PTE Listening - Write from Dictation task type.

PTE Listening Write from Dictation task tests your ability to listen and write. This task is like the dictation we used to have back in our school days. In this task, you will hear recorded audio of a few words. You will have to write down each word in the same order. The audio will be played only once so be focused. You will have to memorize what you hear. No matter how easy this looks, you should do enough PTE practice. The scoring is a bit tricky. So understand it's scoring process and how it affects the score of listening and writing skills. There is no negative marking but partial scoring. You will receive 1 point for each word that is spelled correctly. And 0 points for each word that is spelled incorrectly. If you miss one or two words then you can get a low score.

There will be 3-4 questions. The recorded sentences will be 5-15 words long. You might face difficulty with long sentences as many test-takers tend to forget a few words. You will get around 7 seconds before the audio begins to play. Use the time to prepare yourself to be calm and focused. You should include dictation exercises in your PTE study to prepare yourself well. You can easily find them online. 

There are strategies that will help you to get a good score on this task.

1. Write down notes

As the audio begins to pay, you should write down what you hear. You can use short writing techniques instead of writing word by word. Use the shorthand writing technique in which you write the first letter of each word. This will help you to remember the sentence and also save your time. Make sure you are writing at the pace of the audio because if you fall behind or miss a word then you will start to panic. Even if you miss it you should calm yourself and pick from where the audio is playing. You should not get stuck on a word or you will miss the remaining sentence.

2. Write something rather than skipping the question

This question type has partial scoring so even if you do not recall what you had heard, you should still write something. You will some points for the correct words. You should do this even during PTE practice or when you take the mock test or practice test and see if you manage to get partial points for writing a few words.

3. Visualize what you hear

You should understand the main idea of the sentence. This will help you to recall the words. Try to visualize what you hear. Drawing a picture in your mind helps you to remember it easily.

4. Check your sentence for grammar and spelling

You should always check what you have written. There are times when you tend to make grammar mistakes or spelling errors. You should make sure that the sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop. Avoid adding unnecessary article because that will make you lose points.

5. The Correct order of words

You need to write the words in the same order as you had heard them. If you write them in an incorrect order then your sentence will sound weird and you will lose points.

6. Improve your listening skills

You should improve your listening skills. Listen to podcasts and news and try to write it down. You should include this in your PTE study. Your brain also needs to be sharp and focused. There are many memory and brain exercises available on the internet. Take them as a part of PTE practice as they will help to improve your memory and brain activity. Take mock tests and practice tests to practice this task and also to see how you score on it.