Mastering the PTE Listening: Strategies and Tips

The Pearson Test of English (PTE) consists of four main sections that are Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening. The listening section is the last section of PTE exams. Students may find it difficult due to accent, speed, and vocabulary. They should follow the following tips to improve their score in this section.

1.  Understand the Structure of the Listening Section

The PTE Listening section consists of eight different tasks which have been mentioned below:

• Summarize Spoken Text: A short audio clip will be played and you have to summarize it between 50 and 70 words.
• Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answers: Audio will be played and you have to select more than one option from the list. It includes negative markings.
• Fill in the Blanks: You will listen to an audio clip and fill in missing words in a transcript. You have to type the same word as exactly you hear it.Highlight Correct Summary: After listening to an audio passage, choose the best summary.Multiple-choice, Choose Single Answer: Audio will be played and you have to select one answer from the list of options.Select Missing Word: You will have to identify the last word of the audio to complete the sentence.Highlight Incorrect Word: You will have to match the audio with the given transcript. This question type includes negative markings.
• Write from Dictation: You will hear a sentence and need to write it down correctly.

You have to understand each question to perform all the questions well on the exam day. The duration of this section is 30-43 minutes.

2.  Practice Active Listening

Active listening means paying full attention to the audio, without getting distracted or multitasking. To practice active listening, follow the following tips:

• Focus on the main idea: You should listen for the key points, such as the speaker’s opinion, argument, or important facts.
• Note-taking: You should jot down key information while listening to the audio.

• Contextual clues: You should pay attention to the speaker’s tone, speed, and emphasis.

3.  Improve Your Listening with Diverse Audio Sources

For PTE exam preparation, it is essential to listen to various English audio materials. It will help you to understand different accents better. Some effective methods are as follows:

• Podcasts: You should listen to podcasts on a variety of topics to improve your listening skills.
• TED Talks: These are an excellent resource to familiarize yourself with academic topics.

Apart from these, you should listen to the audio which you like the most.

4.  Develop Your Note-Taking Skills

Note-taking is critical in the PTE Listening section. During the test, you will have to take notes on different questions. Here are some tips to improve your note-taking skills:

• Use abbreviations: You should develop a system of shorthand for commonly used words. For example, govt. for government or info for information.
• Focus on key points: You should only write the most important points, such as names, dates, numbers, or opinions rather than writing every word.
• Organize your notes: You should organize your notes properly to write a summary of other responses effectively.

5.  Practice Time Management

Time management is essential when preparing for the PTE Listening section. Here are some ways to manage your time effectively:

• Do practice tests: You should simulate real exam conditions by doing practice listening tests under time constraints.
• Don’t spend too much time: If you are stuck on a particular question, do not spend

too much time on a single question. You should make an educated guess and move on to the next question.

• Listen actively, but be efficient: While it is important to listen carefully, you also need to stay aware of time and ensure you can complete all tasks.

6.  Improve Your Vocabulary and Grammar

A strong vocabulary and grammar knowledge can significantly help you in the Listening section, especially in tasks like Fill in the Blanks, Summarize Spoken Text, and Write from Dictation. You can use the following tips to improve these areas.

• Learn common collocations: These are words that often appear together, such as make a decision or take a break. It will help you to predict the word based on context.
• Focus on homophones: Many English words sound alike but have different meanings. For example, hear and here or their and there Make sure you understand the context to choose the right one.
• Grammar practice: You should review your mistakes and rectify them to get a better score.

7.  Take Care of Your Listening Skills on Test Day

On the day of the test, it’s important to stay motivated and focused:

• Get a good night’s sleep: Being well-rested will improve your concentration and listening ability.
• Stay calm: Nervousness can affect your listening.

• Listen actively during the test: Don’t let distractions affect you. You should pay attention to every detail of the audio and focus on the current task.
• Use the Review Time Wisely

In the PTE Listening section, always proofread your task before moving to the next questions. This will help you to make rectification in spelling and grammatical mistakes and increase your chance to score higher.

Create an account on Sumlingo and take the PTE listening test to identify your strengths and weaknesses. This practice not only provides practice tests or mock tests but also provides prediction files which help the test taker to prepare themselves as per the latest trends.