If you and I were sitting across a table right now or the first thing I would tell you is this.

You are not bad at English. You are just preparing the wrong way.

Hello, my dear future pharmacists.

I’m Winnie Rose Jacob and over the years at Elite Expertise, I’ve worked closely with pharmacists from India the Philippines, the Middle East and many other countries who all had one common fear:

“Ma’am, I know pharmacy… but this PTE is stopping my career.”

And I understand that fear deeply.

You’ve studied pharmacology or handled patients, memorised guidelines and survived clinical pressure. Yet a 2-hour English exam suddenly feels like the biggest hurdle. Not because it’s difficult but because no one taught you how to play it strategically.

The truth is simple:

PTE is not an English exam. It is a scoring system.

And once you understand how that system works or everything becomes easier.

In this blog, I’m going to walk you through:

• It required PTE scores for pharmacists by country
• The smart speaking templates that sound natural
• Writing strategies that actually score
• Listening & reading tricks that boost marks
• A realistic 30-day study plan I use with my own students

Think of this not as a blog but as a mentoring session.

Required PTE Scores for Pharmacists (Country Overview – 2026)

Before we talk about preparation, let’s first be clear about what score you actually need. Many pharmacists over-prepare simply because they don’t understand this part.

Australia (AHPRA & Pharmacy Board)

For pharmacist registration in Australia, the commonly accepted requirement is:

• Overall score: 66
• A minimum of 66 in each skill (Listening, Reading, Speaking or Writing) (https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Standards/English-language-skills/Accepted-English-language-tests.aspx )

Now here’s something many students don’t know:

The Combination Rule

If you don’t achieve all scores in one sitting, AHPRA allows score combinations from two tests within 12 months or as long as minimum section scores (usually 58) are met.

For migration purposes:

• 79+ (Superior English) can give you 20 extra PR points
• This is extremely important for 189 and 190 visas.

Canada (PEBC & NAPRA)

Canada recently introduced a specific version of the test called PTE Core for migration purposes, but for professional registration (licensing). The most provinces follow the NAPRA standards.

• Target Score (PTE Core): Reading: 69, Writing: 79, Listening: 71, Speaking: 76.
• Note: Ontario (OCP) has officially implemented these updated scores for 2026.
• Official Source: https://ocpinfo.com/applicants/registration-requirements/language-proficiency/language-proficiency-requirements-for-pharmacists/

Malaysia (Pharmacy Board Malaysia)

For those looking to practice or study postgraduate pharmacy in Malaysia, PTE is widely accepted by top institutions like the University of Nottingham Malaysia and IMU.

• Target Score: Usually an overall 65 to 71, with no element below 65.
• Official Source: https://www.nottingham.edu.my/ugstudy/course/pharmacy-bpharm-hons

Speaking: Natural Templates That the 2026 AI Likes

This is where pharmacists struggle the most and not because of accent, but because they try to sound too perfect.

Let me say this clearly:

The PTE AI does NOT care about accent.

It cares about fluency, rhythm, and continuity.

Read Aloud & Repeat Sentence

These two tasks build:

• Speaking score
• Reading score
• Listening score

Yes, one task gives marks in three sections.

My advice:

• Speak like you speak to a patient
• Don’t shout
• Don’t rush
• Respect punctuation

If you see:

• Comma → micro pause
• Full stop → slight drop in tone

Describe Image – The Natural Connector Method

Avoid robotic templates.

Instead of memorising long fillers or use natural connectors.

Example Template:

“Looking at the image, it illustrates information about ___ . The highest figure is seen in ___, while the lowest is in ___. Overall, the trend appears to be ___.”

This sounds human.

And the AI rewards smooth delivery, not fancy words.

Respond to a Situation (New Task—2026)

When Pearson introduced Respond to a Situation, I smiled because, honestly. This task feels like it was made for pharmacists.

This is not a language trick.

This is a professional communication test.

In this task, you’ll hear a short, real-life situation such as the following:

• A patient complaint
• A service delay at the pharmacy
• A workplace misunderstanding
• A customer seeking clarification

You’ll then have a few seconds to respond.

And this is where many candidates panic or not because their English is weak but because they try to sound too academic.

My Golden Rule

Speak exactly like you would at the pharmacy counter.

Not like a student.

Not like an essay.

Like a calm or professional healthcare provider.

The PTE AI is listening for the following:

• Appropriateness
• Politeness
• Relevance
• Fluency (no long pauses)

That’s it.

A Simple Example

If the situation is about a delayed service, a strong response would be:

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Let me check your details and see how I can help you today.”

Notice what’s happening here:

• You acknowledge the issue
• You show empathy
• You offer a solution
• You speak smoothly and naturally

No big words. No fancy grammar. No panic.

This task rewards emotional intelligence and clarity or which pharmacists already use every day.

At Elite Expertise, we practise this task under real exam pressure. So your brain learns to respond automatically instead of freezing.

Writing: Common Essay Types & Smart Strategy

Now let’s talk about writing and the section where pharmacists often lose marks unnecessarily.

I hear this all the time:

“Mam, I used advanced vocabulary, but my writing score is still low.”

So let me reassure you clearly:

PTE AI does NOT reward complex vocabulary.

It rewards structure or grammar and clarity of ideas.

If your sentences are clear and logically connected. Your score stays stable even with simple words.

Common Essay Types (2026 Trends)

Based on recent patterns, these topics appear frequently:

• Technology in healthcare
• Artificial intelligence
• Work-life balance
• Public health and lifestyle issues

The good news?

You don’t need deep knowledge. You need a repeatable structure.

My 4-Paragraph Formula (Elite Expertise Method)

This structure works across all essay topics and keeps your score safe.

1. Introduction

• Introduce the topic
• Paraphrase the question
• Clearly state your opinion

Keep it short. 2–3 sentences are enough.

2. Body Paragraph 1

• One main idea
• Explain it simply
• Give one relevant example

Think logically, not vocabulary.

3. Body Paragraph 2

• Second supporting point
• or
• Alternative viewpoint

This shows balance and reasoning and something the AI values.

4. Conclusion

• Summarise your key points
• Give a final thought

No new ideas here. Just closure.

Why This Works

This formula:

• Reduces thinking time
• Prevents grammar errors
• Keeps your essay within word limits
• Delivers consistent scores, not risky ones

Remember, PTE is not testing how smart you are.

It’s testing how reliably you can communicate.

And pharmacists by nature are already reliable communicators.

Once you stop fighting the exam and start working with it, your scores stabilize beautifully.

That’s exactly what we train at Elite Expertise.

Listening & Reading: Where Smart Students Gain Extra Marks

Here’s a secret most students don’t know:

Your writing score depends heavily on listening.

Write From Dictation

This is the highest-scoring task in the entire exam.

One sentence can:

• Increase Writing
• Increase Listening

My advice:

• Leave 5–6 minutes at the end
• Focus fully
• Spelling matters

Highlight Incorrect Words

Be careful.

This task has negative marking.

If you are not 100% sure, don’t click.

30-Day PTE Study Plan for Pharmacists

I’ve used this exact 30-day plan with hundreds of pharmacists at Elite Expertise. Many of them started in the low 50s, some even below that. What changed wasn’t their English level overnight. It was structure or prioritisation and consistency.

Pharmacists are already disciplined professionals. Once that discipline is channelled into the right PTE tasks, results follow quickly.

This plan is designed for working pharmacists and interns or non-full-time language students.

You don’t need 6–8 hours a day. You need focused or exam-oriented practice.

Week 1: Diagnosis & Speaking Foundation

Goal: Understand your current level and fix the biggest scoring area — speaking.

Day 1

• Take one full-length mock test page.
• Don’t worry about the score yet
• Analyse:

• Speaking fluency drops
• Mic hesitation
• Listening accuracy

This diagnostic tells us where your marks are leaking.

Days 2–7 (Daily Routine)

• 20 Read Aloud
• 20 Repeat Sentence
• Record your voice and listen back
• Focus on:

• Smooth delivery (not speed)
• No long pauses
• Clear pronunciation over accent

This week, we also train

• Microphone confidence
• Understanding how AI scores fluency
• Eliminating the fear of “starting late”

By the end of Week 1, most pharmacists already see a jump in speaking confidence, even if scores haven’t fully caught up yet.

Week 2: Writing + Reading Logic

Goal: Build writing consistency and reading accuracy without overthinking grammar.

Daily Tasks

• 1 Essay per day (Argument or Problem-Solution)
• Focus on:

• Clear structure
• Logical flow
• Simple, correct sentences

Remember: PTE does not reward complex English. It rewards clarity and relevance.

Reading Practice

• Daily Reading Fill in the Blanks
• Learn 10 high-frequency collocations each day
• Understand why options are wrong, not just why one is right

This week trains your brain to think the PTE way, not the academic way.

Week 3: Listening Integration

Goal: Strengthen listening because it controls multiple scores.

Daily Practice

• Write From Dictation (WFD) — every single day
• Summarise Spoken Text (SST)
• Practice audio from:

• Australian
• British
• Neutral accents

Focus areas:

• Keyword retention
• Spelling accuracy
• Sentence structure under pressure

Many pharmacists realise this week that their writing score improves automatically once WFD improves. This is where integrated scoring starts working for you.

Week 4: Mock Tests & Fine-Tuning

Goal: Convert preparation into exam performance.

Routine

• Mock test every alternate day
• Full review of:

• Repeated mistakes
• Time mismanagement
• Sections causing panic

We correct:

• Overthinking in Reading
• Rushing in, listening
• Fatigue-related errors

Last 2 Days

• No heavy study
• Light speaking practice only
• Rest your voice
• Calm your mind

Confidence matters as much as preparation in the final stretch.