The Pearson Test of English (PTE) is an English language proficiency test designed to assess the listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills of non-native English speakers. It is widely used for university admissions, immigration applications, and professional requirements. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the PTE:
Test Overview
- Purpose: PTE assesses your ability to communicate effectively in English in academic and professional settings.
- Versions: The PTE has different formats based on the purpose of the test:
- PTE Academic: For academic and higher education purposes.
- PTE Core: The PTE Core examination is approved by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and possesses recognition from the Canadian government for all immigration applications. It includes various facilities such as work visas, migration, or citizenship, except for the Student Direct Stream (SDS). Further, the PTE Core test is correlated with the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level, details of which are given in this article.
Other Tests Preparation
PTE Academic Pattern – overall exam
| PTE Format | Details |
|---|---|
| PTE Exam Pattern | An English language exam that tests the Speaking & Writing skills (54 – 67 minutes), Reading skills (29 – 30 minutes), and Listening skills (30 – 43 minutes) of candidates wanting to study abroad in an English-speaking country. |
| PTE Duration | 2 Hours and a Single test session |
| Medium | Computer-based with headset |
| Mode | Taken in a test centre / Home Edition |
| Test Type | Assesses real-life English |
| Test Layout | 20 question types |
PTE Exam Pattern
Speaking and Writing — 54 – 67 minutes
As the name implies, this section tests the candidates based on their 2 major skills of communication, which are spoken and written skills. This section comprises six small sections that test you on your promptness over speaking and writing the written test that you would get to read for the first time. The complete section is given a time duration of 54 – 67 minutes and the time allotted to each segment is as follows:
| PTE Speaking and Writing Section Question Topics | PTE Questions per Task | Duration per Task |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Introduction | 1 | 55 seconds: 25 seconds for prompt, 30 seconds to record |
| Read Aloud | 6 – 7 | 30-40 seconds to prepare for reading out the text of 60 words |
| Repeat Sentence | 10 – 12 | 15 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 15 seconds to record |
| Describe Image | 3 – 4 | 25 seconds are granted to study the image as well as prepare your response on the same |
| Retell Lecture | 1 – 2 | 90 seconds for prompt length, 10 seconds to prepare, and 40 seconds to answer |
| Answer Short Question | 5 – 6 | 20 seconds: 3-9 seconds for prompt, 10 seconds to answer |
| Summarize Written Text | 1 – 2 | 10 minutes to answer a text prompt of 300 words |
| Write Essay | 1 – 2 | 20 minutes to answer a text prompt of 2-3 sentences |
| Total Questions | 28 – 36 | Time Allocation: 54 – 67 minutes |
Reading Section — 29 – 30 mins
PTE Reading Format: This section tests the candidates on the basis of their ability to understand the written instructions in the language. The section further divided into 5 segments is 29 to 30 minutes long. Check out the segment-wise pattern for the time distribution of this section:
| PTE Reading Section Question Topics | PTE Questions per Task | Duration per Task |
|---|---|---|
| Fill in the blanks – Reading & Writing | 5 – 6 | Read 300 words of text |
| Multiple choice, multiple answers | 1 – 2 | Read 300 words of text |
| Re-order paragraph | 2 – 3 | Read 150 words of text |
| Fill in the blanks – Reading | 4 – 5 | Read 80 words of text |
| Multiple-choice, single answer | 1 – 2 | Read 300 words of text |
| Total Questions | 13 – 18 | Time Allocation: 29 – 30 minutes |
Listening — 30 – 43 minutes
PTE Listening Format: The listening section of the PTE Academic is stretched over 30 to 43 minutes of duration. This one is designed to determine the ability to understand spoken English by the candidate. Here, the student needs to ascertain that they carefully hear the audio file played and retain what they heard. This section is divided into 8 segments and the time given to each segment is as follows.
| PTE Listening Section Question Topics | PTE Questions per Task | Duration per Task |
|---|---|---|
| Summarize spoken text | 1 – 2 | 60-90 seconds to retain 50-70 words, 10 minutes to write |
| Multiple choice, multiple answers | 1 – 2 | 40-90 seconds for prompt |
| Fill in the blanks | 2 – 3 | 30-60 seconds |
| Highlight correct summary | 1 – 2 | 30-90 seconds |
| Multiple-choice, single answer | 1 – 2 | 30-60 seconds |
| Select missing word | 1 – 2 | 20-70 seconds |
| Highlight incorrect word | 2 – 3 | 15-50 seconds |
| Write from Dictation | 3 – 4 | 3-5 seconds |
| Total Questions | 12 – 20 | Time Allocation: 30 – 43 minutes |
Major Changes in the PTE Core Compared to the
PTE Academic
| PTE Core Task | PTE Core Compared to the PTE Academic |
|---|---|
| Respond to the Situation | Number of questions: 2-4 Preparation time: 20 seconds Speaking time length: 40 seconds |
| Summarize Written Text | Number of questions: 1-2 Time duration to write the summary: 10 minutes Word limit: 25-50 words |
| Write an Email | Number of questions: 2-3 Time duration to write an email: 9 minutes Word limit: 50-120 words |
| Summarize Spoken Text | Number of questions: 1-2 Time duration to write the summary: 8 minutes Word limit: 20-30 words |
| Highlight Correct Summary | REMOVED |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | Number of questions: 1-2 |
| Question Types | Based on non-academic contexts: broadcasts, announcements, emails, work meetings, telephone assistance, internet conversations, and various practical situations. |
Scoring System
● Score Range: PTE scores range from 10 to 90. Each section of the test is scored, and an overall score is calculated.
- Communicative Skills: Speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills are scored individually.
- Enabling Skills: Grammar, oral fluency, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, and written discourse are assessed.
● Score Reports: Scores are reported on a scale of 10 to 90, with 90 being the highest. The results are detailed and provide a breakdown of your performance in each skill area.
Preparation Tips
Use practice tests and sample questions to familiarize yourself with the format and types of questions.
Utilize official PTE preparation materials and online resources to study and practice.
Focus on improving your overall English language skills, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
Consider enrolling in preparation courses offered by language schools or online platforms.
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