Many test takers go into the PTE exam thinking that they can ace the exam simply because they believe that they have strong language skills or because they communicate well on a daily basis in English. They fail to understand that the PTE academic like any other exam requires one to put forth their best effort and not just their daily or average effort. If you are one such student who has let over confidence get the better of them , and has to take the PTE academic exam again, then read on to find out what you can do to get a better score.
Understand What Your Actual Levels Are
Before you begin preparing for the test, it is useful to get a good idea about what your current level of proficiency is. This will help you to pinpoint exactly which skills you need to work on, instead of wasting time re learning skills your already good at.
You can do this by taking an authentic practice test. Doing this will help you to identify your weak areas (the questions types in which you made the most mistakes or struggled to answer easily). Knowing what your actual current level is will help you to set a realistic timeline to prepare for the test.
Learn From Your Mistakes
You should use this retest as an opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Try to improve your preparation for the next time you take the test, especially in the test section you scored most poorly in.
Take a good and honest look at your previous preparation methods and schedule to determine how you can improve upon these areas. Make sure that you give yourself sufficient time to really well prepare and improve your English language skills and abilities. Continuously gauge your progress by taking authentic PTE practice tests.
Choose Your Test Center Wisely
Most PTE test centers are usually busy and full of distractions. There will be many people talking or typing the same time as you are. You might be surrounded by noisy test takers or your test center might be located in a busy urban space. this might make it difficult to focus fully on the recordings. If this was a deciding factor in your low scores, then you could try booking your test at a less popular exam center next time.
Choose Your Test Date Wisely
There are many factors to consider when booking your test. Firstly, it's important to take into consideration your application dates and deadlines. keep in mind that it takes up to one week for universities and other organizations to receive your results. If you do not obtain the required scores on your first attempt of the PTE test, then you would also need sufficient time to prepare and take a second test.
Do not book your test before you start preparing for the test. Students often book their exam under false assumptions about the test's difficulty and their actual levels of English Language proficiency and realize, all too late, that they have made a great error in judgement about the time they need to prepare. It's much better to prepare first and then book your test. Use the time between your preparation and booked test date to continually improve your skills through practice with official PTE Tests.
Consider Enrolling In A Course
The smart thing to do is to take the money you would use on taking the test multiple times and spend it on a course that will provide you with the strategies and skills that will guarantee you a better score next time. I believe the easiest and stress-free way to do this is to find an PTE teacher, who can help you identify your weaknesses and help you to improve in these areas. Often students have gaps in the understanding of particular types of questions and are completely unaware of it until these issues are pointed out by a professional.