PTE Exam

You may have an aim to study, work or reside in your favourite English speaking nation for a motley of reasons. However, keeping everything aside, the most important criterion that comes your way is to appear for an assessment to judge your hold on the English language. The PTE aims at just that.

The PTE, or Pearson Test of English, is one of the most coveted standardised tests. Witnessing a surge in the number of applicants year after year, the PTE has been making a mark for itself as one of the most prominent exams among the test takers. It aims at assessing you on the basis of your command of the English language and how well of a communicator you are, which obviously is not restricted to speaking but also listening. Apart from oral communication, it also evaluates the examinees on the parameters of written communication, thereby making a set of various subsets, including Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking subtests.

About PTE

The Pearson Test of English or simply PTE is a standardized test taken to assess an individual’s competency in the English language when they plan on moving to a major English-speaking country.

The PTE Academic is accepted by 3000+ universities, colleges and professional bodies worldwide, including prestigious institutes like Oxford University, Harvard Business School and Macquarie University. PTE scores are also approved for all UK, Australian and New Zealand visa and immigration categories, making it one of the most popular English language competency tests globally.

Here are some important points on the PTE exam:

Types of PTE Academic assessments

The PTE Academic assessment comes with two variants depending upon the nation one wants to march towards. The two types of the PTE are:

• PTE Academic Exam
• PTE Academic UKVI

PTE Academic Exam

The PTE Academic exam evaluates your English communication skills and its tasks are strategically structured across all the parameters of communication, i.e., Listening & Speaking, Writing and Reading. The scores of the PTE Academic exam are accepted in various countries across the world and in a plethora of universities. Some countries even accept the scores for the visa purposes, such as Australia, New Zealand, etc.

PTE Academic UKVI

The PTE Academic UKVI and the PTE UK VISA and Immigration are specifically for individuals looking forward to living, working, or studying in the UK. Hence, it is a Secure English Language Test (SELT) for you in case you fall under any of the aforementioned categories. Essentially, there is a minor difference between the PTE Academic and the PTE UKVI. The PTE UKVI has comparatively fewer test centres as compared to the PTE Academic exam.

Exam Format

The PTE is a computer-based test that assesses various aspects of an individual’s aptitude in the English language.

The test is two hours long and consists of three parts: the Reading section, the Listening section and the combined Speaking and Writing section. There are 20 question types divided into these three sections. The type of questions ranges from multiple-choice questions to essay writing.

A candidate’s performance in the PTE exam is evaluated using sophisticated algorithms based on thousands upon thousands of real test responses helping the authorities to mark every single test consistently, accurately and fairly.

Given below are the types of questions included in each of the three parts of the PTE exam:

Important Points to Remember about PTE

• The format of the PTE exam has been updated since November 16,2021 from a three-hour exam to a single two-hour test session.
• The results for the PTE exam are available to most of the test takes within 48 hours of giving the exam.
• Candidates can also sit for the PTE Academic Online which is a version of the PTE Academic test that individuals can take at home if they are unable to reach a test centre. PTE Academic Online is applicable for study applications only.
• The PTE is considered to be a less stressful exam as compared to other English language proficiency tests.
• An individual’s capabilities in the English language is tested with international standards in mind as opposed to British or American standards when it comes to the PTE Exam.

Acceptance of PTE Academic

PTE Academic is one of the most popular and widely accepted exams for evaluating an immigration candidate’s command over English and determining whether that individual is eligible for immigration to an English-speaking country.

The PTE Academic is accepted worldwide for study and immigration by numerous colleges and universities. Countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Singapore, Ireland and Germany require immigration candidates and potential international students to take the PTE as a mandatory part of their immigration process.

There is also another variant of the PTE known as PTE UKVI, which is for individuals who wish to study below degree level or need a work visa in the United Kingdom.