10/16/2025
**Hello everyone,**
I took the PTE on August 8 and received my results six days later (12th August 2025). This is not my first time scoring 90, but I’m thrilled because I achieved this score despite the implementation of two new tasks and changes in the scoring distribution.
One thing I’ve always emphasised over the years is that achieving 90 in all bands doesn’t mean performing perfectly on every single task. Even in this recent attempt, I faced technical issues, time management challenges, and, of course, some mistakes in the Speaking task. The key is to stay calm and approach the exam strategically, focusing on the most important, high-weight tasks that contribute the most to your score.
I sat my exam at 9:00 AM at HCI, the newest test centre in Hanoi. I was assigned to computer number 4, right in the middle of the room, so it was fairly noisy. Although it wasn’t my first time taking the test, I still felt a slight mental impact from the noise. For first-time test-takers, I strongly recommend practising in environments with background noise.
**1. **Pearson’s pre-test instructions are now much more detailed than before. They not only explain how to use the mic, headset, and keyboard but also highlight common mistakes, for example, pressing “Next” means you cannot go back, along with other important reminders. This is a very positive change for the exam, and first-timers should pay close attention.
**2. Speaking**
**Mic/Headset:**
This was the clearest and loudest mic check I’ve experienced so far, possibly due to upgrades at the test centre or by Pearson. The headset was still Andrea EDU, so you can try the official Pearson headset. Since I was seated in a noisy area, I used the same mic positioning technique I shared before:
**2.1 Read Aloud (RA)**
For RA, my top priority is still fluency. I kept my usual speed (about 180 words/min = 3 words/sec), making sure not to read too slowly (which can break
