Most PTE aspirants feel that the toughest section in PTE is the Listening section. As a result of this, most people score low on this section. Why? It’s due to the following reasons:

• It has more number of question types than the other sections.
• The audios played in the Listening section are recorded in different accents, which can get difficult to follow.
• The recordings are only played once, and cannot be referred to again. This makes it difficult to select the correct response.
• The pace of the recordings may vary. If it’s too fast, the candidate faces difficulty in understanding what is being said.
• Active listening- understanding the meaning of the sentences while they are being spoken, is a difficult skill and needs to be practiced thoroughly.

Listening to the recording, understanding the meaning of the words spoken, and simultaneously reading the options requires a lot of attention.

Fountainhead Prep has some tips and techniques to help PTE aspirants prepare for the Listening section better. These will also play an important role in boosting your PTE score.

1. Practice Time Management

Since this section has the most number of questions, it is important to manage your time wisely to ensure you can attempt each question carefully.

2. Do Not Rush To Give Answers

In Highlight Correct Summary, MCSA, and MCMA, while listening to the audio recording, you might notice the same words in one of the options and might feel tempted to answer. Remember that the correct answer is always paraphrased. The wrong answers have the same words as in the passage to confuse the test-taker. Take your time to listen to the audio carefully, understand it completely, and take down appropriate notes.

3. Practice Listening

Listening to various authentic sources of academic or real-life English is a must. This will help you understand different accents, ways and pace of speaking. Additionally, regular listening will add to your vocabulary and other grammatical concepts. These skills will be beneficial across all sections of PTE.

4. Take Notes

The audio is played only once in the PTE exam, hence you need to listen to it very carefully and attentively. While listening to the recording, making notes is a good practice. It helps you remember what was spoken in the audio, and the important keywords. 

While practicing for PTE, start making notes as you listen to different recordings. This will increase your speed of note-taking, help you understand which aspects of the passage need to be noted down, and you will be able to make notes without missing out on the important aspects of the audio. Additionally, make your own abbreviations and symbols to signify to certain words or phrases. This will further save your time in the real exam.

5. Don’t Practice Alone

Listening is a skill that requires a lot of concentration. When you practice for PTE at home, you ensure that your surroundings are free of distractions. However, that might not be the case when you go for the real exam. You are likely to be in the same room as many other test-takers- some of who may be too loud. You are bound to get distracted by their voices in this case. Hence, ensure there is mild background noise while you practice, so you get used to it.

6. Strategize

Before the audio starts, you get a few seconds to skim through the question and the options. Use this time wisely and read the options carefully. When you listen to the audio then, you will be able to identify the correct option easily. Read the options again once the audio stops, and identifying the correct option won’t be very difficult.

7. Practice Mock Questions

There is no better practice than to attempt mock PTE tests and sample questions. You don’t need to go anywhere else; Fountainhead Prep provides a wide range of sample questions across various platforms to help you with online PTE preparation. Not only this, but our expert PTE coaches will also handhold you through the process of PTE preparation and help you identify your weak areas and work on them.

Scoring well in the Listening of PTE may be tough, but it’s not impossible! Your hard work combined with our guidance will help you achieve that perfect score in the PTE exam!