Education blog by Pearson India

Writing is one of the fundamental skills taught in schools. What starts with the introduction of the English language to alphabets and numbers advances to sentence formation, grammar, vocabulary, etc. It is needless to say that writing skills should be acquired by each student. It is a form of communication that is necessary for education as well as for any profession.

Learning English writing skills in school can go a long way for students. This globally acquired form of communication is also an efficient job skill that one must possess. Irrespective of what field one chooses, they are required to use their writing skills to convey their thoughts.

School curriculums are designed in a way that fosters the writing skills of the students. Aside from being a pre-requisite to succeeding in the professional world, the importance of English writing skills for students can be scaled across the following benefits.

● Self-evaluation

Writing is a form of expression and self-evaluation. Poetry, prose, stories, journals, and books are forms and mediums of writing that help individuals reflect upon their most intimate thoughts. Students who are indulged in extensive studies can use writing as a form of hobby or escape to take some time off for themselves. This helps them grasp their thoughts and put them into words. Mastering the art of putting thoughts into words helps students improve their writing skills on a personal level.

● Necessary for academic success

The academic curriculum in today’s time is focused on encouraging students to express their learning and imply it practically. Hence, for students, writing skills are at the core of their education. To support the same, schools and colleges focus on assigning writing activities like research papers, essays, reports, presentations, etc. Each academic year, the curriculum excels and so do the writing skills with these forms of assignments and exams.

● Helps choose a career path

Since writing is so deeply engraved in the academic syllabus, it gives students a chance to reflect on career options based on writing. Students can focus on improving their writing skills in school and prepare themselves for a professional writing career. There are many forms of writing, such as narrative, argumentative, research-based, creative, etc., that students can pursue based on their English writing skills.

● Co-related to reading and writing skills

It is common for students to possess good writing skills but fall short on their speaking skills. In that case, English writing, reading, and speaking skills go hand-in-hand. If students read enough, it stimulates their brains, triggers their imagination and fills them with more knowledge. This gives them more content to write about. When they get into the habit of writing, inspired by their reading, it enhances their ability to put across their thoughts, which is also an important skill when it comes to speaking. Hence, a combination of these three forms of communication evolves students in a wholesome way.

● Helps draft ideas

Writing skills are not only essential when leading to extensive results. It could be simply used to take notes in the middle of a lecture, online workshop, or work meeting, or to draft an outline of the idea that you wish to convey. Writing takes place in many stages. It is as important in the brainstorming and ideation stages as it is in the final stage.

Writing skills also help in excelling at English proficiency tests like PTE Academic, which helps students secure admission to the best colleges across the globe. However, students should acquire writing skills to achieve goals that go beyond just good grades. Some students have a flair for writing, while others don’t. There is no need to stress about it even one bit because it can be acquired with constant practice and definitive study materials.

Students can use Pearson K-12 as their ally in enhancing their English writing skills. It is customized according to the curriculum of CBSE, ICSE, State and International Boards, and includes highly engaging content. So it is possible for students to develop writing skills without deflecting from their academic syllabus. Good writing skills enhance focus and help students develop eloquence. This is a quality that sticks with them for life and hence, it is best to develop it early in school.

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For any student whose first language is anything other than English, it can be a tough row to hoe. Fluency in English speaking, writing, and reading is essential not only for academic success but also for success in the professional world. Each student learns at their own pace. Hence, personalized learning could do wonders for them. However, schools are frequently unable to meet this requirement. So what’s the next option? Internet! The number of resources available can help any student learn English online.

It’s a long journey, but by degrees, it is possible for any student to achieve fluency in English.

Here are the most fundamental tips that one can use to learn English online.

1. Set a goal

One of the most important steps in learning English for students is to decide their goal. Some of the common goals could be to get better at English to perform well in class, for college applications, to clear an English proficiency exam like PTE Academic, etc. Depending on these goals, one can streamline their learning strategy, create a schedule, get reliable resources, etc.

2. Read online

The Internet is a vast pool of information and offers an unimaginable number of reading resources. Aside from reading, one can also choose to listen to podcasts and consume video content. But at the beginning stage, it could be difficult for students to keep up with the pace of audio and video content. It can be overwhelming. Reading, on the other hand, can be done gradually. It’s important that students do not limit themselves to only reading books. There are numerous online reading platforms with a wide variety of subjects to choose from. No matter what reading source a student picks, it’s best to indulge in active reading. One is bound to discover new words and phrases and learn about significant people. So take time to pause and learn about them.

3. Use online grammar tools

One of the ways to learn English is by practicing. It helps students learn about their drawbacks and track their progress. They can use online grammar tools to check the accuracy of their language. These online grammar check tools are useful for personal learning, schoolwork, college essays, etc. If students actively use these tools, their English proficiency can get better on an academic level.

4. Create personal study materials

One must know that the Internet as a whole is a very viable tool for learning English. Simply by searching for the meaning of words, phrases, discovering synonyms, idioms, etc., one can expand their vocabulary knowledge. For a better learning experience, students can note down all this information and create their own personal study or reference material. It can be difficult to remember anything at first glance. But if one has it recorded somewhere, then they will always go back to it.

5. Use Google translate

One of the most efficient ways to learn English online for students is to use Google Translate to convert the information from their first language to English. Furthermore, when reading anything on the Internet in English that is too difficult to understand, students can translate the page to their preferred language. And vice versa. This will help them learn better by keeping their first language as a reference.

6. Play online trivia games

Online trivia games like quizzes, crosswords, or word games like wordle, scrabbles, etc. are highly informational and engaging. These games are one of the ideal English learning tools that you can turn to after being exhausted from active learning. Students can discover a new game for each day and indulge in fun learning.

7. Use online study materials

There is no shortage of English learning tools online. But the goal is to pick the most reliable ones for the best results. For engaging and blended learning, students can use the learning materials from Pearson K-12. It is designed to teach English to students by integrating it with their school curriculum. The 24/7 Active App comprises multiple English learning tools like live sessions, e-books, animations, games, etc. The number of digital resources offered by Pearson K-12 can be the best companions for students to have a wholesome learning experience.

These simple and easily accessible resources make it possible for any student to learn English online. These effective ways to learn English online can help one get off on the right foot.

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Celebrating the talent of the future

The annual BTEC Awards – now in its 12th year – recognises and celebrates the hard work and dedication of BTEC learners, educators, and providers from all around the globe.

BTECs offers learners aged 16 and above the knowledge, understanding and skills that they need to prepare for a career, continue in further education, or progress to higher education.

Nearly a million learners across the globe completed BTEC courses over the past year; the career-focused qualifications are a vital route for those pursuing careers in sectors such as IT, business, the creative industries, healthcare, engineering, construction and future industries. This is especially important in the current context as the world responds to the global pandemic and looks to kickstart projects to speed economic recovery.

Amazing stories – inspiring people

The Awards showcase the BTEC qualification, providing evidence that it is an essential route to build skills and help young people achieve a fulfilling and rewarding career. At its heart, the awards are about celebrating amazing successes and sharing inspiring stories.

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Even medical aspirants in India have to appear for NEET (UG) to pursue an undergraduate degree in any medical field of their choice. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, or NEET (UG), is a national pre-medical entrance exam for students who wish to pursue medical (MBBS), dental (BDS) and AYUSH (BAMS, BUMS, BHMS, etc.) courses in government and private institutions in India. This entrance exam is also valid for students who wish to pursue primary medical qualifications in international institutes.

NEET (UG) holds a lot of weight in determining your future. Hence, you can gauge the amount of dedication and perseverance that is required to excel in it. NEET (UG) preparation accounts for one of the crucial academic phases of your life. It is easy to get overwhelmed by it. But now that you have made up your mind, it’s time that you begin your preparation for NEET (UG) in full swing.

No matter if you are appearing for the exam this year or later, one of the most crucial aspects of your preparation is your study materials. For an exam as competitive as NEET (UG), when it comes to books, one may think the more the merrier. However, too many cooks may spoil the broth. Let’s ditch the aphorisms and get straight to the point. You will require a sufficient number of books throughout your NEET (UG) preparation. But before we dive into that, let’s look at the NEET (UG) exam pattern to help you strategize your preparation better.

NEET exam pattern

Particulars	Details
Mode of Examination	Offline
Duration of Examination	3 hours
Sections	Physics – 45 Questions Chemistry – 45 Questions Biology (Botany and Zoology) – 90 Questions
Total Number of Questions	200 Questions (Candidates need to answer any 180 questions)
Total Marks of Examination	720 Marks
Marking Scheme	For each correct answer, the candidates wi score 4 marks; whereas for every wrong answer, there will be a deduction of 1 mark

The purpose of your books is to not just help you learn but to also help you test yourself. For the same, you can focus on collecting the following NEET (UG) study materials.

1. NCERT books

It goes unsaid that you can rely on NCERT books for your NEET (UG) preparation. They are ideal for beginners and advanced learners. Hence, if you want to learn from the basics or just want to take a detour to your 11th or 12th syllabus to clear your basics, you can refer to NCERT books for all the subjects.

2. Personal notes

As you proceed with your NEET (UG) preparation, you can simultaneously keep making notes. It is essential to keep personal notes because you can always come back to them for revisions. If you prefer, you can also collect notes from your alumni or peers. However, you should build the habit of making your own notes because it is an effective study method. Furthermore, your personal notes are easier to comprehend compared to somebody else’s.

3. Solved question papers

Be it NEET (UG) or your 8th-grade exams, every student has the urge to at least look at the previous years’ question papers to get a glimpse of the official entrance exam. This is not only effective in boosting your confidence, but it adds more value to your NEET (UG) preparation. Pearson’s NEET (UG) 13 Years' Chapter-Wise Solved Papers is one of the best study materials that you can refer to. Instead of trying to source the question papers from different places, you have everything available in one place with accurate answers.

4. Mock tests

For last-minute preparation, one of the best NEET (UG) books you can refer to is 15 Mock Tests for NEET (UG) by Pearson. These mock tests are new and updated. Hence, it makes for very reliable study material for aspirants who are appearing for NEET (UG) 2022. The sets of questions in the mock tests are varied and cover all the topics from all the subjects. They are based on the updated NEET (UG) exam pattern. You can have a near-on-hand experience of the official test if you refer to these mock tests. Plus, you also get access to the solved question paper of NEET (UG) 2020.

5. Pearson NEET (UG) objective series

Pearson’s Objective Series for NEET (UG) includes Physics, Chemistry, and Biology divided into two volumes as per the NCERT curriculum for Classes 11th and 12th. The books are patterned in such a way that they cover all the important topics in a fathomable language. Each topic is explained in the simplest way possible, so they are easy to grasp.

6. Pearson NEET (UG) crash course

Last-minute preparations are as important as your years-long preparations. During this phase of your preparation, the NEET (UG) study material that you can rely on the most is Pearson’s crash course for NEET (UG). They comprise previous years’ question papers, easy-to-understand visuals, mock tests, and sample papers. It has all you need to go over your entire syllabus during the last weeks or days of your NEET (UG) preparation.

Each study material helps you establish certain goals. Hence, you should keep that in mind when you are deciding which study material to refer to at what point in your NEET (UG) preparation. With consistency comes excellence. And these study materials are your gateway to achieving it.

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When it comes to JEE preparations, students, as well as parents, try to put a finger on the ideal time that is needed to prepare for this entrance exam. There is no fixed answer to this, but let’s just say the sooner the better. This is very subjective and varies from student to student. Some begin their JEE preparation in their 11th and 12th grades, whereas there are others who opt for JEE foundation and begin their preparation in the primary section of their academic years.

What is the JEE Foundation?

JEE Foundation is a course for aspirants that begins in the 8th grade and continues till the 10th grade. It is the steppingstone in JEE preparation for the students, as this IIT foundation course gives them an upper hand over other students who start their preparation after 10th grade. Aspirants start covering the JEE syllabus in school, which not only helps them develop their theoretical knowledge but also helps them to be more strategic in their preparation, adapt cognitive skills, and cover most of the portions in the early stages.

Why should you opt for the JEE foundation?

● To get a head start

It is advantageous to have clarity about your academic and career choices right from when you are in school. And when you do have such immense clarity, it’s best you utilize that to begin your preparation early. The IIT foundation gives students that opportunity. The foundation course not only prepares students for the JEE entrance exam but also for the JSTSE, NTSE, and various Olympiads.

● Basics are clear

In the 11th grade, your academic curriculum will be according to your JEE syllabus. When you have your concepts clear from the beginning, you can spend these 2 years brushing up on your skills instead of learning everything from scratch. Since your foundation is already clear, it will not take a lot for you to keep up with the upcoming syllabus.

● Enough time to practice later

When you get a head start on the learning part of your JEE preparation, you can progressively manage to spare more time for your practice sessions. Practice is as important as learning, as that is your only way to push yourself and test your limits. Learning is more time-consuming. Absorbing new information and decoding it in simpler ways so that you remember it is not an easy task. However, you have already completed most of it, and you can now use the time to put what you have learned into practice.

How to build a strong foundation?

1. Prepare a schedule

When you are preparing for the JEE and simultaneously keeping up with your schoolwork, it is common to feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Unless you plan everything ahead of time. You can start by making weekly, monthly, or even quarterly plans to divide your JEE preparation tasks. Start by setting a schedule, a timetable, designed in a way that helps you cover your syllabus. Don’t forget to allocate time for breaks and to do activities that make you feel refreshed.

2. Start making notes from the beginning

If you do not have the habit of taking notes, then JEE Foundation is the preparation phase that can help you develop it. Notes are important because, firstly, they are a brilliant studying method that works for most students. As soon as you write down what you have learned, be it a definition or a formula, it makes it easier for you to memorize it. Secondly, you can always come back to these notes for revisions for simpler explanations. Hence, when you start taking notes during the foundation course, you can refer to them at any point throughout your preparation.

3. Appear for mock tests

Tests serve multiple purposes, like helping you know where you stand. You come across various questions that help you either asses your learning or discover new concepts that you must have missed. They help you understand your potential and reflect on your strengths as well as weaknesses. Furthermore, mock tests are like official JEE exams. You get the firsthand experience of appearing for the exam by appearing for mock tests.

4. Get the right study materials

The solidarity of your JEE foundation course lies in the study materials that you refer to. You cannot only rely on your schoolbooks for extensive foundation preparation.

Pearson being your learning partner, supports you in your complete journey of learn – practice – assess.

Learn from Pearson IIT Foundation series, which is a series of study materials customized to help you bridge the gap between your school and the JEE syllabus. Supported by mobile app, having 900 question solution videos, 200 attemptable tests and 200 downloadable worksheets.

Practice on Pearson IIT Foundation practice books, which consists over 1500 questions covering all the important topics. It also includes unit tests, sections tests, and full-length tests.

Assess with Pearson MyInsights. It provides you topic-level strength with AI enabled tests, thorough online practice with tests at chapter-level, unit-level and on the varied Olympiad tests formats, JEE formats etc.

You can experience integrated learning at your own convenience by using both online and offline resources.

The JEE Foundation's goal is to help you save time and learn to your fullest potential. The primary academic years are the formative years of not just your education, but your life. And when you begin preparing for your competitive exam during this phase, you get mentally and skillfully prepared to achieve success. 

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For an IAS aspirant, it goes without saying that they must go to all lengths, leaving no stone unturned in their UPSC Civil Service Examination preparations. It takes months and years of sheer hard work to secure a career in the higher civil services of the government of India. Don’t be surprised if we mention that, along with these factors, there is one more crucial aspect that the aspirants should consider for their UPSC Prelims 2022. Last-minute preparations!

The UPSC Prelims 2022 exam date is set for June 5th, 2022. These last few months before the examination date call for rigorous final preparations. Aside from days of revisions and practice tests, one of the most significant ways to pump up the preparations at the eleventh hour is to solve UPSC Prelims previous years’ papers.

The UPSC Prelims consist of Paper I and Paper II, and they are both conducted on the same day. Both the papers have objective-type questions with MCQs. Once the candidates clear their UPSC Prelims 2022, they will be eligible to appear for the Mains exam, which is set for September 16th, 2022. After that, the third round of the Civil Services Examinations will have an IAS interview.

Coming back to the UPSC Prelims 2022, the first stage of the examination, let’s look at the exam and the passing pattern.

UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern

Paper	Type	No. of Questions	UPSC Total Marks	Duration	Negative marks
General Studies I	Objective	100	200	2 hours	Yes
General Studies II (CSAT)	Objective	80	200	2 hours	Yes

• The qualification for General Studies I is based on the cut-off that may differ each year.
  
• The qualification for General Studies II is set at a minimum score of 33%.

Which year’s UPSC Prelims question paper should the candidates solve?

IAS exam candidates should aim at solving the last seven to ten years' question papers of the UPSC Prelims exam. However, if there has been a change in the trends or syllabus, then the candidates must consider solving the question papers that follow the ongoing syllabus.

What is the significance of solving UPSC Prelims previous years’ papers?

1. Credible test material

The last few months of the UPSC Prelims preparation can be spent solving as many question papers as possible. And what better than the official UPSC prelims question papers to practice with? Solving the official papers give aspirants the closest experience to that of appearing for the exam.

2. Quantitative results

Along with solving the previous year’s question papers, it is also important to self-evaluate. Aspirants can refer to the IAS prelims solved papers to verify their answers and score their performance. The quantitative results help the aspirants have a vision of their potential scores in the UPSC Prelims 2022.

3. Time management

For a time-bound exam like UPSC Prelims, solving papers can get the aspirants into the habit of finishing their exam in the given time and strategize their time allocation. This also helps the candidates spare some time for revision at the end of the exam.

4. Assessment of the weightage of topics

By reflecting on previous years’ UPSC question papers, one can find a pattern in the trends of topics and the marks weightage that they carry. This provides aspirants with a better perspective when prioritizing topics with higher marks distribution.

5. Active revisions

Solving previous years' question papers is an active revision method that helps the candidates improve their recall ability and have productive last-minute preparations. Instead of skimming through the notes and loads of study materials, it is more pragmatic to put the knowledge to the test by solving old question papers.

6. Insight into the question pattern

The questions in the UPSC Prelims question papers can take many forms. They can be twisted, simplified, or sometimes carry the answers within themselves. Solving multiple papers from previous years will expose aspirants to various kinds of question patterns, which will help them solve their papers more efficiently.

7. Solving strategy

Since the question patterns in UPSC Prelims are so diverse, the aspirants need to develop a solving strategy that can keep up with them. After attempting many previous years’ question papers, the candidates can choose their paper solving strategy, like the elimination strategy, clubbing related topics, solving easier topics first, etc.

8. Boosts confidence

Last but not least, solving ample UPSC Prelims question papers from previous years makes aspirants more familiar with the exam. They possess more knowledge and experience in solving the paper, which ultimately gives a confidence boost. This is equally important as any other strategy to clear the UPSC Prelims 2022.

As soon as one finishes their syllabus, they should aim to attempt old question papers and refer to UPSC Prelims solved papers. The candidates can use Pearson’s UPSC study materials to ensure that they have covered all the curriculum. The books are very engaging as they comprise storytelling, easy language, and appealing visuals to help the IAS exam candidates learn better. Quality study materials combined with solving previous years’ question papers can help UPSC aspirants perform their best in the exams. 

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If you have decided to appear for the PTE Academic, then you must start working on your English language skills. The common notion around preparation for English proficiency tests is that it is easier for native English speakers compared to non-native English speakers. There is no hard and fast answer to justify if this is true or false. But what we know for sure is that the English language skills needed for the PTE test cannot be satisfied by your knowledge of the day-to-day use of the language.

The language skills required to score well on the PTE test are not based on non-literary English. PTE Academic requires you to upgrade from that and build your English language skills based on its technicalities, which comprise using accurate grammar, extensive vocabulary, appropriate prepositions, etc. This does not mean that you have to have a mental dictionary full of the hardest words or be able to form complex sentences. Rather, the English language skills needed for the PTE test require you to be able to communicate in a crisp and simple but theoretically correct way.

If you want to improve your English language skills for the PTE test, you need to focus on your speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills because the exam assesses your proficiency in the language in these 4 formats.

Here’s how you can improve your English language skills in a way that ensures you ace all the exam patterns of the PTE.

Speaking

People often find it intimidating to carry on a conversation in English. This may come from the fear of being unable to precede the conversations or the fear of not being able to pronounce some words correctly. There are numerous other reasons why people who are fluent in reading and writing English might struggle to communicate in it verbally. But, you have to start at some point and learn from your mistakes.

This is good not just to enhance your English speaking skills for your PTE test, but it is something that will help you in the long run. You can start by speaking English in your close circle. Or you can start by reciting some words that you find difficult to pronounce.Speaking in English can be hard because sometimes when your brain is trying to translate from your native language, you can get confused or find it hard to grasp certain words. The only way to resolve this is to start thinking in English. We all have constant thoughts filling our heads. That self-talk never stops. So, why not make the most of it by thinking in English? This way, you have all the time in the world to translate or even search for words that you do not know.

Listening

To improve your English skills in terms of listening, the best thing you can do is consume as much content as you can in English. You can watch movies, listen to songs, podcasts, poems, watch the news, etc. Listening to other people talk in English will expose you to new words and pronunciations. The PTE listening test is not only based on your capability to listen. You should also be able to break it down and comprehend it, so you can follow that up with your answer. Consequently, the more English content you consume, the more accustomed you become to processing the language.

Reading

When we talk about improving your English skills by reading, we are not limiting your sources just to books. Sure, they are a huge help. By reading, you are introduced to new vocabulary, aphorisms, and idioms, and it also helps increase your knowledge. But there are many things aside from books that you can read.

You can read your favourite magazines, online blogs, news articles, short stories, etc. The key is to keep reading while also understanding what you're reading. If you come across any words that you do not know the meaning of or you do not know their pronunciation, you should quickly look them up. This will add value to your reading sessions.

When you get comfortable with reading, you should focus on reading fast or skimming through it by focusing on the important aspects. The PTE test is time-bound, and hence, you will have to learn to be fast with your reading skills. You can time your reading sessions to see where you stand and how much improvement is needed.

Writing

Writing in English not only helps you create sentences, but you also learn their spelling. You can enhance your English writing skills by journaling. It does not have to be very detailed or long. On the PTE test, you will not have to write paragraphs of answers; a few sentences would be enough. You would get writing tasks like describing an image or paraphrasing audio information. To work on this, you can also rely on online PTE preparation as well as tests.

Pearson has multiple PTE preparation resources that you can rely on. Using official coursebooks, you can learn all the basics of the English language. You can also use offline sources and the official PTE app to take mock tests. Pearson have ample unique sample and test questions for you to practice. Besides that, you can continue using the above tactics to improve your English language skills. You can internalize these habits as they not only improve your language but also help shape your personality.

 

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Studying abroad in one of the most notable institutions is a part of many students’ vision boards. But before you can start your academic journey at your dream school, you need to tick off all the prerequisites for admission. The process is long, the preparation is hard, but if you do it right and wholeheartedly, you can get admission to the finest school. It is ideal to start planning ahead for your further studies because these educational institutes have a lengthy admission process comprising of form fillings, document submission, visa approval, etc. But besides that, you will also need to spare time to prepare for entrance exams and the English proficiency test.

Most of the foreign educational institutes that you will apply to will require an English proficiency certificate from a recognized organization. Once that is cleared, you will be allowed to move forward with the admission process. PTE Academic is one of the most trusted English proficiency tests that is accepted by top institutes worldwide. So, if you are keen on studying abroad, it is essential that you include the PTE test score in your admission portfolio.

PTE Academic needs a dedicated preparation time. Even if English is your first language, you have to study for this test unwaveringly. The test is not based on your colloquial language use. In fact, it examines your knowledge of the fundamentals and intricacy of this language.

Your PTE Academic score will define your academic future. Hence, it’s best to leave no stone unturned. To step up your PTE preparation, you need to make sure that you learn using the right sources. You must stay focused and not get overwhelmed by too many options.

You can rely on these 4 tools to help you with top-notch preparation and to get a great score in PTE Academic.

1. Official coursebooks

For PTE preparation, one of the best tools that you can rely on is the official coursebooks. Why should you look elsewhere for high-quality study materials when the PTE Academic provides them to you?The official coursebooks comprise of the following: 

• The Official Guide to PTE Academic
• Volumes 1 and 2 of the PTE Academic Practice Test Plus
• PTE Academic 79 Plus - Two Full-Length Practice Tests with Answer Keys

These coursebooks will not only help you learn about the exam and the content you need to learn for it, but they will also offer you materials to test your acquired knowledge once you are through with the syllabus.

2. Offline practice test

When you are getting closer to your exam date, you want to spend more time assessing your knowledge by taking as many tests as possible. One of the most efficient ways to do this is by getting your hands on the offline practice test material. The PTE tool lets you download test content, which comprises audiobooks, pdfs, sample responses, etc. Since there is no time limit for this offline test, you can take your sweet time thinking and coming up with the answer. The goal of this PTE tool is to get you into the habit of taking tests once you have finished your syllabus. This offline test helps you build confidence and assess your performance.

3. Official Online practice app

You will come across many PTE apps to help you prepare for the test, but you can learn from one of the most authoritative sources, which is the PTE Academic official practice app. The app comprises multiple tests with a unique set of questions. The online tests give you the true experience of the PTE test because they are timed. Consider this your trial before you appear for the official PTE test. Appearing for time-bound tests will help you gauge your performance better and give you an idea of your potential PTE score.

4. PTE Academic Taster

The PTE Academic Taster is another official PTE tool that gives you a glimpse of this English proficiency exam by presenting you with 5 sampled questions. Before you go through the 3-hour long test, answering 70 questions assessing your reading, speaking, writing, and listening abilities, you can use the PTA Academic Taster to get a ‘taste’ of your actual exam. You can try 5 sample questions and get instant feedback on your performance. The questions are based on the following formats:

• Fill in the blanks
  
• Reorder the paragraphs
  
• Multiple choice questions with a single correct answer
  
• Highlight incorrect words
  
• Select missing words

It is best to get your hands on these official PTE Academic tools right from the very first day of your preparation. It will help you put your best foot forward and start on the right note. Besides these PTE tools, you can also choose to opt for free online courses, go through the test guide, score, etc, to know more about the exam and enhance your preparation.

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Online classes have been a blessing for most students during the pandemic. Not because they appreciate or enjoy it, but because they do not have to go through the ordeal of getting up to go to school, being involved in the class activities, or paying much attention to what is being taught in the class. Sure, online learning has been around for a while. But it was not integrated with classroom learning to a greater extent. However, things have changed a lot in the last two years, and virtual learning has been conducted more actively than ever.

Online learning has many perks. It is convenient, it saves time, and it is not bound by geography. But, are these perks effective if students are not enthusiastic about learning in virtual classrooms? Online and classroom teaching differ excessively. In classrooms, you can see your students, and you can gauge their level of interest. But in virtual classrooms, the first quarter of the class goes into insisting students put on their cameras. If your students are even willing to learn, there’s a minimum to zero chance of understanding that without seeing their faces. But don’t back down.The virtual classroom can be successful too if you start using these tactics to encourage students to learn online.

1. Interact with your students

You, being the tutor, have a bigger responsibility to serve. You have to make sure you do your duties while also making sure that your students learn from your class. Creating an interactive learning experience can help you achieve that. You should keep having conversations with your students, ask them questions, and encourage them to ask you too. Besides, you should engage them in AI-based interactive learning. Don't be afraid to go beyond the curriculum and present some interesting anecdotes and facts to your students.

2. Hold class presentations

There are two main benefits to holding virtual class presentations. You get to actively involve each student in the classroom. Plus, this helps build their research, presentation, and communication skills. Some other benefits of online class presentations also include the fact that when students are engaged in such activities, you get to hear their opinions and process of learning. You get to understand how much of what you teach is learnt by them. They get to explore online resources and software to build their presentation, which helps them explore their creative elements.

3. Assign small group projects

To keep encouraging your students to learn in virtual classrooms, you must not just be concerned about your interaction with them. You should also build an environment where they get a chance to get to know their classmates. The best way to do that is to assign small group projects. You can make this a weekly or a monthly thing and create different groups each time so everybody in the classroom gets a chance to work with each other. Encouraging students to learn from each other can be a really good virtual teaching tactic.

4. Use quizzes

Kudos to digital development today that we have multiple learning sources. There are many online sites for learning programmes that give you access to interactive learning methods like holding quizzes and questionnaires. You can do that manually in your virtual class or use a third-party site to do so. These sites let you create impactful and fun learning methods. You can customize it according to your needs.

5. Form discussion groups

Discussion groups can be really helpful in learning through communication. You never know what information your students have and what skills they possess unless you try to explore them. You can form these discussion groups on Whatsapp or by using social media sites like Discord. Engaging with your students by using social media can be a fun twist to add to your teaching methods.

6. Ask for their opinions

Teaching should be communicative. And if you are not encouraging your students to give their opinions, the scope of learning decreases multifold. You should ask for their opinions with respect to education, their future decisions, their interests, etc. Plus, you should ask them what kind of learning methods they would like to explore. You do not have to ask them this individually. You can create polls or questionnaires using Google forms and just have the students fill them up. Getting an insight into the interests of your students can help you mould your teaching methods to align with their likings.

Virtual learning can be achieved independently by students themselves. All they need is the right resource. Pearson’s MyLab Mastering can be the perfect companion for students to indulge in virtual learning. It has online homework, assessment, and tutoring products that students can access at their leisure. Plus, the list of courses is diverse enough to help students find something of their interest to learn. This is the platform students need to explore the best of virtual learning.

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The rise in the importance of tech skills is a product of digitization. And our contemporary stage can be addressed as just the beginning of digital evolution, which is already flooded with many new-age tech skills. The new generation runs on these skills. Now that the education sector has also adapted to the next generation tools, learning and adapting to new age-tech skills seems like a prerequisite for today’s students to sustain in the professional world.

Some of the new-age tech skills that have garnered a lot of attention are programming, automation, data analytics, data visualization, cyber security, etc. Besides this, almost every industry sector requires their team to know the technical skills. Even though some of these sectors offer brief training about their technology, it always helps if you are a step ahead and learn new-age technology skills right from when you are in school.

Why do you need to adapt to the new-age tech skills?

1. It’s a part of the evolution

Learning and adapting is a part of human evolution. The digital ecosystem requires you to learn technology. Believe it or not, this has become a survival skill now. It's not necessary that you learn about all kinds of technology. But you should know the basic elements of it, or you can choose to be an expert in one niche.

2. The market demands

There are certain technical skills that are in extreme demand. If the subject is of interest to you, you can learn more about it. If not, you must look at the technologies used in the field of your career prospect. To keep up with the competitive environment, you need to possess new-age skills. They give you an upper hand in grabbing the best job opportunities.

3. To stand out

Learning the new-age skills can help you stand out from the crowd. It is even better if you start early. We all know how celebrated young talents are in today’s world! But to stand out, you also need to continue learning and adapting to new skills. Your skills help you excel in school, get into the best colleges, and stay on top of the game.

4. To work remotely

Remote working has been gaining massive momentum since the pandemic hit. If remote working fits anywhere in your future plans, you must know the most fundamental tech skills required to connect with people and conduct your work. Certain jobs require software knowledge and skills, too. If you work remotely, you may need to learn how to use them and create a compatible setup to keep up with your work.

But how can you learn these new-age skills? All you need is a basic device like a laptop or phone and the internet. But, what you also need is the willingness to learn. Here are a few guidelines you can follow to acquire new-age skills.

5. Feed your curiosity

Every individual is curious about something. We all have questions that we seek answers to. You should not kill your curiosity. In fact, attend to it at all times. That is the best way to discover new things, build new interests, and learn new skills. Even if you start by looking for something small, it can snowball into something bigger and beneficial.

6. Learn any technical skill of your choice

Is there anything that interests you? Do you like photography? Do you wonder how people build AI? Are you curious to know how people get into research work? Well, if you are aware of your interests, consider it a con and start learning about the respective technical skills required in your field.

7. Start early

We cannot emphasize this enough! We are a part of their fast-paced lives. As a student, you may always have your plate full, but there’s nothing bad about it as long as you can handle it. Learning early gives you a head start compared to those who don’t. And in this competitive world, that can be a big advantage for you.

8. Use online resources

You can find anything online, and you must make the most of it. You can learn from experts, peers, professionals, or other curious individuals like you. You should try to integrate online learning with your classroom learning. Pearson’s technology books and publications will help you have a wholesome learning experience. Amongst the array of subject areas that Pearson offers, you can pick any of your interests or explore them all. The learning materials are aligned to help you achieve a focused academic environment as they align with the higher education curriculum. You can rely on these technology books that can help you add more value to your learning.

You can learn new-age tech skills by using new-age tech resources. We owe it to digitization that finding any information on the globe is now a piece of cake. Hence, you can not only discover all about technology, but you can also learn the required skills online.

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