The PTE Academic writing essay question is usually based on a fixed set of common core topics. When you take the test, you will most likely find that your question relates in some way to any of of the following topics
Common Essay Topics
- Shopping
- Work
- Travel
- Media
- Inventions
- Environment
- Education
Common Topics Vocabulary
The above list is not a fixed list and it is possible to get a few topics that do not fall into any of these categories. However, in my opinion, you will most likely see questions that have something to do with the above-mentioned core topics. For this reason, it is important to
Familiarise yourself with the vocabulary and phrases related to these topics as part of your PTE preparation. Remember to note down synonyms for each of the words you learn as the ability to paraphrase (rephrase) is an important criterion to obtain a high score. If you repeat the same words again and again, you will give the impression that you do not have a wide enough range of vocabulary on the given subject and this can severely affect your score.
Don’t Memories Essays
Do not try to memorise entire essays based on these general topics. I mention this for one very important reason. Most essay topics have two parts to them. The first part of the question will relate to a topic on a very broad level, while the second part of it will go into specifics about what you actually have to discuss in your essay. If you memorise random essays about the broader topic, and fail to address the specifics of the topic as asked about in your test day essay question, your essay will be deemed as off-topic, and you will receive a score of 0 for content. Unfortunately, this also translates into a score of 0 for the entire question. This is a costly mistake!
Another point to consider is that memorising hundreds of essays in the hope that just one of them will appear in your exam, is just absolutely absurd and not to mention a waste of precious time, that you could use to actually improve your language skills.
If you feel that your writing skills are in any way lacking, it would be best to obtain the help of a trained PTE professional, who can guide you about your strengths and weakness, and guide you on how to improve.