Time Management is one of the most critical aspects of PTE Academic when we focus on the PTE Listening Module. It is solely upon you to decide the amount of time you spend on each task before clicking ‘NEXT’. Therefore, it is an essential skill to have both efficiency and accuracy, which will eventually lead to an overall high PTE score.
Time Management is a critical element, especially in the Listening section, a contrast to Reading and Writing tasks, one cannot go back and improvise the answers as listening takes place in real-time. Also, the Listening section is at the end of the Test. As a result, when the candidate is near the section, he or she is already exhausted. It is of utmost significance to highlight that the listening section initiates to play audio clips which can only be listened once. It requires the candidate to be more highly focused and attentive, which can help him or her to achieve the desired score.
What Are The Tasks?
Before we delve into actually managing time, it is essential to briefly understand the eight tasks under the PTE Listening Module, which are as follows:
• Summarize Spoken Text: Listen to a recording & construct a 50–70-word summary within 10 minutes.
• Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer: Select more than one correct answers, from a list of possible options, after listening to an audio recording.
• Fill in the Blanks: Fill the gaps/blanks in a transcript correctly with words which are missing by listening to its respective audio clip.
• Highlight Correct Summary: Listen to an audio recording & select an option which best epitomises the recording from several possible choices.
• Multiple Choice, Single Answer: Choose one correct answer for a multiple-choice question after listening to the audio recording.
• Select Missing Word: Select the best possible response to complete the bleeped-out words in an audio recording.
• Highlight Incorrect Words: Highlight the errors in a transcript after listening & comparing it with its original audio.
• Write from Dictation: Type a short sentence accurately after carefully listening to its audio. The required approach: The concept of Time Management has been subjective to many people as most of the people take it as an objective of accomplishing things at any cost. Instead, candidates should effectively manage time-based on their strengths and weaknesses rather than merely focusing on achieving it.
1. Preferences: The candidate needs first to highlight the critical tasks and those who have a total weight over others. Thus prioritisation of functions can help the candidate manage time effectively and to the full use and hence overcoming the hurdle of Time Management. For Example: In comparison to Multiple Choice and Fill in the Blanks, the latter has a high priority as the former is a bit confusing and tricky and also does not help in the significant contribution. In case of Fill in the blanks, it is not much difficult and can help in scoring full marks even with average English competency.
2. Familiarisation: Getting used to the format and sequence of a section is very important as no matter how competent the candidate is if he is not familiar to the examination pattern it will be a difficult task for the aspirant. Hence, it is advisable to spend a minimal amount of time finding out the appropriate approach of carrying out every task. For example: For each incorrect answer in the Highlight incorrect words task, there will be a negative marking of -1 for each incorrect answer. Hence, being ignorant of such things can have an impact on your scores which can cost the candidate.
3. Effective Utilisation: The time you have for every section should be used effectively, and there should be an appropriate strategy applied to that specific task. Managing time is one of the critical elements in an overall enhancement of your scores. For example: In regards to Summarize Spoken Text, even if you complete the task before ten minutes, the remaining time would not be accumulated or be carried further.
Hence use the full-time bracket to complete your task rather than pushing yourself to finish it by creating errors which can be costly.
Speak to one of our experts to get your scorecard analysed and for an expert consultation, sign up to a pricing plan
