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Most of us haven’t written essays since high school and if you’re not used to writing texts in English, it might be a bit taunting to think about writing the PTE Essay. Don’t worry, though, we’re here to help you!
Always have the AI system in mind.
We’ve talked about this many times before in this blog. However, thinking about this remains essential for anyone taking the PTE Academic. Remember: this essay will be corrected by a computer, so it won’t be judging your ideas as a human evaluator would.
How many essays do I have to write?
Because the PTE Academic is an adaptive test, each test can be different from the other. That’s why you might have to write one or two essays depending on the test you get. They must be between 200 and 300 words, and each text should be completed in 20 minutes.
What is an essay?
An essay is a formal text explaining and expressing the writer’s opinions on a certain topic. You are expected to briefly introduce the topic, present your position in relation to it, develop a few arguments that will endorse your opinion and then close it off with a sound conclusion.
The structure of a PTE Essay.
A good essay will have four paragraphs, the first one being the Introduction, where you will explain the topic of the essay. Body 1, where you’ll give your idea, the explanation and an example. Body 2, where you’ll explain the opposite idea. Finally, the Conclusion of your text.
How many points is the essay worth?
Overall, the essay is worth 15 points. 3 points for Content, 2 points for Spelling, 2 points for Cohesion, 2 points for Vocabulary, 2 points for respecting the Word Limit, 2 points for Grammar, and 2 points for Structure. But don’t let that scare you, there’s a technique that will make it easier.
What if I don’t write very well?
Let me tell you a secret: that doesn’t really matter in the PTE Essay. The best thing you can do in this question is to memorize a template that you can use no matter the topic presented to you, you just have to fill in the blanks with the topic. At PTE Smart, we have 2 different types of templates you can use.
Don’t forget to manage your time well.
When you have 20 minutes to answer a question, it’s easy to lose track of time. Don’t forget that those 20 minutes are for you to write a whole PTE essay! So when you’re studying, be sure to time yourself and find a way to organize your time that will work for you on the day of the exam.
Don’t overcomplicate things!
Keep your text complete, but simple. If you decide to write a highly complex PTE Essay, besides having more chances of making mistakes, you might also go over the word limit, which will impact your score negatively. Follow the template and don’t write more than necessary.
Check out our courses that can help you get your desired score on the PTE Academic!