Open Book Exams: PTE Summarize Group Discussion Question with Sample Answers - Page 2

Your task

You will hear a group discussion. After listening, please summarize the discussion in your own words.

“Speaker 1: I’ve got to say, I thought open-book exams would be easy—but after my last one, I realized that’s a complete myth. I had my notes and textbooks ready, and I still barely finished in time. Speaker 2: Same here! I kept flipping through pages looking for specific points, and by the time I found what I needed, I’d already lost a lot of time. It’s definitely not as simple as people think. Speaker 3: Absolutely. Open-book exams test how well you understand and apply concepts, not just whether you can look them up. I actually think they’re harder in some ways than closed-book tests. Speaker 1: What caught me off guard was the time pressure. I had this huge folder of notes, but no system to find things quickly. I realized afterward that I should’ve prepared summary sheets with page numbers and keywords. Speaker 2: That’s what I do now. I use color-coded sticky tabs in my textbook and prepare a one-page cheat sheet with core ideas, theories, and examples. It helps me navigate materials faster during the test. Speaker 3: And practicing with your notes is essential. I try mock exams using only the materials I’ll bring on the day. That shows me whether I’ve organized things well enough. Speaker 1: Also, I think people underestimate how important it is to actually study. Some assume open-book means you don’t have to prepare, but if you don’t understand the topic, no amount of notes can save you. Speaker 2: Exactly. It's not about memorizing definitions—it's about knowing how to apply them to new scenarios. In my economics exam, the questions were all about real-world cases. I had to think critically, not just copy from the book. Speaker 3: And sometimes, too many notes are a disadvantage. If you’re flipping through hundreds of pages, you just waste time. It’s better to bring fewer but more targeted materials. Speaker 1: I agree. For my next exam, I’m going to create a condensed guide with only the essentials. No paragraphs—just bullet points and formulas. Speaker 2: We should also remember that preparation for open-book exams is just as intense. It’s just a different kind of preparation. Speaker 3: Right. Understand the concepts deeply, organize your resources, and practice using them. That’s the best formula for doing well in open-book formats.”

30 community answers with AI feedback

SCORE 13/16

in the given discussion, the three speakers talk about benefits and advantages and disadvantages of open books exams. according to speaker one, these exams are not at all easy. it takes a lot of time and effort to master this exam. what happens is mostly there is time pressure and there are so many numbers of notes available, which it gets harder to look into everything possible, which creates a problem during the exam. as according to speaker 2, she also feels at the same way. according to her, it takes a lot of time to get through all the notes during the exam and give the correct answers. she proposed that she started using sticky notes and one-page cheat sheet in order to get a better idea of the knowledge that she has. according to speaker 3, he also agrees that this form of exam is very hard as compared to the closed book test, but he mentions that making correct notes and fewer but targeted information is helpful in this case. in conclusion, all three of them agree that creating concise notes, intense preparation, and understanding rather than just looking at notes would be a better approach, application and not just copying the notes would help in this exam. so this is how this complete discussion is concluded by the three speakers, which they finally decided to prepare it well, not think of it as an easy exam as compared to the closed book test. book test, it even takes a next level of preparation in order to excel this exam.

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Content:

The response accurately captures the main ideas and details of the discussion, demonstrating good comprehension and paraphrasing skills. However, it lacks some depth in exploring relationships between different points of view.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is generally fluent with few hesitations, but there are some pauses that affect the overall rhythm.

Pronunciation:

The pronunciation is mostly clear with minor mispronunciations that do not significantly affect understanding.

SCORE 13/16

The given discussion is about how to prepare for open book exams. The first speaker discussed that how difficult open book exams are. He has to use various keywords to deal with the exam. The second speaker agreed with the same telling that time management is a big issue and it is not simple to write an open exam. So, she often used color coded points and sheet sheet sheets to attend the test. As per the third speaker. He also had the same difficulty and said that we need to understand concepts and ideas better. To learn more. He also suggested to practice exams like more test to understand the exam better. Then they discussed about the areas which they can develop to improve the test results. As per the first speaker, we need to prepare the topic in advance and also used condensed guides with bullet points and formulas to make the exam easier. As per the second speaker, it's not about memorizing text and it's all about critical thinking. Giving an example of how an economic test was about real life scenarios. She also mentioned that open book tests are a different kind of approach to learning and is more difficult than the other type of tests. The third speaker also said that flipping through a large number of notes can be very confusing and we need more targeted materials to approach the tests. He further mentioned that having an organized resource at the same time, proper practice can help us in tackling with the open book exams.

AI Feedback

Content:

The response accurately captures the main ideas and some important details from the discussion, reflecting good comprehension. It is mostly paraphrased in the user's own words, though some minor inconsistencies are present.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is generally fluent with a smooth rhythm, although there are a few instances of hesitation that slightly disrupt the flow.

Pronunciation:

The pronunciation is mostly clear and accurate, with only minor mispronunciations that do not significantly affect understanding.

SCORE 13/16

the speakers were talking about open book testing and it is on its challenges. the first speaker says that open book exams were easy but it is a complete myth because he barely finished in time because of flipping through the pages and not finding the proper answers for the questions. and the second speaker also says she lost most of the time flipping the books because it is not that simple to attend the open book test. and the third speaker also says that the confidence, the understanding the concept is more important in the open book test. and it is also said that it is very hard than close to a book test. so when they are talking about preparations, they said the fastest speaker said he prepares the summary sheets with the base number, which helps during the open book exam. and the second speaker mentioned that color coding the main points and using sticky notes for real time examples so that it will be very helpful during the test. and thoughts because says practicing with the notes and organizing things will help in the open book test. i mean, so overall the content guide with the bullet points and also not memorizing points and applying new logical thinking towards the test will help to crack the exam and also there are multiple disadvantages while flipping the 100 of pages and wasting time. so, organizing notes in proper way helps during the open book exam.

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Content:

The response captures the main topic and most individual opinions but lacks some synthesis and clarity in summarizing the conclusion.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is mostly fluent with a few hesitations, maintaining a good rhythm overall.

Pronunciation:

There are minor mispronunciations, but overall the speech is mostly clear and understandable.

SCORE 13/16

The discussion was about open book examination. And all the three speakers found it very difficult, uh, write an open book exam, as they thought it will be easy, but they they definitely said it is tough. The speaker one felt that the time pressure was very, uh, intriguing. And S second, uh, speaker told that it is not simple. So, she used, uh, color sticky notes and those notes made her, um, navigate the material during test times. And, uh, she also spoke about in economics, she cannot use, um, those work. So, she only used the ideas which she can bear it and she did it uh, speaker three understood everything, but then he also felt the same thing. And he came up with an idea that understanding and applying concept helped a lot. And he also told that we should be organized. Organizing thing is things are very crucial. And if the C test is open book, we cannot just carry hundreds of pages and try to find out the answers. It is better to have few or but more targeted materials will help. And at the end, all three of them accepted and, uh, understood that it has a broader knowledge understanding organizing and, uh, using them effectively, using all the notes effectively will definitely save them in the open book test. So, it is not about it's about how well you are prepared. And the presence of mind that you have.

AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main idea of the discussion about open-book examinations but lacks detailed synthesis of different perspectives and relationships between speakers' contributions.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is mostly fluent with only a few minor hesitations, maintaining a smooth rhythm overall.

Pronunciation:

Pronunciation is clear and natural, with precise articulation throughout the response.

SCORE 13/16

this discussion talks about open textbook examinations. there are three speakers in this discussion. the first speaker thought that open textbook exams were easy. but he suffered with excessive time pressure, huge folder of notes, but no proper system to look for answers. he says that it's important to study and prepare, even if it is an open textbook examinations. he stated that adding bullet points is an easier way to pass the examination. the second speaker stated that it is definitely not simple as people think it is. so she uses color coded pages and cheat sheets to get through the exam. she states that one should not memorize the definitions but know how to apply the knowledge in such an exam. the third speaker states, it is all about how well you can apply the concepts, not just memorize them. practicing with notes is essential. hence, he always undergoes mock tests before sitting for the actual exam. he also states that too many notes can be a disadvantage because it confuses the exam giver. he also suggests to keep fewer but targeted materials and understand the concept thoroughly. in conclusion, the three speakers started off with the problems that come up with open textbook examinations, but they concluded the discussion by giving solutions in their own way.

AI Feedback

Content:

The response clearly captures the main ideas and important details from the discussion, demonstrating good comprehension. It uses own words effectively, although some minor inconsistencies are present.

Oral Fluency:

The response displays a mostly fluent delivery with few hesitations, although there are some pauses that slightly affect the natural flow.

Pronunciation:

Pronunciation is mostly accurate with some minor mispronunciations that do not significantly affect clarity.

SCORE 13/16

the main topic of the lecture was open book exams, three speakers were discussing about open book exams. first of all, the first speaker talked about the notes and text books she made ready for open book exam but on that time she can't manage the notes and navigate to the text whatever she wants to write in the exam, but she have learned to definition and asking that not to learn definition only know how to present the in the exam and preparation for open book exam is very compulsory. so, people should not ignore this. so, the seeking people was also agreeing with the first speaker as by saying that definitely not easy to do open book exam, firstly bring the materials on the day and then motor get material should be there, understanding the concept is the key of the exam. so understand the concept firstly then, otherwise it is very harder than book test. the third speaker was also agreed both the speakers and talked about the summary and key notes can help and people not understand to study for open book exams but there should be paragraphs and bullet points and some material which can help to manage the time. so overall, three speakers have discussed about open book exam, they have given their own idea suggestions about the topic.

AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main ideas and some details from the discussion, but there are inaccuracies and some less important details included. The ideas are somewhat connected, but the organization could be improved for better clarity.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is mostly fluent with few hesitations, but there are moments where the flow could be smoother.

Pronunciation:

The pronunciation is clear and natural with precise articulation, showing a high level of proficiency.

SCORE 13/16

the topic of discussion between three people of the university is about the open book test. speaker 1, 2 and 3 in the initial founded very difficult and ended up losing lot of time in searching for the right answer without proper preparation and connectivity and notes. all three of them agreed saying, you know, making notes and organizing with color tapes, example, can help them with more mock tests and understanding the concept, presentation, presenting it well is important and not to carry too many books for a open book test. and it is important to have an application of the definitions to real life questions. for example, the economics, economics question of open book tests had real world cases where they had to apply the theory knowledge to a situation to answer. it is actually too difficult if you only buy hard definitions and this could be a major disadvantage in this course, creating comments, making bullet points and understanding the key concept is a good preparation and this preparation and all three agreed and concluded saying preparation is the key for a good score in the open book test and intensively done with understanding concepts and organizing data is the best formula for a high and good score in the university.

AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main topic and most individual opinions, along with the conclusion about the importance of preparation for open-book exams.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is fluent with few hesitations, though some pauses affect the overall flow.

Pronunciation:

Pronunciation is mostly accurate with minor mispronunciations present.

SCORE 13/16

The discussion was about open book examination between three speakers. Here. Firstly, the speaker once talk about the open book exam. She thought it was easy, but at the end she completely messed up. However, he was preparing summary sheets, which he will be a for for the future. He also said open book is very challenging. However, the speaker three was talking about bringing targeted materials to the exam. He completely agrees and feels bringing targeted materials will be of great help. Next speaker two says she was flipping through the pages all through the exam and but lost the time at the end. She says sticky notes will help her to manage the time and to navigate the book easily. She also mentioned that it's not about memorizing the things. It's all about knowing the scenario. The main focus should be on different kind of preparation, uh, to succeed the exam. Next the speaker three says open book exam is really harder than closed books. The key is depends on practicing. It's very, very important. And also organizing the materials. Too many notes will also be a great disadvantage. So, main thing you have to focus is bringing targeted materials and understanding the concept will make healthier progress.

AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main ideas of the discussion but lacks some detail and does not fully synthesize the different perspectives, indicating a good level of comprehension but with some minor inconsistencies.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is mostly fluent with a few minor hesitations, maintaining a good rhythm overall.

Pronunciation:

Pronunciation is clear and natural, with precise articulation of words.

SCORE 13/16

the discussion mainly focused about open book examination, the first speaker mentioned that he initially thought open book examinations were easy, but finally he found out it was just a myth. he also found out that time pressure is highly important to be noted and he also thinks the importance of preparing summary sheets and not just the topics. the second speaker agreed that just flipping the theory pages is not as simple as what people think further, she also mentioned that she will be going to prepare a one page sheet sheets which is going to make her navigation faster. the third speaker emphasising the importance of allowing how money applies the concepts in this type of examinations and he emphasise the importance of mock exams which needs to be taken before appearing in this type of open book examinations. further, the first speaker mentioned that he is going to take bullet point formulas and why the second speaker will think about open book examinations differently rather than the thought which she had earlier? finally, all three of them agreed that they will organize their raw structural summarization points before appearing for the open book examinations.

AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main topic and most individual opinions, but lacks some synthesis of perspectives.

Oral Fluency:

The response is mostly fluent with few hesitations, maintaining a natural rhythm.

Pronunciation:

There are minor mispronunciations, but the overall articulation is mostly clear.

SCORE 13/16

the 3 students are discussing the topic about open book exams where speaker 1, 2, 3 discuss both about this topic. speaker 1 claims that open book exams are just a type of myth where you don't have to study and directly give you an exam but he says that he prefer taking notes and texts from as it helped you to finish the task on time. speaker 2 says that yes i also agree with you that it's a lot of time based on lots of time of in open book exam as it don't have simple notes nothing just you have to go and give exam open bookly. speaker 3 says that yes i also agree with you that open book exams are a bit difficult as it don't have any concept. you firstly have to understand the concept of the exam and examine the details. speaker once says that time pressure is one of the most common issue in open book exams. so, speaker 3 gives the solution that i make mark exam use for studying as it helped me a lot. speaker 2 says that i make notes and summary which helped me a lot in exams. so it's important for your exam to study well well, i will not abandon it on open book exams or in conclusion the three students are discussing the topic about open book exam.

AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main ideas of the discussion, but some inaccuracies and less important details are present. The relationships between different perspectives are not fully explored, and there are minor inconsistencies in paraphrasing.

Oral Fluency:

The speech has a smooth rhythm with only a few hesitations, indicating good fluency overall.

Pronunciation:

Pronunciation is clear and natural, with precise articulation, making the response easy to understand.