How does a boxer prepare for a championship bout? Well, he trains for as long as needed, maintains a solid diet and gets as many sparring sessions as possible. Just as sparring is critical to the success of a boxer, so is practice for your success in the PTE Academic.
Ideally, you should practice at least a little every day for a few weeks before the exam. The practice can be just a few questions on one day, a whole section on another day and a full mock test on certain days. A common question that a lot of students have is – How many PTE Mock tests should they take?
While one might say as many as possible, it is not the right answer in all situations. Taking a mock test is a significant effort. One needs to take out time, make sure there is no disturbance for a few hours and get into the exam mode before taking a mock test. See there is no point taking a mock test if one is to take it casually. The idea of a mock test is to get a good understanding of where we stand before the exam. The result from a mock test can then be used to recalibrate our efforts. It should therefore be taken with all seriousness.
The mock test should also be taken at the right time. Taking a full mock test before sufficient practice can demotivate a student and instead of helping her to improve can result in the student losing interest. It would also not be a true reflection of the student’s skill level and therefore only end up as a wastage of time.
The online PTE Course provided by Sure Way English includes up to 3 full length mock tests. However, we recommend that our students take them only when they are ready and have spent at least a week preparing for the exam.
One mock test after having spent a week or two in preparation helps the student get immediate feedback and serves as an early warning system for any adjustments that might be needed to the preparation approach. The second mock test should be taken after the student has addressed the feedback obtained from the previous mock test. The third and final mock test should be taken a couple of days before the exam date. We don’t recommend that students take a mock test just a day before the exam. The day before the exam should be used to relax and just review everything that the student has learned during the course.
If needed the mock tests can be taken again but the cycle should be followed. However, the best benefits are obtained when they are used in a systematic manner. So, it is not so much about how many but more about with how much focus you take those mock tests!
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