (PTE Score Guide, v.11, 2019)

What do I do?

• You will have 40 seconds to prepare before the microphone opens.
• You will have 40 seconds to read the passage out loud to the microphone.

Scoring Criteria

• Read Aloud is scored based on three Criteria – (1) Oral Fluency – (2) Pronunciation – (3) Content.
• Among the three criteria, Oral Fluency is the most important while Content is the least important. This means that you can score high in Speaking with good Oral Fluency and bad Content; but you can NOT score high in Speaking with bad Oral Fluency and good Content.
• Remember, it’s all about Oral Fluency. The more fluent you are, the higher score in Speaking you can achieve.

Common Mistakes

• We all like to have everything perfect and so is doing Read Aloud. We all want to read all the words out loud and pronounce them all correctly. Therefore, we never mind repeating ourselves a million times or hesitating in pronouncing a word for perfect pronunciation. Why not? It’s all for perfection! The more perfect we are, the better score we get. However, this seems to be a misconception that we know but find it hard to find back our human instinct in perfecting what you do.
• The brutal fact is if you miss or mispronounce a few words in the passage, it’s not the end of the world. However, repeating yourself to make sure you read all of the words in the passage guarantees you a ticket to the PTE website to re-book for another PTE test. So choose wisely!
• What’s else? The punctuation! We were all taught at primary school that we pause at commas and rest for our breath at full stops. We were all taught that reading slowly and musically enhances the effects of our speech. We were all taught that leaving some extended pauses may leave the audience some room to think. So we apply these beautiful taught habits into PTE, and wait with a fantasy that the highly anticipated magic number ‘90’ will appear on our Score Report; and sadly, fall down to earth from cloud nine knowing that the magic number has been printed the other way around. So think wisely!

Tips

To do Read Aloud well, you can consider these steps

1. Prepare yourself in the 40 seconds wait. Read SILENTLY to yourself so you can prepare for the pronunciation of difficult words.
2. What if you don’t know the pronunciation. Easy, just say whatever you think is right!
3. Put your finger on the screen. Trace the finger along when you read. This helps with concentration.
4. Speak fluently and fast, but allow you a quick pause at full stops so you can catch your breath.

Question type #20 PTE Listening & Writing: Write from Dictation

Familiarise with how the question is formed

–       There are 3-4 sentences, each of which has up to around 12 words.

–       You have 5 seconds to mentally prepare yourself before the sentence is read to you.

–       You need to type the sentence exactly as you hear it into the dialog box on the screen.

Understand how this question is scored

–       Each correct word (for each sentence), spelled correctly and in the correct order will earn 1 small mark

–       No extra penalty for wrong answer.

–       Maximum mark:9-12; minimum mark: 0

Avoid these common mistakes

1. Write down the sentence and transfer later. Instead, type in directly as soon as you hear it as you may not have enough time to do this, since this is the last question type in the listening section.
2. Type all words in capital letters. Only do this for the first letter if it is a proper name or it is the first word in the sentence.
3. Miss the plural form of a noun when it is a count noun.
4. Miss the –s/es for a verb when you have a singular subject.
5. Use the wrong word form. (e.g., a noun when you need an adjective, a verb or an adverb).
6. Swap the word order or try to paraphrase a word. Remember, you’ll only earn marks if the words are spelled correctly and also are in the correct sequence as it is read by the speaker.

Practise the best way to do it

1. Picture the sentence structure and sentence meaning in your mind before you start typing. Take mental note of the ‘story’, S-V agreement, and the position of time expression, adverb of places and linking word used.
2. Type in the sentence as accurately as possible.
3. Proofread quickly to make sure the spelling, grammar and the word forms are correct.
4. You should spend around 30 seconds doing this, time permitting.

Question type #18 PTE Listening: Select missing word

Familiarise with how the question is formed

–       There are 2-3 questions, each of which refers to a brief lecture of 40-90 seconds.

–       The Topic will be on the screen in the instruction part.

–       You have 7 seconds to preview the topic and the 4-5 options before the lecture starts.

–       The lecture will be cut off when the time gauge reaches the end in the middle of the screen, when you hear a beep.

–       You need to choose 1 best response which logically finishes the lecture.

Understand how this question is scored

–       Each correct response will earn 1 mark

–       No extra penalty for wrong answer.

–       Maximum mark: 1; minimum mark: 0

Avoid these common mistakes

1. Not reading the TOPIC. Doing this will help you tune in to the lecture.
2. Get carried away while listening. Taking down some key words pertaining to the topic and main points should help you to concentrate.
3. Choosing the option with the exact word(s) which you hear in the lecture. In fact, this is the obvious wrong answer!
4.  Rushing when choosing options. Remember, it’s good practice to spend up to 20 seconds on this question type after the lecture.

Practise the best way to do it

1. Skim read the topic and the options to help you focus on the topic.
2. Take brief notes while listening. Ask yourself what the topic is and what the main points are.
3. As you take notes, notice the use of linking words (e.g., however, because, therefore, but, in conclusion, etc).
4. Concentrate on the linking word and content when the lecture is nearing the end.
5. After the lecture is cut off (the beep), take around 20 seconds to systematically eliminate answer choices which are opposite in tone.
6. Let’s say the tone of the lecture is favourable, but you hear ‘However’ towards the end, so you need to find a word/phrase with a negative sense. Also, note whether you have to choose a strong or weak word.