How to Improve English for competitive examinations.

This article is dedicated to all the people who view English as an obstacle from passing their competitive examinations and plan for PTE Academic preparation ahead.
ashton-pte-29-of-54“When the going gets tough, the tough get going” – Joseph Kennedy
 The main aim of this article is to help you improve your English skills and plan for a better performance in competitive examinations like PTE-Academic. It is advisable that you embrace English as your language and make it part of your life. The reason behind this is simply because there is no shortcut to passing competitive examinations if one doesn’t practice and master the basic rules of English.
Never try to avoid English. Avoiding and escaping from English will lead to poor performance in competitive examinations.
The following are some tips that will see you on top of your game for excellent performance.
1. Understand the Examination pattern and score guide and more :
  • Go through the test pattern, score guide find out and write down…take notes
  • Read all free preparation materials to get ready for PTE Academic. Download offline practice test, watch hours of skills videos on YouTube or read our test tips and test tutorial.
  • Choose from The Official Guide to PTE Academic or Practice Tests Plus to understand the test format and prepare for specific item types. Or, if you are studying over a longer period, choose PTE Academic at level B1 or B2 as your official course book.
  • How much weightage is given to each section in the 20 task areas?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses in these task ?
  • How can you improve the fields in which you are weak?

All make notes section and task wise……………….

2. Understand your position and make plan:
Understanding your position entails that you recognize your English standards and performance. This will help you know yourself better and you can easily identify the reasons that draw you back from performing well.
At this point, you can easily tell whether you need to put more effort to improve or whether you are satisfied with your current position.
When some people get exposed to the competitive world, they find out that their colleagues are somehow ahead of them either in their studies or business performance, simply because they possess a strong command of English language. Therefore, this makes their counterparts more privileged. But this should not discourage you since there is still room for better performance and improvement in your English skills.
If you find yourself not so efficient like your competitors, don’t lose confidence. Accept the truth, even if it is bitter. Be determined to improve your proficiency.
  • Start with English Grammar Test.
  • Just attempt 1 online scored practice test. Not only does this familiarize you with PTE Academic, but it also shows in which areas you need to start working so you can plan ahead.This shows your current performance on PTE Academic. You will sit a full three-hour computer-based mock test, which will help you to know time management skills and set realistic expectations on your potential performance.
 3. Read plenty of academic English materials and resources
Once you stop viewing English in the examination perspective and start viewing it as part of your life, then you can be assured of improving your English skills. Reading books, journals, newspapers, novels and other quality academic materials written in English, keeps you on your feet towards improving for competitive examinations.
However, you must develop a good reading habit that will help you improve step by step. You can start with reading what you like to avoid boredom and procrastination.  You must also learn to be patient since it is worth it and in the long run you will come to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
It is advisable that you note down new vocabulary and try to remember the basic grammatical rules. Once you catch up with the momentum, then you can be assured of a smooth ride all the way to success.
If you don’t feel like reading, you may begin with a huge number of fun activities, games that can combine education and entertainment. Some of these are crosswords, flashcards and games like hangman.
4. Create a task list…… (NOW)
Task lists are very important since they help you stay organized as you stick to your plan towards achieving your goal. Since the main goal here is improving your English for this competitive examinations, ensure that you abide by your task list. Remember, “self -discipline” is the ultimate tool to make you achieve success in life including English.
5. Take English tests
It is advisable that you take English tests more often. After taking the test, you can go ahead and find out where you went wrong and learn by correcting your mistakes. Ensure that you get familiarized with the grammar rules and avoid making grammatical mistakes to help you improve your English performance.
If you keep on being persistent, then you will surely improve your English skills for competitive performance. Don’t look back and believe that you can do better than where you are.

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