PTE Listening: Marks Contribution and Strategies

Similar to any other test of English language the Listening component of the PTE is used to evaluate a test-taker’s proficiency in understanding spoken English in an educational setting.

I’ll provide you some advice and tactics in this blog post to help you get ready for and ace the PTE Listening part.

Understanding the PTE Listening Format

Before diving into tips and strategies, it’s essential to understand the format of the PTE Listening section. The section consists of eight question types, which are:

Summarize spoken text

This question type evaluates your ability to grasp and succinctly summarize a spoken passage. You will be required to summarize a piece that you have heard—it might be from a lecture, speech, or presentation—in your own words. This question has a significant impact on your overall score as it will add marks to both listening and writing.

Multiple-choice, choose single answer:

This question type tests your skills to understand the main idea of a spoken passage. You will hear a passage and then select the correct answer from four options.

Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers:

You will need to choose from a variety of appropriate responses to this question. You must pay close attention to the audio because if you choose the incorrect one, you will receive a negative mark. However, you shouldn’t spend a lot of time on this question because it just adds a few marks.

Fill in the blanks:

This question type requires you to grasp specific information in a spoken passage. You will hear a passage with gaps, and you will need to fill in the blanks with the correct word or phrase.

Highlight correct summary:

This question type assesses your ability to comprehend the main idea of a spoken passage. You will hear a passage and then select the correct summary from a list of options.

Multiple-choice, choose missing word:

This particular question style evaluates your comprehension in a special way. You’ll hear a passage that’s missing a word, and you’ll have to choose the right one from a list of options. So, in essence, it’s a multiple-choice question, but the methodology is a little different.

Highlight incorrect words:

This question type assesses your ability to pick specific information in a spoken passage. You will hear a passage and then identify the words that are incorrect.

Read More

IELTS General Writing Task 1 - Letter Writing

Write from dictation:

This question type assesses your ability to comprehend and reproduce spoken English. You will hear a sentence, and you will need to type it out in the correct order.

There are certain question types which are not part of the listening section but contribute to the listening score. Below you can see the complete summary of PTE’s listening marks contribution.

Tips and Strategies for the PTE Listening Section

Now that you understand the format of the PTE Listening section, it’s time to dive into some tips and strategies to help you ace the exam.

Improve Your English Listening Skills:

Enhancing your English listening abilities is the first and foremost step to passing the PTE Listening portion. You can do this by interacting with native English speakers, viewing English TV shows or movies, or listening to English podcasts. To further develop your abilities, you can practice with PTE Listening sample tests.

Note-Taking:

Note-taking is a crucial skill in the PTE Listening section. As you listen to a passage, take notes of the main points and ideas. This will help you recall the information and answer the questions correctly.

Pay Attention to Context:

To correctly answer the questions, it is necessary to comprehend the context. Pay close attention to the speaker’s emphasis, tone, and intonation. This will make it easier for you to comprehend the speaker’s meaning and the point they are making.

Manage Your Time:

In the PTE Listening portion, effective time management is essential. You only have a certain amount of time to respond to each question, so if you don’t use it wisely, you might skip some.

Studying IELTS with Edify:

You will benefit from studying IELTS at Edify Group of Companies since they have state-of-the-art classrooms that foster excellent learning possibilities. Additionally, Edify employs highly qualified personnel that not only provide their students with problem-solving techniques but also with useful information. For instance, the curriculum created by the institution’s instructors is structured to meet the needs of students from a variety of backgrounds. Edify’s instructors strive to customize their courses in accordance with the particular requirements of their students because they don’t think there is a one size fits all approach.