Open Book Exams: PTE Summarize Group Discussion Question with Sample Answers - Page 3

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

the recording has a discussion between three classmates who are discussing about how the difficulty level of an open-wood test is similar to normal test. they had underestimated how difficult this open-wood test might be. some key points which they mentioned were there was too much pressure as it was an open-wood test to score high. the time pressure was also intense because you can find an answer that if you don't have time to find the answer becomes much more difficult and stressful. that's where one of the speaker suggested that you should color coordinate your notes so that it's easy to navigate through them whenever you need practicing with notes is very essential as one of the speaker had taken mock tests before applying for the exam. it's not about just memorizing definitions. it's about understanding the concept and applying it in the real-life questions. you should prepare a condensed guide instead of having a lot of notes because that makes it more difficult to navigate to the notes. at the end, they can prove a questioning that. an open book test is as intense as a normal test. and no one should underestimate it next time.
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Content:

The response captures the main ideas and important details from the discussion, demonstrating good comprehension. It paraphrases the speakers' contributions effectively, although some minor inaccuracies and omissions are present.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is generally fluent with few hesitations, though there are moments where pauses could be reduced for a smoother delivery.

Pronunciation:

Pronunciation is mostly clear with minor mispronunciations, but overall, the articulation is understandable.

SCORE 13/16

people are talking about open book exam in the then the open book exam was thought to be easier but not that easier when it is when they faced it to and it was harder than the closed book exam but they should have prepared earlier and they should have made their own notes with highlighting the key points actual study is needed not just the copies or books opened and understanding the topic is also needed and one of the students gives the example of her economic exams where it was the question came from real-world scenario. so she says that they should not waste time on just not studying, but they should have the clear conception of the concepts and they should now make more notes on bullet points and they should have the clear understanding of the concepts and they should manage their resources well and practice those resources and key points and they should not write any paragraphs and stem them. so it was needed only to study from the books and study well but not just from copy, they should also have the clear understanding of the concepts and they should read properly.
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Content:

The response captures the main ideas and some details from the discussion but includes some inaccuracies and lacks a clear organizational structure, making it somewhat difficult to follow. There are attempts to paraphrase but some ideas are repeated without sufficient clarity.

Oral Fluency:

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

Pronunciation:

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

SCORE 13/16

The group discussion was how to handle open book exams. All the three speakers shared similar views on it. Speaker one firstly talks about how he thought open book exams would be easy, but it was just a myth and how he barely finish in time. Whereas speaker two shared her similar experience with speak with them and share how it has not been really simple of thinking of open book exams. Speaker three agrees with them and tells suggest them how they should practice with their own notes plus two mock exams and how open book exams are generally harder than the other exams. All the three speakers then suggested their own guidance and told that how summary sheets with keywords helped speaker one and how using sticky tabs with examples held speaker Two with Speaker Three suggested that there should be more targeting material. All the three speakers came to a common solution, sharing that there should be a condensed guide and preparation should be more intense and people should organize the resources to for doing well in a open book exam.
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AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main ideas and some important details from the discussion, demonstrating good comprehension. It paraphrases the speakers' contributions effectively, though some aspects could be expanded further.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is mostly fluent with a few hesitations, maintaining a generally smooth rhythm throughout.

Pronunciation:

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

SCORE 13/16

speaker and mentions about the open book exams and the difficulties associated with it. speaker one mentions that open book exam looks very easy but it is just a myth. speaker two mentions the same it's not simple as people think. speaker three mentions that it's about how people understand concepts. speaker one mentions that time crunch and also if he had created few notes it would have really helped him. speaker 2 mentioned that if notes are created then it helps in navigating while studying. speaker 3 mentions that too many notes are also sometimes of no use. speaker 1 mentions it's also very important to study. people think that it's a open book exam so study is not required but that is not the case. speaker do mention that exactly how you apply concepts is tested because sometimes you get questions where you need to apply concepts. speaker also mention that preparation should be intense and you should organize the resources and practice accordingly then only you will be able to survive the open book exam.
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Content:

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

Oral Fluency:

The response demonstrates a smooth rhythm with few noticeable hesitations, although there are some pauses that slightly affect the overall fluency.

Pronunciation:

Pronunciation is mostly clear with minor mispronunciations, but overall articulation is accurate enough for understanding.

SCORE 13/16

in this group discussion, the three discuss regarding the open book formula where the first speaker tells that he does the notes and he also tells open book exams is really harder for him. further he explains that knowing how to apply is very important and the next speaker tells that economic language is in the real world is really difficult. the real-world life is difficult and thinking critically is also very important and the next speaker tells flipper pages and the lost of time and further he explains that practicing is very important and note-taking is also very important. further he tells that mock exams are also conducted. people should study and conduct the open book preparation. the next speaker tells time pleasure he is also there and summary sheets are also there. he she tells regarding the sticky pads in the theory for the he gives examples and different times of preparation and organize the resources to practice.
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Content:

The response captures the main ideas and some details from the discussion, but there are inaccuracies and a lack of clarity in expressing relationships between speakers' perspectives. While it demonstrates sufficient comprehension, it could be better organized and more cohesive.

Oral Fluency:

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

Pronunciation:

The pronunciation is clear and natural with precise articulation, making it easy to understand.

SCORE 13/16

all the three speakers were talking about their difficulties in writing their open book exams. speaker one mentioned that she was barely able to finish in time, whereas speaker 2 agreed said that she also lost a lot of time while finding the answers. speaker 3 said that this test generally test our ability to find answers quickly. all the three speakers also highlighted their benefits like speaker 1 said, we should check the summary of the sheet, where a speaker says they should provide a cheat sheet for that. and speaker 3 again said that note making is really important. lastly, all the speakers said that it is important to know and understand and practice all the concepts thoroughly.
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AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main ideas and some details from the discussion, but includes a few inaccuracies and lacks depth in synthesizing the perspectives. It is generally clear but could be better organized.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is mostly fluent with few hesitations, although some pauses may affect the overall flow slightly.

Pronunciation:

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

SCORE 13/16

i have got to say i thought open book exams would be easy, but after my last one it is a myth. open book exams test how you apply concepts, they are harder than close book tests. i realise afterwards that i should have prepared a summary sheet with page numbers. practicing with your notes is essential. people underestimate how important it is to study something you don't need to study but it is not the case. sometimes too many notes are a disadvantage, i am going to prepare bullet points and formulas, organize your resources and do well in open book formats.
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AI Feedback

Content:

The response accurately captures the main ideas and some important details from the discussion, demonstrating good comprehension. Ideas are reformulated successfully with minor inconsistencies.

Oral Fluency:

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

Pronunciation:

There are minor mispronunciations, but overall, the pronunciation is mostly accurate and clear.

SCORE 12/16

The above discussion between the three people was about the topic open book exams. Here. The first speaker mentioned that he considered open book exams would be easy however, later on we found that they were much harder. Furthermore, he mentioned that while open giving open book exams, he faced them time pressure, which is a big task. Also he mentioned that study is important to un understand the topic instead of cramming and just reading out. Further more. He mentioned that bullet points and notes really help them to give open book exam great and get better results on this. The spec and second speaker mentioned that same here flicking pages and lost helps and leads to lost, losing a lot of time. She mentioned that color coded sticky notes and cheat sheet helps her Nevah navigating the main areas of the study and helps him get getting a better results for the open book exams. In conclusion, she mentioned that in economics exam she had to think critically instead of just reading it out. On this. The third speaker mentioned that how well you understand is much important than just reading the open book. Furthermore, he mentioned that he considers that much open book exams are much harder as compute to the other exams. He also mentioned that practicing with notes play a crucial role in getting better results. Also he mentioned that it is better to bring fewer and more targeted material instead of big paragraphs and big notes. Also, he mentioned that organized resources is the best formula to get better results. In conclusion, the above discussion between three people was about open book exams, how we face difficulties and how to get better results in open book exams like time pressure. Also the techniques mentioned were like bullet points, color coded sticky notes and treat sheets and also to organize resources and protect practicing with the notes.
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AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main ideas of the discussion and some details from individual speakers, but lacks a deeper synthesis of perspectives and could improve in organization and clarity.

Oral Fluency:

The speech is generally fluent with a smooth rhythm, but there are occasional pauses that slightly affect the overall flow.

Pronunciation:

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

SCORE 12/16

The three speakers here are discussing about how they felt the open book exams. So, the speaker first initiated the topic saying that, you know, he really thought that it's gonna be super easy, but when he ended up to the exam, he fa found that it's way tougher than even the closed booth exams to that the second speaker mentions that yes, it took a lot of time to just flip the pages and lost. I have lost majority of time just to finding the correct answer. To that the third speaker mentions that actually the entire motive of this open book exam is to test how well you understand the concept, not just to copy and write for that the speaker one mentions that, yes, there is lot of time pressure and what he lacked, what he felt is like there is no particular system to find, where to navigate and how to understand. And usually people, uh, often underestimate and they fail to study just because it's open book text. To that, the second speaker mentions yes. For that, she came up with an idea to have it sticky tabs to navigate exactly through the content. And it's more like not about memorizing, but to applying the actual theory into the practical life. For that. The third speaker mentions that practicing is is very important and practicing your own notes will be more further beneficial. So, too many notes is not the concept here. You just will waste waste lot of time. So, it's important to gather a condensed guide with a bulletin points and, you know, just take out some major formulations so that it will be easier for everyone to navigate. So, all the three speakers concluded saying that it is important to have your condensed guide and make important notes and to treat this exam as equal as seriously. You take the closed book exams. Yeah.
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AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main ideas of the discussion and some details of individual speakers' contributions, but there are inaccuracies and a lack of depth in relationships between perspectives. Some ideas are underrepresented or not fully articulated.

Oral Fluency:

The response demonstrates good fluency with occasional pauses, maintaining a generally smooth rhythm, though there are moments where hesitations are noticeable.

Pronunciation:

The pronunciation is mostly clear with only minor mispronunciations, making it understandable but not entirely precise.

SCORE 12/16

The discussion was about open book, uh, how open book concept is easy while writing exams or not. Here, the speaker speaker one has mentioned that open book exams are not so easy because it's very time taking because the, even though the notes are ready, we barely find time to finish their tests because, uh, not all the concepts are ready uh, all the concepts are ready and quickly being used for their exams. Uh, Speaker One also mentioned that is very, uh, pressurable to manage the time and find things and write it down in the exam because, uh, we have to quickly find it and then put it in the, uh, exam uh, Speaker two agreed on this, stating that it, uh, it it it is very disadvantage to write with open B, uh, because it loses lot of time. Uh, s, Speaker also agreed that it is better if we add color coded or sticky notes with some few examples and guide. It will be helpful for us in open book exam. Speaker three mentioned that, uh, if the concept are well understood and it is been practice with proper essential notes, then it is convenient for us to to keep the notes and write it in the exam. Uh, speaker One also mentioned that importance of study has been underestimated because of this open book exam because open books exam are very tricky and that need to have a proper condensed guide and bullet points and highlighted subjects to keep it in mind and then write it in the exam. Uh, speaker two agreed on this that, uh, knowing the concept, uh, based on the real world scenarios will be better. To understand and write it down in exam. Overall the conclusion about it was open book exam can be useful if the concept are better learned before, uh, than simply copying, because it is very time consuming and risky in the exam.
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AI Feedback

Content:

The response captures the main ideas of the discussion and some details, but includes inaccuracies and lacks a clear organizational structure, making it somewhat difficult to follow.

Oral Fluency:

The response has a generally smooth rhythm, but there are occasional hesitations that affect the overall fluency.

Pronunciation:

Minor mispronunciations are present, but overall pronunciation is mostly clear and understandable.

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