10 Common PTE Myths That Hurt Your Score

The world of PTE preparation is full of advice. From YouTube videos to online forums, everyone seems to have a secret trick or a “guaranteed” method for a high score. Unfortunately, much of this advice is based on myths, misunderstandings, and outdated information.

Following these myths can do more than just waste your time; it can actively hurt your score. Believing the wrong thing can lead you to practice in a way that the PTE scoring algorithm is specifically designed to penalize.

This guide will act as your myth-busting filter. We are going to identify the 10 most common and damaging myths about the PTE exam and replace them with the simple, proven facts. By understanding the truth, you can focus your preparation on what actually works.

Myth 1: You Must Speak Very Fast to Get a High Fluency Score

What People Believe: Many students are told that speaking as fast as possible is the key to a 90 in Oral Fluency. This leads them to rush through tasks like Read Aloud and Describe Image, often stumbling over words.

The Reality: This is the single most destructive myth in PTE. The AI scores fluency based on rhythm, smoothness, and a natural pace—not speed. Speaking too fast sounds unnatural, causes you to make more pronunciation mistakes, and destroys your phrasing. A calm, steady, and confident pace, like a newsreader, will always score higher than a rushed, chaotic one.

Myth 2: The Speaking Section is Only About Fluency

What People Believe: Some test-takers think that as long as they speak smoothly without stopping, the words they say don’t matter much.

The Reality: While fluency is critical, Content is still a major scoring factor. For tasks like Repeat Sentence and Retell Lecture, the AI is listening for specific keywords and phrases from the audio. If you speak fluently but your summary is completely inaccurate, you will lose a significant number of points. A high score requires a balance of both clear content and smooth delivery.

Myth 3: You Must Copy the Speaker’s Accent in Read Aloud

What People Believe: Students often try to imitate the American, British, or Australian accent of the speakers they hear in practice materials, thinking it will lead to a better pronunciation score.

The Reality: This is incorrect and can be harmful. The PTE scoring system is trained on a wide variety of global English accents. Your goal is clarity, not imitation. Trying to fake an accent often leads to unnatural pronunciation and can make your speech harder for the AI to understand. You should always speak clearly and confidently in your own natural accent.

Myth 4: Using a Complicated Template is the Secret to a High Score

What People Believe: Many sources offer long, complex templates for tasks like Describe Image and Write Essay, filled with “high-level” vocabulary and convoluted sentences.

The Reality: Overly complex templates are dangerous. They often sound robotic, which can hurt your fluency score. Furthermore, they may not fit the specific image or essay topic, leading to a low Content score. A simple, logical, and flexible structure is always better than a rigid, complicated template. Focus on being clear and organized, not on memorizing fancy phrases.

Myth 5: You Should Never Guess in Multiple-Choice Questions

What People Believe: Because some multiple-choice questions have negative marking, students are afraid to answer at all if they are not 100% sure.

The Reality: This depends on the question type.

• For Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer (where you can select more than one option), this is true. Guessing is very risky due to the -1 penalty.
• However, for Multiple Choice, Single Answer (where you select only one option), there is no negative marking. If you can eliminate even one or two wrong options, making an educated guess is always better than leaving the question blank.

Myth 6: My Handwriting Affects My Essay Score

What People Believe: This myth comes from confusion with the paper-based IELTS test.

The Reality: The PTE Academic is a 100% computer-based test. You will type all of your answers, including your essay. Your handwriting is never a factor. Your typing speed and accuracy, however, are very important.

Myth 7: I Can’t Make Any Mistakes in Write from Dictation

What People Believe: Students believe that if they miss one word or make one spelling error in Write from Dictation, the entire sentence is scored as zero.

The Reality: Write from Dictation uses partial credit. You get one point for every correct word that is spelled correctly. If the sentence is 10 words long and you get 9 of them right, you still get 9 points. While perfection is the goal, getting most of the words correct is still a very good outcome.

Myth 8: The Order of Questions is Always the Same

What People Believe: Students expect the test to follow the exact same sequence of tasks they see in most practice apps.

The Reality: While the order of the main sections (Speaking & Writing, Reading, Listening) is fixed, the number and order of tasks within those sections can vary slightly. For example, you might get a Write Essay question before a Summarize Written Text question. You must be mentally prepared for this slight variability.

Myth 9: A Long Essay is Better Than a Short One

What People Believe: Some students think writing a very long essay (close to 300 words) shows better language ability and will get a higher score.

The Reality: The required word count for the essay is 200 to 300 words. Quality is far more important than quantity. A well-structured, grammatically correct, 220-word essay will score much higher than a rambling, error-filled 290-word essay. Aim for clarity and precision, not just length.

Myth 10: I Don’t Need to Practice the “Easy” Questions

What People Believe: Students often focus all their energy on difficult tasks like Retell Lecture and ignore “easy” tasks like Answer Short Question.

The Reality: Every point in the PTE matters. The “easy” tasks are often quick opportunities to add points to your score with minimal effort. Spending a small amount of time to ensure you are confident in every single task type is a much smarter strategy than ignoring any of them.

By understanding the truth behind these common myths, you can focus your energy on what truly matters: consistent practice with the right methods.

The best way to see these principles in action is to experience the test for yourself. Take a free, full-length PTE mock test with a complete score report and see how the scoring system really works.