General characteristics of the PTE General A1 Foundation exam (level A1)

English learners who are beginning and who have thought from the beginning to certify their knowledge to get some benefit, have thought well. Today we want to talk to you about the PTE General English exam, a very comprehensive exam that certifies your level of English to open doors in any sector that needs such recognition. But we are going to focus on the most basic level, so that students who have it are also encouraged to certify it and not wait any longer to obtain their diploma. Therefore, we have prepared this most complete guide, in which we explain what the PTE Genereal A1 Foundation English exam is, level A1. We are going to leave you tips so that you can prepare the exam on your own if that is what you want and we are going to explain how to enroll in the simplest way possible.

What is the PTE General English test?

It is the certification of English with an international character for adolescents and adults. PTE GENERAL is a general English certification for teens, young adults and adults, endorsed by PEARSON, the UK's largest and most important certification organization.

There is the possibility of doing any of the six levels of difficulty, from A1 to C2. PTE GENERAL certifies the ability to use the English language to travel, study or obtain better job prospects, evaluating the skills necessary to handle real life situations, such as taking notes, writing messages, understanding news, etc.

The different levels of PTE GENERAL are accepted by universities, companies and educational authorities, and are also recognized worldwide as evidence of the level of English acquired. In Spain they are recognized by all the autonomous communities, by ACLES (Association of Language Centers in Higher Education) and by CRUE (Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities).

All levels correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The certificates include a clear equivalence with the CEFR level achieved by the students.

By taking the test, students will be able to demonstrate their level of English and certify their ability in the language to continue their training or improve their job prospects. The exams combine a progressive approach with international content that enables students to reach their full potential in today's global world. In addition, the exams are designed to positively reward achievement in learning English.

The exam activities are a natural continuation of what happens inside and outside of class , that is, they combine the academic part with the more social part, giving the students the opportunity to achieve their best performance with everything they have learned after studying but also from the most natural environment of the day to day. For this reason, authentic materials taken from brochures, magazines, television, newspapers, etc. are used in the exams . All activities in present situations from everyday life, such as writing messages, understanding talks, news or participating in a conversation.

PTE GENERAL assesses the four skills in an integrated way : Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing. It focuses on assessing the ability to communicate in English, rather than the skills to solve one type of test. The exam consists of two parts: the written exam and the oral exam.

The written part assesses listening, reading and writing. She is edited by examiners in the UK.
The oral part is performed by local speakers and their recordings are sent to the UK for correction.

The length of the exam makes PTE GENERAL more accessible .

Structure of the PTE General A1 Foundation exam, level A1

 General PTE consists of two parts: a written test and an oral test. The written paper tests examine listening, reading and writing skills and are scored by external examiners in the UK. The oral test is conducted by trained local speakers and sent to the UK for moderation.

How to prepare the tests on your own: tips and materials

To take these tests, you must have knowledge of English at an initial level, that is, at level A1. You cannot enroll yourself if you have not studied and prepared the level before, so the interesting thing would be if you start here, with a general English book that helps you control all the contents of the A1 and that you always have close by in case you have any questions . Once you have established the level and its contents:

• To prepare for the Listening test, what you have to do is listen to a lot of English, as much as you can. Use all the resources you have at your disposal and take advantage of them. You can use this list of songs for your level.
• This compilation of series and movies can also help you .
• The Reading test, you already know, forces you to read in English as much as you can. Try to get daily readings, whether from newspapers, blogs, social networks, etc. To help you, it occurs to us that you review this list of graded reading for level A1 of English, which can help you a lot to begin to make contact with the literature and other uses of the English language.
• Do not forget to write down everything relevant and new for you, to later put it into practice in your conversations or writing. Always work with a dictionary, it is what can help you solve all your doubts. Look at this list of possible dictionaries, choose the one that best suits your needs
• To prepare for a Writing test, the fundamental thing is to write and write as much as you can. It is about spending time every day to write and put into practice everything learned in level A1, but it is also advisable to use vocabulary and structures obtained from listening and reading, that will add a plus. We advise you to maintain contact with natives, in writing, which will allow you to do it in the most real way. Ask them to correct you, so you will move forward safely.
• The spoken test you have to prepare it with a native person if possible, since it is what can serve as a basis and to be well prepared for the exam. You have to demonstrate the utmost naturalness and dexterity in your oral communication, so the more you practice, the better. Listening is essential to sharpen listening, practice accents, etc. It is good that also for your conversations you use material obtained from readings and listening.
• Remember to be as orderly as possible during the study. We advise you that from the first day you create a plan with an exclusive agenda for this, that you fulfill it with commitment and desire, since if this is not the case you will not be able to advance or achieve the proposed objective.
• It would also be great if you contacted people who are like you, preparing for the test, since having a circle of people in the same situation helps a lot to solve doubts, find out about changes or news that you did not know, collect material, etc.

If you need help , take a look at the training resource that Pearson makes available to those interested: 

It also makes elementary resources available to those who need it to prepare for the tests. Take the specific resources for the PTE General Level A1 English exam and take the opportunity to prepare based on: 

Dates, registration and results

In 2020 you have the opportunity to certify your A1 level of English. In the link you have all the available options. In addition, you can control everything related to calls, prices, center, etc. That is, you have all the information gathered without the need to search. It is the most comfortable and easy way, because it also offers you the option of registering directly, from complete and absolute security.

Remember how important it is that you get in touch with your nearest center, since it is the one that will indicate with exactness and precision the characteristics of the invitation in which you will be examined, possible changes and how the exam will be done.