Those who are first-time PTE academic test takers are often curious about the setup and equipment present on test day. Knowing exactly what to expect can go a long way to reducing test day anxiety. In this article, we will familiarise ourselves with all the PTE academic test equipment and explain how to put this equipment to good use on test day.
All parts of the PTE academic are taken on a computer, even the speaking component of the exam is computerized. Before you actually begin your exam, the exam administrator will log you in and do a basic equipment check. However, you also need to be familiar with the equipment so that you can easily report if there is any technical issue during your exam.
The Screen
The computer screen will serve as your exam paper and answer sheet. Both the questions and well spaces to respond will be present on the screen. There will also be a timer and a clock present on the screen at all times.
The Mouse
The mouse used during the exam functions the same as any basic pc mouse. You can use it to control the cursor on the screen, select or deselect answers, and click various buttons on-screen, question. Copy & paste functions are also available for the writing components of the exam.
The Keyboard
The PTE academic exam uses a basic QWERTY keyboard. This piece of equipment is used mainly for the Writing Questions like Essays and Summarizing written texts. You should include improving your typing speed as part of your PTE preparation since effective time management is essential for the PTE academic test.
The Microphone
The microphone is used during the speaking component of the exam. Many test-takers complain of not getting high enough scores as they expected mostly because they were unaware that they were speaking incorrectly into the microphone. Ideally, the microphone should be positioned around 2 fingers distance from your mouth. Make sure to check the position of your microphone before you start speaking. Also, your speech should be as loud and clear as possible. It is also important to note that the microphone automatically switches off after 3 seconds of inactivity, so make sure that you do not stay silent for too long.
The Headset
Microphone and headphone is actually just one piece of equipment The headset is connected to the computer, it necessary since many questions contain audio prompts and recordings. The headset also acts as a barrier to distracting background noise.
If you are in the unfortunate position of having faulty equipment on test day, do not try to resolve the issue on your own. You need to simply raise your hand and a trained invigilator will fix the issue.