Last week, we started the series by taking a look at PTE Test Format. This week, we will focus on PTE Read Aloud Section.
This section tests your ability to get the message and the meaning across to others when you are speaking aloud. To get a good score in this section, you will need to focus on pronunciation and oral fluency.
We’ll begin by looking at how this section is scored. That way, we’ll be able to prepare for it more strategically. So, let’s breakdown how this question type is scored and then we’ll dive into practical tips into improving your score in this section.
How PTE Read Aloud Section Is Scored
Content Delivery
You have to read all the words in the text. Any words that are omitted or added will affect your score negatively. The key here is to make sure that you get the message across clearly. Speaking just the way you do every day is the key to mastering content delivery.
Oral Fluency
It is a measure of smoothness in your speech. If the rhythm, phrasing and stress of your speech are natural with proper intonations and inflections then, you will get a high score in oral fluency. Make sure that you are not hesitating or repeating or taking a long pause in your speech. Because if you pause for more than 3 seconds, the recording will automatically stop.
Pronunciation
This tests your ability to speak words like a native speaker. If the vowels, consonants, stress in words and phrases in your speech are native-like then you will get a high score in pronunciation. It is important to speak in such a way that a native English speaker understands what you are saying.
Okay… with the scoring metric out of the way, let’s focus on improving your ability to read aloud confidently, clearly and accurately.
Practical Tips to Get a Good Score in Read Aloud Section
Use the 40 seconds
Before you start, you will have 40 seconds to read and prepare for the text you will see on the screen. Use this time by reading out the entire text in your mind and if there are any complex words in the text, read those words multiple times before the timer ends.
Speak Every Word the Way It Is
Don’t add or remove any word and speak the word just the way it is written in the text. If the word is “don’t” then, say “don’t”, not “do not”. If the word is “can’t” then, say “can’t”, not “cannot”. If the word is “controller” then say “controller”, not “controllers”. If the word is “book” then say “book”, not “books”. If the word is “11th” then say “eleventh”, not “eleven”. Every word must be spoken the way it is written.
Speak Naturally
Speak in a natural way. Not like a robot. When we speak, we usually start and end our speech by changing our intonation. When we start, we use rising intonation and when we end, we use falling intonation. And make appropriate pauses where necessary. For a comma, do a brief pause and if there is a full stop do a slightly longer pause. The pauses and changes in intonations make the way you speak sound natural and the computer looks for these in your speech.
Look for the Keywords
Certain words in the sentence will have a greater weight than others. These words usually determine the context and message of the text. Thus, you should increase your voice slightly when you are speaking those words to denote their importance in the sentence. If you can, stress the word’s syllables in proper inflections and you will sound like a native speaker.
Practice
Practice is the key element to improving your speaking, and that includes reading aloud. Get a book or look at any news and then read them aloud. Doing this makes your muscle memory better and when you are ready for the big day… you will have had enough practice to speak confidently, clearly and accurately.
Next, you can read more on how to get a high score in PTE.
If you want expert guidance, then contact us and we will help you get the score you want in PTE.
1 reply on “5 Tips to Improve PTE Read Aloud Score”
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