• PTE Academic is a computer-based academic English language test aimed at non-native English speakers wanting to study abroad.

 

• It tests Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.

 

• Questions often test 2 skills together, such as listening and reading or reading and speaking.

 

• The whole test is done in a single session, lasting 3 hours and is taken sitting at a computer in a secure test environment.

 

• The speaking part of the exam is done at the computer.

 

• Your voice is recorded and sent for marking.

 

• One advantage of this test is that you get your results very quickly; in about 5 days.

 

• This is a relatively new test and it is not yet available in every country.

 

• The cost varies by country but is in the range of $150-$210.

 

• PTE Academic is a multi-level test, like IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC.

 

• Formerly The London Test of English, these are designed to reward positive achievement in English language learning.

 

• The tests consist of two parts: a written paper and an interview.

 

• There are six levels of the General test:

 

		Writing	Interview
A1	Level A1	75 mins	5 mins
A2	Level 1	95 mins	5 mins
B1	Level 2	95 mins	7 mins
B2	Level 3	120 mins	7 mins
C1	Level 4	150 mins	8 mins
C2	Level 5	175 mins	8 mins

• The writing paper tests listening, reading comprehension and writing skills.

 

• Recognition: Levels 4 and 5 are recognised for admission to UK universities and by many international companies.

 

• How do the PTE General tests compare to other exams?

 

• Where do I take the test?

At a test center in your country.

 

• When can I take a PTE General test?

May, June, August, November, December.

 

• How much does it cost?

The test fees are set by each cente

These tests are reasonably priced.

The higher level tests are more expensive than the lower level ones.

Expect to pay £50 for level A1 and £100 for level 5.

 

 

 

 

LISTENING:

 

 

PART 1:

 

You will have 10 seconds to read each question and the corresponding options. Then listen to the recording. After the recording you will have 10 seconds to choose the correct option. There are 10 questions in this section.

 

 

 

 

1  

Sheila is talking to her

 

 A bank manager.
 B boss.
 C colleague.

 

2  

Martin is a

 

 A fireman.
 B paramedic.
 C diver.

 

3  

This excerpt is from a

 

 A radio broadcast.
 B cinema film.
 C TV broadcast.

 

4  

Mrs Banks wants a

 

 A job.
 B loan.
 C lesson.

 

5  

The second speaker

 

 A was over-confident about finding a job.
 B knew she would find it hard to find a job.
 C is determined to find a job in three months.

 

6  

The speaker thinks the book is

 

 A scientific.
 funny.
 C dreadful.

 

7  

The speaker is talking about a/an

 

 A hiking holiday.
 B sports contest.
 C exploration trip.

 

8  

 

The speaker is persuading a friend to

 A withdraw money from a bank.
 B share the cost of a journey.
 C use less petrol in the car.

 

9  

The people were said to have died because they

 

 A robbed a pharaoh.
 B disturbed a tomb.
 C placed a curse.

 

10  

The speaker is

 

 A presenting a TV programme.
 B giving a university lecture.
 C hosting a radio show.

 

 

 

READING:

 

 

Read the text and then answer questions 1-5.

 

Life on Mars?

 

From the days of the ‘Martian canals’, once thought by many to have been made by an intelligent civilization but
later proved to be an optical illusion, to our current preoccupation with gathering data in the hope of providing us with more information, our fascination with the Red Planet continues.

In the early days of space exploration, visits were restricted to ‘fly-bys’, such as those by the Mariner probes, whereby craft would simply pass the planet, taking pictures and obtaining data as they went. The Viking ‘orbiters’ were next, and later craft in the Viking series, known as ‘Landers’, began to probe the mysteries of its surface, equipped with instruments which continued to relay data about the environment until they stopped working.

The more recent ‘Rovers’move around the planet’s surface as they gather information. Current proposals include missions to study terrain, climate, and soil components, in order to determine, amongst other things, whether the planet can ever have supported carbon-based life forms. Scientists now believe that at some stage the planet cooled dramatically, resulting in the near-loss of its atmosphere and, thanks to erosion features, mineral deposits and other factors, it is also believed that liquid water once flowed there.

One of the most recent craft is Phoenix, a Rover which landed in November 2008. Named after the mythological bird, Phoenix’s mission was to obtain samples from beneath the surface by digging into the arctic ice, while its high-resolution camera provided geological data and other equipment scanned the atmosphere, measuring temperature and pressure in a bid to discover whether the chemicals necessary for life might exist beneath the surface. The craft was expected to send back data for three months, but managed to hold out for a further two.

An especially important part of the project was the need to maintain sterility of the equipment, in order to ensure that any organic material collected was not contaminated by ‘hitchhiking’ terrestrial microbes.
In the future manned landings may be possible – and though it may seem an outrageously difficult undertaking, plans have already been discussed for the ‘terraforming’ of the planet - giving it an atmosphere, oceans and a terrain similar to earth, with the possibility of human colonisation.

 

1  

A fly-by is a

 

 

 

 A photograph of a planet.
 B way of collecting information.
 C type of spacecraft.

 

 

2  

According to the writer, what is one of the factors that suggests that Mars once had liquid water?

 

 A The wearing away of areas on its surface.
 B The fact that there is ice on the planet.
 C The fact that it once had breathable air.

 

3  

 

 A three months
 B five months
 C two months

 

4  

What were the scientists connected with the Phoenix mission particularly concerned about?

 

 

 

 A The danger that people might try to stow away on the spacecraft.
 B The need to maintain the data-gathering equipment.
 C The risk that equipment might transport organisms from Earth to Mars.

 

5  

How does the writer feel about the possibility of human beings going to Mars?

 

 

 A It might be hard, but it’s not impossible.
 B It would be much too difficult a task.
 C It will happen and has already been planned.