Free Resources · PTE Academic

Curated PTE Academic resources

These are the free resources I point my own PTE students to. Used properly, they're enough for a lot of people to improve without me. That's genuinely what I want for you.

📚 How to use this page

Everything below is free and high quality. Start with the official Pearson prep and scoring guide so you understand exactly how PTE marks Writing, then work through the format guides and video lessons, and use the free tools to check your own writing.

If you have the discipline and time to work through all of this yourself, do it. But if you'd rather learn how to study well, save time, and have someone reassess and steer you along the way, that's where I come in. More on that at the bottom of the page.

Start Here · Official PTE

Official Pearson PTE sources

Always begin with the official material, it's the ground truth for format and scoring.

Official

Pearson PTE — Preparation hub

The official PTE prep hub: free short courses, a study planner, and prep content inside your free account. Start here to learn the test format and what each task expects.

Visit Pearson PTE
Official · Scoring

How PTE scoring works

Pearson's plain-English guide to how PTE is scored, including how Writing tasks are marked and why integrated skills matter. Understand this and you'll stop losing points you didn't know about.

Read the scoring guide

Learn & Practise · PTE

Official format & free practice

Know exactly what each task looks like before you sit it.

Official · Format

PTE Academic test format

Task by task, exactly how the PTE Academic test works, including the timed essay and the integrated Speaking & Writing section. The best place to remove surprises.

See the format
Official · Free taster

Scored Practice Tests

Pearson's official scored practice tests give you the closest thing to a real PTE score before test day. Use a full one to get a realistic starting band before your diagnostic with me.

Try a scored practice test
Free practice

PTE Academic Question Bank

Practise real PTE task types, including writing and summarising, so you can rehearse under timed conditions and build the habits the test rewards.

Open the question bank
Free feedback tool

Cambridge Write & Improve

A free tool from the University of Cambridge that instantly checks your writing against the CEFR and shows progress over time. Not PTE-specific, but brilliant for self-checking drafts and grammar.

Try Write & Improve
Which test?

Which PTE test is right for me?

PTE Academic, Academic UKVI, or Core? Pearson's guide helps you pick the right test for study, work, or a visa, so you prepare for the correct one from day one.

Compare PTE tests
Test centres & fees

Test centres & fees

Find your nearest PTE test centre, current fees, and next available dates. You can often book as little as 24 hours in advance, useful once you're ready.

Find a test centre

Note: Pearson's full scored practice tests are paid, but the preparation hub, format guides, scoring guide and study planner are free.

Watch & Learn

Recommended PTE video lessons

Two of the most trusted PTE channels on YouTube.

E2 PTE (YouTube)

One of the biggest free PTE channels, with clear task-by-task strategy for Writing and Speaking and plenty of templates and walkthroughs. Open channel →

Pearson PTE (official YouTube)

The official Pearson channel, with format explainers and tips straight from the people who make the test, so you're learning from the source. Open channel →

Tip: to embed a specific video, replace the src with that video's "Embed" link from YouTube (Share → Embed).

Quick Wins

My top PTE Writing tips

Small habits that consistently lift my students' PTE Writing scores. None of them require a teacher, but they're easier to apply with feedback.

  1. Answer the prompt fully and stay on topic. PTE rewards content, so a clear, complete response beats a fancy one that drifts.
  2. Plan before you write. Spend 2 to 3 minutes mapping your essay; with only 20 minutes, a quick plan is the difference between rushed and controlled.
  3. Hit the word count. Aim for 200 to 300 words on the essay and stay inside the limit, going under or well over costs you.
  4. Remember PTE marks grammar and form by machine. Clean sentences, correct spelling, and clear paragraphing score better than risky, tangled ones.
  5. Treat Summarize Written Text as one accurate sentence. One sentence, the key idea, correct grammar; this single task trips up a lot of people.
  6. Practise deliberately, not just repeatedly. Sloppy practice just makes your mistakes permanent; correct practice builds the right habit.
  7. Always write under timed, on-screen conditions. PTE is typed and timed, so rehearse it that way, not on paper.
  8. Learn how to learn. Knowing how you study best and adjusting as you go beats grinding the same method that isn't working.
  9. Get feedback on your real weaknesses. You can't fix what you can't see, and that's exactly where a coach saves you months.

Two Paths

Free resources, or a coach?

Both can work. The right choice depends on your time, your discipline, and how you learn best.

🧭 Go it alone (free)

If you have the discipline, motivation and time to work steadily through everything above, you can absolutely improve on your own. Many learners do, and I'm glad to point you to the best material to make that happen.

Use the free resources

🚀 Learn with a mentor

If time is short, or you'd rather learn how to learn, to study effectively, fix the right things, and prepare with a coach who reassesses and guides you, then working together will get you there faster. Not everyone works the same way, and that's exactly the point.

Book a Session With Me

Want a personalised path?

Send me a writing response from your real PTE test or a practice test, and I'll show you exactly which of these resources to focus on, and where a coach will save you the most time.

Get Your Free Diagnostic