
Best Books for PTE Exam Preparation 2026: Pearson Test of English - Academic is one of the fastest-growing and most widely recognised English tests across leading universities abroad. Universities abroad require applicants to provide standardised English language test scores as part of the admission process. PTE test-takers are required to achieve scores equal to or higher than the lowest desired PTE score to be eligible for admission and also qualify for any scholarship to study abroad. Some of the best books for PTE exam are - "Pearson's Official Guide to PTE Academic" and the "Pearson PTE Practice Test Plus" - series. The Official Guide t PTE Acdemic give an overall idea of the PTE exam, including its task types, how to answer them, scoring criteria, time distribution and more. The PTE Practice Tests include PTE Sample Papers crafted from the previous PTE exams.
You can learn In this article, we are going to mainly focus on PTE study material, including the best books for PTE Exam preparation.
- Top 5 Best Books for PTE Exam 2026
- Section-wise Best Books for PTE Exam Preparation 2026
- How to choose the best books for PTE?
- How to prepare for your desired PTE scores?
- PTE Exam Books 2026 FAQs
Top 5 Best Books for PTE Exam 2026
For preparing well for PTE, test takers must prepare from the official books of PTE exam. These books come with the complete details that the test takers need to autodidact themselves with, such as the PTE test pattern, format, and question type, along with sample questions and answers. Some of these books also come with digital resources that may help the test takers to take a model PTE test and check their preparedness for the exam.
In this section, we are going to be talking about the top 5 books for PTE exam preparation along with each PTE book's price for candidates looking to prepare for the PTE exam.
| Best Books for PTE Preparation 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| PTE Books | PTE Book Price at Amazon/Pearson (Current Price) | What's in the Book? |
| The Official Guide to PTE Academic by Pearson PTE Academic (eBook + Digital resources + Online Practice) |
$19.99 USD (Pearson) |
|
| Practice Test Plus of Pearson Test of English Academic - Vol. 2 + PTE Academic Practice Test Plus - Volume 1 (Set of 2 Books) | ₹1,568.00 (Discounted Price - Amazon) |
|
| Aspire C1 Practice Tests with Key | ₹1338.75 (Discounted Price - Amazon) |
|
| Expert PTE Academic Coursebook B1 & B2 | ₹1450.00 (B1) + ₹750.00 (Discounted Price - Amazon) |
|
| PTE Academic Official Vocabulary 2020-2022 | ₹780.00 |
|
Apart from preparing from the best PTE books, candidates can also use the official PTE Academic preparation app (bonus) about which we will learn in detail in the sections below. The app contains short activities and you can also get expert guidance for your preparation of the PTE exam.
Commonly asked questions
Preparing for your PTE exam from comfort of your home is completely possible and effective and you may not need to attend coaching classes if you use right preparation materials and strategies. Here are some key points or strategies that you may adapt to prepare for PTE exam at home-
Understand PTE exam pattern thoroughly. Learn about task types and which types of questions are asked in each part of PTE exam. This will assist you when you will be sitting main exam as you may not need to go through questions' intructions and that may save you some extra time to analyse your main task.
Once you understand PTE exam format, gather right books and preparation materials.
Set a daly routine and make a realistic weekly target.
Assess yourself regularly - this can be weekly and monthly, based on when you are planning to take exam.
There is no designated passing score given by Pearson to the test takers. However, there is "minimum score requirements" or "PTE score cut-off" set by the abroad universities and visa offices. The basic criteria considered here is that you must have CEFR-B2 level of English profeciency to undertake a course abroad.
The PTE scores equivalent to the CEFR-B2 level range from 59-75. Hence, any PTE score within this range generally qualifies you to get admitted to universities abroad.
The total questions in PTE-A exam are distributed among Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
| PTE Academic Question Distribution 2025-26 | |
|---|---|
| Parts | Number of Questions |
| Part 1: Speaking and Writing | 35-43 |
| Part 2: Reading | 15-20 |
| Part 3: Listening | 15-22 |
Section-wise Best Books for PTE Exam Preparation 2026
PTE preparation books- The following best books for PTE and course material have been authenticated by Pearson PTE Academic for students wanting to prepare for their PTE Exam. These are available in India through leading e-commerce portals like Amazon.
Best Book for PTE- The Official Guide to PTE Academic by Pearson PTE Academic
The Official Guide to PTE Academic provides comprehensive information about the test over 200 practice tasks on CD-ROM, analysis of sample answers, test-taking tips and more. The first and only official guide for PTE Academic written by the developers of the test itself, the book includes everything you need to know about the test. You can also use this book to understand the PTE Syllabus based on the task types, thoroughly.
Book Highlights-
- Understand how to register and what to expect in the exam
- Learn how to do each task
- Practice with authentic test questions and 200 additional questions in the CD
- Assess your performance with samples and model answers
- Improves your test-taking strategies
Best Book for PTE PTE Practice Tests Plus with Key Vol 1 and 2
Test yourself to see if you are ready for PTE Academic. Practice Tests Plus offers authentic practice, comprehensive guidance and strategies for dealing with every task in the test. You will get a good understanding of the PTE Exam Pattern with this book.
Book Highlights-
- Four complete new tests along with a detailed test format
- Audio CD for listening and Speaking tasks
- Sample answers with explanations, tips, and strategies
- Comprehensive study tips
- Registration code for unique user access
Best Book for PTE- Aspire C1 Practice Tests with Key
Book Highlights-
- Four complete tests
- Tips and strategies
- Sample answers
- Answer keys
Best Book for PTE- Expert PTE Academic Coursebook B1 & B2
The Expert series is a great way to prepare for PTE Academic if you have more time to study. This follows a preparation course structure and takes you through lessons designed to prepare you for PTE Academic. Choose from level B1 or B2 depending on your language level. PTE Academic Expert contains access to MyEnglishLabs - a digital practice for all students. Check the PTE Cut Off to check the score requirements of top universities abroad.
Commonly asked questions
Absolutely. Candidates wanting to appear for their PTE Academic test on their own can achieve qualifying scores or higher by simply being devoted to their cause to the end and taking information from verified sources such as the official PTE website or our preparatory guide.
Although the kevel of difficulty is different for each candidate taking the test, some questions are usually considered difficult to attempt than any other questions asked on the PTE Test. The same is the case with the questions on the Reading section of the PTE Academic Exam.
The Fill in the Blanks question in the PTE Reading section is often considered difficult by most test takers. This is because there are two kinds of this question. In one fill in the blanks question, test takers are required to select the correct choice from the list present on the dropdown button present next to each blank. And in another fill in the blanks question, the test takers are required the correct choice from a box containing more words than the number of blank spaces present in the written text prompt.
Students often struggle in defining the collocations and figuring out the vocabulary to guess the correct match for each blank space.
Your performance in all four sections of PTE affects your overall scoring. There are individual scores first followed by an overall score. So section by section is assessed before the overall performance.
How to choose the best books for PTE?
Often, candidates are overwhelmed with the vast amount of information available on the internet for PTE prep. So how should candidates go about selecting the best PTE prep books and the best PTE preparation material for themselves? Candidates are required to follow some easy steps mentioned below to successfully have access to the best PTE prep material.
- Always start early: Starting early is the key to all successful preparation strategies.
- Use only trusted sources: A lot of times, a good amount of time and resources are spent on dubious websites. Candidates should only rely on authentic PTE study material.
- Candidates are advised to refer to the PTE official website as the bible for their PTE prep.
- PTE prep strategies are unique and you should have your own PTE prep plan. Blindly following PTE planners may not be the best route to self-study.
- Practice Practice and Practice!
Students often start preparing by either joining a coaching centre or by signing up for free practice tests. What students forget is that like any exam, even English proficiency exams have to be dealt with a methodology. It is, however, important to note that no amount of tips, tricks, or tools can outwit the dedication and efficiency of the practice.
Remember, the PTE exam assesses your daily level English and it does not require you to be a subject matter expert. This test is required to ensure that you understand the international official language. Your result and score in this test assure that you will be able to study abroad with this language as the medium of studying with English-speaking professors among people from international backgrounds.
Also check- PTE Academic Exam Tips for beginners
Commonly asked questions
Candidates are advised to build a PTE study plan that would equally focus on the candidate's strengths and weaknesses to start with. Candidates should also leave enough room for weak topics and above all practice as many PTE Mock Tests as possible. Practising PTE Mock Test papers that are available on the official website is extremely important to achieve your desired score on the PTE test.
Always buy books from Pearson official publication. Don't use random local books because PTE software changes often. Test books such as "PTE Academic Practice Tests Plus" and coursebooks like "Expert PTE Academic Coursebook B1 & B2" are good to improve you skills for the test.
The best source is Official Guide to PTE by Pearson. Also use scored practice tests on Pearson website to check your level before real exam. This way you score well in PTE exam.
How to prepare for your desired PTE scores?
It must be noted that your study plan must be tailored to your target score. Check out the 4-week preparation plan for PTE Academic Exam. While you can generate your PTE test fundamentals from books like PTE Academic by Pearson, PTE Academic Practice Test Plus by Pearson, and Expert PTE Academic Coursebook, scoring those extra numbers beyond 65 may require you to prepare from other highly recommended resources like Wiley's PTE Advantage, and PTE Academic 79 Plus.
- The resources for someone aiming for a PTE score 50 cannot be the same as someone aiming for an 80.
- List out certain books that are good for different aspects of the PTE test such as the PTE Academic Practice Test Plus give you previous year's and other practice test questions that may help you get a clear idea of what to expect in the exam.
Commonly asked questions
The official PTE preparation resources explain in detail types of questions, time needed and ways to answer questions. So yes, official prep material is more than sufficient as compared to others.
The answer is to focus on your current English proficiency, your target PTE score, and the sections you struggle with most. Look for resources that specifically address those areas and cater to your learning style (e.g., visual, auditory, hands-on practice).
Scoring 70+ in PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic) means you're aiming for a high level of English proficiency — roughly equivalent to an IELTS 7.5–8 band. It's a great target for skilled migration, professional registration (e.g., nursing or teaching), and admission to top universities abroad. To score a 70 on the PTE exam, you need to prepare consistently for all sections of the PTE exam, i.e. Speaking & Writing, Raeding and Listening.
Now, check out the following strategies to score 70 marks in your PTE exam.
- Identify your current level of English proficiency by taking PTE mock tests. Identify your the weakest sections in the PTE exam and make a time table around it.
- Master the Speaking section as it has the highest scoring scope.
- Boost your writing skills. This may come handy while taking notes for certain tasks such as "Summarise Written Text" and "Write Essay".
In all, you are recommended to take free mock tests oftenly to recognise if there are repeated mistakes in your answers. While analysing your score report from the PTE mock tests, stick the official scoring pattern and try framing your answers as per the requirement of your question.
PTE Exam Books 2026 FAQs
Check out the PTE exam books FAQs below.
Commonly asked questions
Candidates are advised to rely on official website of PTE Academic Exam for their preparation. official PTE website would contain latest information and developments regarding PTE test.
Preparing for your PTE exam from comfort of your home is completely possible and effective and you may not need to attend coaching classes if you use right preparation materials and strategies. Here are some key points or strategies that you may adapt to prepare for PTE exam at home-
Understand PTE exam pattern thoroughly. Learn about task types and which types of questions are asked in each part of PTE exam. This will assist you when you will be sitting main exam as you may not need to go through questions' intructions and that may save you some extra time to analyse your main task.
Once you understand PTE exam format, gather right books and preparation materials.
Set a daly routine and make a realistic weekly target.
Assess yourself regularly - this can be weekly and monthly, based on when you are planning to take exam.
Candidates can refer to the official Pearson PTE Academic website for a list of places that provide coaching classes for PTE preparation. These coaching centres provide face-to-face classes as well as online classes for the benefit of students.
Pearson PTE Academic has also tied up with online partners to provide PTE online coaching classes for students. The details for the same can be found on the official website. Candidates would be required to register on the website to be able to use the benefits of the services.
Candidates should understand that there is no such thing as a good PTE Academic score. Every university would have its own PTE Academic score cut-off and students are required to achieve scores equal or higher than the set grade. Candidates should note that a higher PTE Academic score would automatically increase their chances of securing a seat at the university and also make them a front runner for any scholarships being offered by the university.
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