The Complete PTE Prep Guide (Part 1)

💉Heads-up: long post, lots of images

Part 1 - Getting to know the PTE

The test format: is PTE right for you? | Assessing your own level and experience | PTE vs IELTS

PTE is still fairly niche in Taiwan, the information online is scattered, and most of the write-ups come from high scorers. So even though I didn't do that well (there are so many legends on this board who blew past 78 (#ﾟДﾟ), I still want to share my prep experience from the middle score range, and I hope it helps someone who needs it (｡･ω･｡).

P.S. This post is mainly for people aiming for 50~65! If you want to blow past 78, check out the other legends' posts!

Scores first🐔 (yeah, not great, I know ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ)

English background

One year as an exchange student in the Netherlands🇳🇱 (spoke English a lot)

Graduated from a vocational high school in advertising design🎨 (not counting design jargon, an English vocabulary of about 5,000 words)

My past English test scores (compare them with your own to gauge where you are)

Why I chose PTE

1. Because I went to a vocational high school, I never took the GSAT = zero exposure to English writing (getting a 6 in IELTS Writing seemed unlikely? I figured my speaking was OK, so I went for PTE without hesitating)

2. I'm a night owl and can't take a test in the morning, my brain hasn't booted up yet ( ･᷄ὢ･᷅ )

👍Pros

1. Short prep time

2. Short test

3. You can register up to 24 hours before the test

4. No need to come up with an essay structure or speaking content

5. Computer scoring, so no subjective grading

6. No talking to a real examiner, friendly for socially anxious introverts!

7. Evening test slots (good for night owls and people still working or in school)

8. Results come out fast, no agonizing wait (the score report breaks down each question type and tells you what to work on!)

👎Cons

1. Registration is online by credit card only

2. There's only one test center, in Taipei

3. Speaking demands a lot of pronunciation and fluency

4. The question types are complicated and take time to research beforehand

5. Most past questions and practice apps come from China

6. During the speaking section you keep hearing the people next to you

Below is the PTE vs IELTS comparison I made before picking a test (hope it helps anyone stuck choosing between IELTS and PTE)

❓Should I take IELTS or PTE?

When I first shopped around for an English test, I also looked at IELTS and TOEFL. TOEFL was the first one I ruled out, because the content was way too academic and I couldn't understand it, argh (why torture a designer who draws for a living with science papers (；´Д`A). IELTS was out because I had no writing foundation, which is hard to improve in a short time, and results take a long time to come out. I was afraid my poor little heart couldn't take it😥.

The main thing was that my school's conditional offer had come through, and the deadline to submit an English score was right around the corner, argh ((((；ﾟДﾟ)))))))

IELTS vs PTE comparison table

That's the comparison. Pick the test that fits your own needs (｡･ω･｡)

❓Should I switch to PTE?

If the required score is high (7 or above) and you keep getting stuck on the IELTS Speaking and Writing subscores, or your score submission deadline is right around the corner, give it a try. *Mainly, check whether your school or the relevant organization accepts PTE scores!

Next time I'll cover the question types and how to prep!

- 肉食系羊咩咩 (the carnivorous lamb)🐑