Pearson Test of English
PTE stands for the Pearson Test of English. It is a computer-based examination taken by candidates all over the world as the test is used as an admission criterion by universities abroad. For countries like Australia, the PTE is also used for immigration.
ELIGIBILITY
The PTE Academic exam is a computer-based English language test accepted by educational institutions across the globe. Those students and aspirants who wish to go to other countries for their study or immigration, especially a major English-speaking country, are required to take the PTE Academic exam to prove their proficiency in the English language.
However, as a general rule aspirants appearing for the PTE Academic exam should be at least 16 years of age at the time of appearing for the PTE Academic test. Aspirants who are below 18 years of age need to get a parental consent form signed to take the PTE Academic test, as part of the PTE exam eligibility 2022.
There are no specific PTE eligibility criteria for the PTE examination. Any person who wants to attend the examination can take it. However, some points are to be noted regarding PTE eligibility which is given below :
Who sets the PTE eligibility criteria?
Pearson PLC Group, the conducting body of the Pearson PTE Academic Exam sets PTE eligibility criteria for candidates looking to appear for the PTE Academic Exam.
What are the PTE eligibility criteria regarding the Age limit?
As a general rule, candidates looking to appear for the PTE Academic exam are required to be at least 16 years of age at the time of appearing for the PTE Academic test. Also, candidates who are below 18 years of age need to possess a parental consent form signed by either parents or guardians before taking the PTE Academic test.
What are the PTE eligibility criteria regarding Educational Qualification?
Pearson PLC Group – the conducting body of the PTE Academic Exam has not laid down any education qualification criteria for candidates wanting to appear for the PTE Academic test.
What is the PTE Eligibility for Differently Abled Test Takers?
In accordance with the PTE exam eligibility criteria, candidates with disabilities can also appear for the PTE Exam. Candidates may request certain minor alterations at the test center where they are appearing for the test. Available accommodations without prior approval include wheelchairs, and adjustable desks or chairs. However, candidates must schedule through the Pearson Customer Service call center to make sure that the request can be fulfilled. The Customer Service team will assist you in scheduling an appointment over the telephone and send a confirmation email.
What is the PTE Eligibility for Rescheduling the PTE exam?
There is no limit set by the conducting body as to how many times a candidate can appear for their PTE Academic Exam. Candidates are eligible to take their next exam within a gap of 5 days. It is the only set criteria set by the board for re-exam. So, candidates can take the PTE Academic exam as many times as they want.
Is the candidate eligible to take the PTE exam in another country?
Yes, Candidates from any country of the world can appear for the PTE exam.
You can get a clear picture or summary of the PTE eligibility from the following table :
Age limit | The candidate must at least be 16 years of age. Candidates below the age of 18 years must provide signed parental consent for taking the test |
Educational qualification | There are no Educational Qualification criteria |
Number of Attempts | No limit on the number of times PTE is taken by a person |
Nationality | Candidates from any country of the world can appear for the test. |
Now when you know you are eligible for the PTE exam get your PTE registration done as soon as possible and check your English skills for admission to universities abroad. If there is any query feel free to call us.
PTE Syllabus
The PTE syllabus covers the following:
- PTE syllabus of the Speaking test
- PTE syllabus of Writing test
- PTE syllabus of Reading test
- PTE Syllabus of Listening test
The above sections are described below:
PTE Syllabus of the Speaking and Writing test
This segment includes the test of two skills, which are the student’s written and spoken abilities in the English language. The time duration for this segment is usually between 77 to 93 minutes. The sections into which this segment is divided are given below :
- Personal introduction
In this section, the candidate is given an opportunity to give information about themselves to their selected institutions. The candidate will have 25 seconds to read the prompt and prepare their response, and then 30 seconds to record their response. This item is not scored but will be sent together with the candidate’s score report to the institutions selected by them.
- Read aloud
In this section, the candidate needs to read a written text aloud. the candidate has 30-40 seconds to prepare, based on the length of the passage.
- Repeat sentence
In this section, the candidate needs to repeat the sentence they hear. the replay of the audio is not allowed. They are only able to record their response once, so they should try to repeat exactly what they heard.
- Describe image
In this section, the candidate needs to describe an image. They have 25 seconds to study the image and prepare their response.
- Re-tell lecture
In this section, the candidate needs to re-tell what they heard. They may also see an image related to the audio. After the audio finishes, they have 10 seconds to prepare
- Answer short questions.
In this section, the candidate needs to reply to the question in one or a few words. They may also come across an image. Answer the question with few words only.
- Summarize written text
In this section, the candidate needs to write a summary of the text in one sentence. They have 10 minutes to write their summary. Try to include the main points of the reading passage as much as possible in a full, single sentence of not more than 75 words.
- Essay
In this section, the candidate needs to write a 200-300 word argumentative essay in response to a prompt.
While working on the reading section of the PTE Syllabus your focus and emphasis for the speaking aspect should be on how you present yourself, your pronunciation, and your command on communicating in the language. For your preparation on the writing aspect of the PTE Syllabus, your focus should be on your grammar, punctuation, and correct usage of words.
PTE Syllabus of Reading test
The second section of the Pearson Test of English Academic Test is the Reading Section and is usually 32 to 41 minutes long. This section tests the candidate’s ability to understand written instructions and language, the reading segment is divided into 5 sections as given below :
- Reading and Writing fill in the blanks
In this section, there is a passage with some missing words, the candidate needs to choose the most suitable words from a drop-down list.
- Multiple choices, multiple answers
In this section, the candidate needs to read the passage and answer the multiple-choice questions. They need to select all the possible answers, they think are correct from the list of possible responses.
- Re-order paragraphs
In this section, the candidate needs to reorder the text by selecting text boxes and dragging them to the right place.
- Fill in the blanks
In this section, there is a passage with some missing words, the candidate needs to drag and drop words across the screen to correctly fill in the gaps from the list of words. There are more words given than the gaps provided.
- Multiple choice, single answer
In this section, the candidate needs to read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate answer.
PTE Syllabus of Listening test
The final section of PTE is the Listening section. The time taken for this segment is 45 to 57 minutes, the section is designed to evaluate the ability of the candidate to understand spoken English. The listening segment is divided into 8 parts, namely –
- Summarize spoken text
In this section, the candidate needs to listen to an audio recording and write a summary of what they have heard. They have 10 minutes to write their summary and should contain only 50-70 words. The audio recording can be heard only once.
- Multiple choices, multiple answers
In this section, the candidate hears the audio recording and answers the multiple-choice questions. They need to select all the possible answer that they think is correct from the list of possible options.
- Fill the blanks
In this section, the candidate is given a transcript with audio recording, but there are some words missing in the transcript. The candidate must type the missing words. They are able to listen to the audio recording only once.
- Highlight the correct summary
In this section, the candidate needs to select only one summary that best matches the recording from several possible response options.
- Multiple choice, single answer
In this section, the candidate hears an audio recording and answers the multiple-choice questions. There are several possible correct options but the only one which is most appropriate should be selected.
- Select missing word
In this section, a few words in the recording will sound like a beep. The candidate needs to select the most suitable option to replace with the beep and complete the recording.
- Highlight incorrect words
In this section, the candidate is presented with a transcript of the audio recording, however, the transcript contains some differences. By listening and reading, they need to select the words in the text that differs from what they hear.
- Write from dictation
In this section, the candidate hears a short sentence. They should type the sentence into the response box after that
PTE Exam Pattern
The PTE exam structure is made up of three main sections. They include Speaking & Writing, Reading, and listening sections. Each section is scored independently, and you get an overall PTE exam score, too.
PTE Speaking & Writing Pattern:
The speaking section of the PTE exam pattern will be an assessment of the English speaking abilities of the candidate. One will be asked to provide their introduction, read aloud from the academic texts, and so on. The writing is the same, as it will assess the abilities of a candidate to answer an academic test or an essay about a topic. There will be a dedicated time duration for the Essay writing, which is 20 minutes. The overall timings of the section are 77 to 93 minutes. You can also check out PTE Exam Syllabus for detailed information.
Section | Duration | Types of Questions | Time Duration |
Speaking & Writing | 77 to 93 Minutes | Personal Introduction |
25 seconds to Prepare 30 seconds to Record |
Read Aloud | 30-40 seconds to Prepare | ||
Repeat Sentences |
3-9 seconds to Prepare 15 seconds to Record |
||
Describe Image | 25 seconds to Study the Image and Respond | ||
Retell Lecture | 40 to 90 seconds to Answer | ||
Short Questions | 20 seconds (10 to Answer) | ||
Summarise Text | 10 Minutes | ||
Essay | 20 Minutes |
Get full information about the PTE writing section here: Contact us.
PTE Reading Pattern:
The reading section for the PTE is for around 32 to 41 minutes. The section is an assessment of a candidate’s ability to read and understand the written text. There are five sections in the reading section, which overall adds up to the 32-41 minute duration of the section. Here is the PTE Exam Pattern for the reading:
Section | Duration | Types of Questions | Length of Text |
Reading | 32 to 41 Minutes | Multiple Choice, Single Answer | 300 Words |
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer | 300 Words | ||
Paragraph Reorder | 150 Words | ||
Fill in the Blanks (Reading) | 80 Words | ||
Fill in the Blanks (Reading & Writing) | 300 Words |
Want to know more about the Reading section? connect with us.
PTE Listening Pattern:
The Listening section will have an audio or video clip that will be played once and therefore one has to listen to it carefully. The clips will play automatically. The candidate can decrease or increase the volume of the clips from the control bar on the screen. Here is all you need to know about the Listening section of the PTE Exam:
Section | Duration | Types of Questions | Time Duration |
Listening | 77 to 93 Minutes | Highlight the correct summary | 30-90 seconds |
Multiple-choice questions, Single Answer | 30-60 seconds | ||
Select missing word | 20-70 seconds | ||
Fill the blanks | 30-60 seconds | ||
Highlight incorrect words | 15-50 seconds | ||
Write from dictation | 3-5 seconds | ||
Summarize spoken text |
50 to 70 words, 60-90 seconds to Prepare 10 Minutes to Write |
||
Multiple-choice questions, Multiple Answer | 40-90 Answers |
The pattern for the PTE exam is very similar to the other English Language tests of a similar kind. If you prepare for the PTE, it will also give you an idea to prepare for the other tests. Moreover, for countries like Australia, PTE is also useful for immigration procedures.
PTE Preparation
PTE Preparation plays a contributory role in cracking any exam successfully. When giving full attention and concentration while PTE preparation each section can be mastered, as the test checks your regular communication skills in the English language. You may always take help from the online videos and tutorials available over the internet and also refer to practice papers for better PTE preparation. Here are some tips for PTE preparation :
- Stay Conscious
Many of the instructors have the foremost and the same to say, to stay conscious. When you are totally into it, there is nothing that can stop you to advance superiority. As soon as you step out of being aware, you lose it and that’s what many of the instructors have said on the other hand. It’s very much a need to stay awake while you appear and even when you prepare for it. Keep in mind: Contact us for – Do’s and don’ts before and on the PTE test day
- Get to know it
Many of the applicants don’t even know what PTE acts like! All they do is to grip knowledge about other tests and undertake PTE to be the same. PTE is completely computerized, making complete fairness to the applicants who are willing to choose for it. In other tests, there are probabilities that the scores of an applicant might get ruined because of the handwriting or the mood of the checker, but here that case never comes into play. So it’s essential to know how things work here. You have to be clear enough at the time of speaking so that the computer comprehends the language and the accent easily.
- Mind well when you speak
Whenever you come on to the unit of speaking, mind well to whatsoever you speak and do it clearly. The computer will assuredly listen to your gaps, but not your emotions. So ensure that you speak a bit slow and in a way that can make you self-assured that yes, the computer is listening to you. Speaking something that the computer may not understand might make you lose marks.
- Open your ears and listen
When you listen, keep a track of the words. Grasping the previous one might make you lose your ears over the next. So it’s very much significant that you keep a captivating note of the things that you listen. That will surely help you. Make this a habit, practice this often, so that it routinely turns up during your exam.
- Think twice, write wisely
It’s necessary to think a lot about whatever you are writing. Writing rubbish will at the end make no sense, but cost you plenty of marks. Make it go in a rhythm, as losing the rhythm will make you lose the grip on whatever you are writing. When it comes to this unit, particularly, try not to concentrate on something else but to only whatsoever your topic is. This will surely let you go pure and in excellence.
Avoid these mistakes in your PTE exam: 10 Common PTE Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (contact for a free booklet)
- Read as if it can make a difference
Reading can surely make a change. When your work is on, ensure you go through the newspapers and magazines to read. They can be, at times, a refreshment and at times, a source for you to get through. You never know to what point your reading level can be at the examination; so, newspapers are the best substitutes.
- Use something new
The world is large, and so is the language and its variedness. One word has numerous alterations and substitutes. Try guessing out synonyms of the words that you generally use. This will help you increase your vocabulary and grammar.
- Soul of the language, do not let it go
Well, the soul of every language is its Grammar. You might think that you have a perfect grip on grammar, but this might take seconds to turn into a fable. Polish it every day, there will surely be a plentiful amount of things that you will learn. Whatever you study, just not have it to yourself, play the best rounds while you practice, and examine which ones of them can benefit you better. And at last, use the best out of the best in your examinations.
PTE Preparation Tips for different sections are given below :
PTE Preparation Tips for Speaking Section:
- Manage your time. You have just 20 minutes for Writing an essay and 10 minutes to Summarize the written text.
- Speak calmly but clearly with a good volume, don’t rush.
- If you make any mistake, move on. Don’t waste the time correcting it.
Read more: Complete guide for Speaking section of PTE
PTE Preparation Tips for Writing Section:
Write words within the acceptable limit. Your answer for summarizing written text should be one sentence between 5-75 words and the essay should be more than 200 but less than 300 words.
PTE Preparation Tips for Reading Section
- You have 32 – 41 minutes to complete this section, so manage your time for how long to spend on a particular task.
- Concentrate properly on the multiple-choice questions. They may look easy but they are quite difficult.
PTE Preparation Tips for Listening Section
- Be smart while using the erasable note board booklet. Use it only when you know you have enough time to transfer your answers onto the screen or just type notes directly onto the screen.
- Don’t spend too much time on particular tasks by neglecting others. The Listening section has the most task types, So manage the time properly.
The standard PTE Academic exam fee is Rs 14,700. In case the candidate is booking his PTE exam within 48 hours of the PTE test date, the candidate would be required to pay the PTE Late Booking Fee.
Cancellations and rescheduling of tests would come with additional costs.
Rescheduling the PTE Exam:
Regarding the rescheduling of the PTE exam, there are some conditions one will have to follow. One can reschedule their test date at least 14 days before their actual scheduled date. After that, if one wants to change the test dates within 7 to 14 days before the test date, he or she will have to pay 25% of the tuition fees additionally. Within 7 days of the test date, one will have to pay the full amount of the test for rescheduling. There is also an option of canceling the exam if a candidate is unable to appear for the exam. Here is how:
Cancelling PTE Exam:
Just like the rescheduling, the canceling of PTE also has to be done at least before 14 days of the booked test, and only then one is eligible for a full refund of the registration amount. Before at least 7 days of the test, if one needs to cancel the test, there will be a penalty of 50% of registration fees and only 50% of the fees will be refunded. There will be no refunds for the tests canceled within 7 days of the booked dates.
If you retake your PTE exam, prepare well, do not get go the opportunity.
Reviewing your PTE Score:
If you are unhappy with your PTE Scores, you can claim for a review of your test. Depending on your location and country, it can cost around US$ 100 for the scoring review. If there is an improvement in your overall PTE scores, the reviewing fees will be refunded. One will have to apply for the score review within 14 calendar days of receiving your test scores officially.
Late Registration Fees for PTE:
There is a late registration fee for the PTE will also vary with the location you are applying from. If you want to book the test within 48 hours of a test date, you will have to pay the late registration fees. From 5% to 50%, the late registration fees will add to the standard booking fees for the test.
Summary of PTE Fees and other Costs:
Now that you are aware of the costs and fees related to it, here is a short summary of all the costs attached to the PTE Exam:
Services Related to PTE Exam | PTE Exam Fees |
Registration of the Test | US$185 to US$275, depending on the country |
Late Registration (48 hours before the Test) | Additional 5% to 50% of the Registration Fees |
Rescheduling Penalties | 25% to 100% of the Registration Fees depending on the time of rescheduling |
Cancellation Costs | 50% to 100% of the Registration Fees depending on the time of canceling |
PTE Score Review | Around US$100, refunded if the scores are improved |
PTE Exams are conducted throughout the year, so you have many PTE exam dates available during the year. PTE provides various testing locations, in almost 50 countries across the world.
How to Check PTE Exam Dates Availability?
The steps to check the availability of seats in the test center and PTE exam dates are given below:
- Visit the official website of Pearson, and click on the option ‘Seat Availability’.
- You will be redirected to a page where you have to choose the exam you want to schedule. Check on the box given next to the text and click on the option ‘Next’.
- Now, you will see a page where there are various boxes. You have to choose the number of centers you wish to explore.
- If you want to search the nearest test center to your location then you can fill in your address. Or else just fill in the city and area code and click on the option ‘Search’.
- The various test centers will show up and you can select any four test centers.
- Once you select the four test centers, click on the option ‘Next’.
- You can select the test center and then select the PTE exam date, then you will see the appointment timings.
PTE website for Booking: CLICK HERE
PTE Results:
Applicants collect their PTE results in 5 business days after their exam on PTE official site so that they can start applying to universities of their choice well in time. Each educational organization sets its own level of PTE Scores to meet its academic requirements. The PTE test result score is classified on 10-90 points. Each correct answer is given with one point and no point is given for incorrect answers. After getting their PTE Scores, Applicants can start sending their scores to as many organizations as they like.
PTE Scores for Academic
- PTE Scores are generally considered for the admission purpose by English-speaking universities as a proficiency parameter for international students. The Australian government also uses PTE as a proficiency test for immigration. PTE scores required for Australian immigration are 79 in Each section for 20 immigration points.
PTE Scores for General
- Pearson Test of English General is recognized by firms in some countries as evidence of English language ability. However, the PTE General scores cannot be utilized for visa or migration purposes.
PTE scores
Applicants can access their PTE Academic test and General test result through an online website; they are likely to receive an email notifying them once the PTE results are out. Once the PTE scores are available, Applicants can send their score reports to institutions through the Pearson Account.
Two types of marking systems are there for Scoring.
1. Correct / Incorrect: In these questions, pre-decided marks will be given for every correct answer, and no marks will be given for incorrect words.
2. Partial Credit: In these questions, if the answer is correct, the maximum marks will be allotted, but if the answer given is partially true, some of the marks will be allotted. If the response is incorrect, there will be no marks.
3. Deduction: In some questions, there will be a “negative marking”; this means on each incorrect answer, marks will be deducted. Not all the questions are of this type, though.
PTE Score Chart for Each Section
1. PTE Speaking & PTE Writing Section
Question Type | Number of Question | Scoring Type |
Negative Marking (Deduction) |
Repeat Sentence | 10-12 | Partial Scoring | No |
Read Aloud | 6-7 | Partial Scoring | |
Re-tell Lecture | 3-4 | Partial Scoring | |
Describe Image | 6-7 | Partial Scoring | |
Answer short questions. | 10-12 | Correct / Incorrect | |
Summarise written Text | 2-3 | Partial Scoring | |
Essay Writing | 1-2 | Partial Scoring |
2. PTE Reading Section
Question Type | Number of Question | Scoring Type |
Negative Marking (Deduction) |
Reading and writing: Fill in the blanks | 5-6 | Partial Credit | No |
Re-order paragraphs | 2-3 | Partial Credit | |
Reading: Fill in the blanks | 4-5 | Partial Credit | |
A multiple-choice, single answer | 2-3 | Correct / Incorrect | |
Multiple-choice, multiple answers | 2-3 | Partial Credit | Yes |
3. PTE Listening Section
Question Type | Number of Question | Scoring Type |
Negative Marking (Deduction) |
Write from dictation | 3-4 | Partial Credit | No |
Highlight incorrect words | 2-3 | Partial Credit | Yes |
Select missing word | 2-3 | Correct / Incorrect | No |
A multiple-choice, single answer | 2-3 | Correct / Incorrect | |
Highlight correct summary | 2-3 | Correct / Incorrect | |
Fill in the blanks | 2-3 | Partial Credit | |
Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers | 2-3 | Partial Credit | YES |
Summarize spoken text | 2-3 | Partial Credit | No |
Here are the steps to check your PTE Scores
If you are planning to take the PTE Academic Exam, then you will first have to create an account on Pearson. You can schedule your test make any necessary changes to the appointment or modify your personal information.
You can only check your result of PTE when you receive a notification mail. After which you need to PTE academic login with your username and password.
Once you log in through the official Pearson website, click on ‘My Account. You will see ‘View Score Report’, click on that and you will have access to your PTE result.
There you can check your PTE Test Result, schedule the PTE Academic test, or make any changes to your account.
How to send PTE scores to institutions?
You can share your PTE scores with the institutes of your preference after login into your account.
- Click ‘Send Scores’.
- Go to the Institution/Organisation/Department/School field, type your institution of preference, and click search.
- Tick the box next to the name of the institution.
- Review the details once you have ticked the box next to the name of the institutions, and click ‘Next’. You will have to click next again for the confirmation of the choice.
- Repeat the same process to add each institution that you want to send results to.
Converting between PTE and IELTS score
IELTs and PTE are two different methods to test the English language proficiency of candidates for immigration or university. They have different layouts and different scoring methodology- IELTs grants candidates bands of 1-8 whereas PTE gives numerical marks out of 90.
The following is a simplified conversion table between the two.
PTE Score range | IELTS Brand |
86 and above | 9 |
83-85 | 8.5 |
79-82 | 8 |
73-78 | 7.5 |
65-72 | 7 |
59-64 | 6.5 |
51-58 | 6 |
43-50 | 5.5 |
35-42 | 5 |
30-34 | 4.5 |
It should be noted that although the table simplifies conversion, students may find doing one type of test easier than the other.
Since PTE is a computer based test, students may prefer this than the paper-based IELTs for two reasons- firstly because they are more confident answering the writing section using keyboard and there is no effect of messy or stressed handwriting. Secondly, the test-takers speak to a computer during the speaking section and this may make them less stressed than speaking to a interviewee for IELTS.
FOR ONLINE PTE Training
CD Overseas offer FREE PTE Online training with their Admission & Immigration Guidance Services.