Let’s Talk PTE Academic PREP

After scoring full marks in Speaking, Reading and Listening on the IELTS exam but struggling (twice!) to reach 8 marks in Writing, I sought advice from our migration agents and decided to change tact and book the PTE Academic exam.

The lovely people on Instagram also advised this move and, after revising so hard to pass my writing the second time around, I thought this seemed like the right thing to do. We really need the 20 points for our visa and being 0.5 marks off on IELTS meant that we would have only gained an additional 10 points. 

I revised properly for around 2 weeks after buying a subscription to Gurully. After now completing the official test, I can say that this website reflected the questions quite accurately.

However, the scoring was quite harsh and often missed out my listening answers when highlighting incorrect words, which bought my score down. A 15-day subscription cost me around £12 and included access to full mock tests, sample answers, revision advice and separate Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening questions. These were useful, as I noticed that through mock tests I needed to rehearse my Speaking and Writing elements more and so I was able to focus on these rather than completing a full mock test each time. 

Another popular site which people recommended was ApeUni. I signed up for a free account (as I had already paid for the Gurully subscription) although, in hindsight, I probably would have preferred to spend my money here, as the free access provided a restricted sample of how feedback is given and how answers are scored, which was very thorough.

You do get tokens as part of the free access so this is definitely worth checking out if you are yet to choose a place to revise. 

After seeking preparation advice from fellow ex-pats or visa expectants on Instagram, I was also told to download the PTE Prep App, which was useful as it had a section where it described what the test day would entail.

This was particularly good for me, having gotten used to the IELTS exam format. The app is useful in rehearsing different question types but it does not score your answers. I find this unhelpful as someone who had a target of 79 for each area – I needed to know my progress!

E2 prep with Jay

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I had lots of recommendations for these videos. Having used E2 to support my IELTS Writing exam, I knew that this guy was really thorough in his explanations for both structure and content.

I primarily used these videos to gain support with the ‘Essay’ element of the PTE exam. There is a great ‘template’ available on here for structure which will work with any of the PTE tasks.

Jay also goes through how the essay is marked and how to pick up extra points. He provides worked examples and there are also recorded live videos so that you can work through with him at the same time. 

Other YouTube videos available from E2 Language focus on all 20 PTE questions types with lots of hints and tips for each. There is also a website and subscription package where you can complete mock tests and receive feedback from a tutor, as well as online lessons. 

Then comes the absolute marvel that is Milestone Study. I noticed through my mock tests that I wasn’t scoring very highly in my speaking element, especially in the ‘Describe Image’ tasks. As a native English speaker who achieved a 9.0 in my IELTS for speaking, I found this a bit odd. So I listened to a few sample answers, which revealed to me that I was actually trying way too hard! 

The format of the sample answers all seemed to be the same and were read at an alarmingly fast rate by non-native English speakers. However, these people were being given a score of 90+ marks in the PTE! The following template being used was: 

The picture is mainly about…….and also about……..and also about……….and that’s enough, thank you so much. 

This was similar to the ‘Retell Lecture’ element of the test. 

The lecture is about……….and also about………….and also about…………….and also about…….and that’s enough thank you so much. 

Having watched several Milestone Study videos on YouTube, particularly where Anusha completed official Pearson PTE mock tests using these templates, I then decided to practice using her methods. Lo and behold, my scores improved! 

There is also an essay template on this YouTube channel, but I am not sure how people remember all 300 words going into an exam so I used the E2 PTE methods to support me with this revision instead. 

Overall, the preparation materials available for the PTE exam are overwhelming and can become an absolute minefield. The best piece of advice I had from one of our followers was not to over-prepare or overthink.

Some people have passed the PTE exam with little to no revision and others by simply following methods from YouTube videos. Ultimately, you have to go with what makes you feel comfortable and suits your learning style. 

I am glad that I found Gurully as it gave me a well-rounded understanding of the whole test format and the question types. This helped me as the exam is very different to IELTS. I am also glad that I discovered other methods for particular personal sticking points from various YouTube videos for free too. 

However you revise, we wish you the best of luck!