PTE mock tests give you a hint of where you stand in terms of your weak and strong points. PTE mock test results are different from the real PTE test because of the following reasons:
1. PTE scoring algorithm
Although the PTE office has officially published some criteria for scoring different parts of the test, nobody knows the exact figures and percentages of each section and subsection. What’s more, the result of average scores calculated by the computer on all score reports seems to be not consistent. Watch a video on this. This means that any PTE mock tests out there would be applying its own criteria and not a unified set of scoring system.
2. Online constraints
All PTE mock tests are online which means they rely on the internet to send and receive the questions and their answers to and from their candidates around the world. This can slow the process of the test taking and sometimes even interrupt the whole process. Under optimum conditions, online PTE mock tests can be close to the original one in terms of voice recording quality. On the other hand, a real PTE test is off-line which means none of the above mentioned scenarios will ever happen during your test.
3. Microphone and recording qualities
In all PTE mock tests, your speaking score is totally dependent on whether you use a microphone or not. And if you do, what type of microphone it is. This would make the speaking test result of all online PTE mock tests different from the real PTE test. In almost all PTE test centes, a particular brand of microphone is used. This means that the standard and the condition of recording is the same for all test takers.
All in all, PTE mock tests are not as exact as the original one, but they can be a very good tool to hone one’s test skills and time management strategies.
Need a free PTE mock test?
For learning the tricks of how to ace the PTE academic test, and for doing a free scored PTE mock test and practicing real PTE materials on our PTE practice platform, visit our website at www.thepte.com, where you can also book a free online PTE coaching with one of our Melbourne-based expert PTE trainers via the zoom app.