The PTE or the Pearson Test of English is a standardized and international computer-based test. It assesses English language proficiency for individuals applying for Canada PR, and work visas. Previously, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) accepted IELTS and CELPIP to evaluate English language ability in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Now, the PTE, along with CELPIP and IELTS is accepted as proficiency tests for the English language. On the other hand, TCF and TEF are the accepted language tests for French proficiency.
This article includes
- PTE full form
- Advantages of PTE test
- PTE Score for Canada PR
- PTE Core
- PTE Exam Pattern
- PTE Test Booking
- PTE Exam fee
- PTE Result
PTE Full-Form
The PTE test stands for the Pearson Test of English. It is internationally accepted by government organizations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom for visa applications.
There are three categories of the Pearson test:
- PTE Academic – You can take the PTE academic test if you aim to study in Canada, USA, UK, New Zealand, and Australia
- PTE Core – This test is meant for applicants who want to apply for Canadian work visas and Permanent Residency
- UK Visa Tests – These PTE tests are taken by the applicants who aim to settle, study (not higher education), and work in the United Kingdom. This includes PTE Home A1 and PTE Home A2 for family visas, PTE Home B1 for British settlement, PTE Academic UKVI for student visa, and PTE Academic UKVI for work visas.
Advantages of a PTE Test
The main advantage of the PTE test is that it has a shorter test duration and delivers the result faster. A comparison among IELTS, CELPIP, and PTE can better illustrate the advantages of the Pearson test.
| Comparative factors | PTE | CELPIP | IELTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test Duration | 2 hours or 120 minutes | 3 hours or 180 minutes | 174 minutes (approximately) |
| Test Result | 2 days (approximately) | 3-4 business days after the test date | 6-8 days for an online test 13 days for paper-based test |
| Test Cost | ₹17000 (inc. tax) | ₹12,500 (excl. tax) | ₹17000 |
| Test Type | Computer-Based | Computer-based | Paper-based as well as Computer-based |
Another major advantage of taking the PTE Core exam is that is completely fair and free of human intervention. The PTE test uses Pearson’s Knowledge Analysis Technologies™ (KAT™) engine to evaluate examinees. The written section of the test is scored by the Intelligent Essay Assessor™ (IEA™). The spoken abilities are assessed by Pearson’s Versant technology. This makes the Pearson Test of English an extremely fast and fair test to take. Because the test is entirely evaluated by machines, it eliminates the chances of human examining errors.
PTE Score for Canada PR
The PTE Core score is now accepted for all Canada PR pathways including the Express Entry, and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Just like IELTS and CELPIP, the PTE score is converted into the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB). The PTE score and its CLB equivalent for Canada PR are tabulated below.
| CLB | PTE Core Writing | PTE Core Reading | PTE Core Listening | PTE Core Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 90 | 88-90 | 89-90 | 89-90 |
| 9 | 88-89 | 78-87 | 82-88 | 84-88 |
| 8 | 79-87 | 69-77 | 71-81 | 76-83 |
| 7 | 69-78 | 60-68 | 60-70 | 68-75 |
| 6 | 60-68 | 51-59 | 50-59 | 59-67 |
| 5 | 51-59 | 42-50 | 39-49 | 51-58 |
| 4 | 41-50 | 33-41 | 28-38 | 42-50 |
| 3 | 32-40 | 24-32 | 18-27 | 34-41 |
Below is the required PTE score for Canada PR
| Canada PR pathway | PTE Core Listening | PTE Core Speaking | PTE Core Writing | PTE Core Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | 60-70 | 68-75 | 69-78 | 60-68 |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | 39-49 | 51-58 | 41-50 | 33-41 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) NOC TEER 0 or 1 NOC TEER 2 or 3 | 60-70 | 68-75 | 69-78 | 60-68 |
| 39-49 | 51-58 | 51-59 | 42-50 | |
| Provincial Nominee Program (Non-Express Entry, if NOC code is TEER 4 or 5) | 28-38 | 42-50 | 41-50 | 33-41 |
PTE Core for Canada Immigration
As discussed above, the Pearson Test of English has three categories – PTE Academic, PTE Core, and UK Visa tests. IRCC accepts PTE Core for all Canadian PR and work visas. While applying to IRCC for Canada PR, you will be required to share your PTE Score Report. You can do so in two ways:
- Directly – You can share your Score Report Code or SRC in your PR application.
- Through the myPTE score assignment process – Follow the steps listed below:
- Login to the myPTE account
- Go to ‘My Activity’
- Click on ‘Share results’ on your scorecard
- Type and search IRCC in ‘Institution/Organization/Department/School’ field
- Confirm
The validity of PTE Core for Canada Immigration is 2 years.
PTE Exam Pattern
The PTE Core is a 2-hour computer-based test. It contains 49-54 tasks that evaluate four communication skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The PTE exam pattern consists of three parts.
- Speaking and Writing with a duration of 46-67 minutes
- Reading with a duration of 27-38 minutes
- Listening with a duration of 30-37 minutes
The individual is scored out of 90 points for each communication skill. The Pearson Test of English awards points in two ways:
- Either correct or incorrect – if the answer is correct, 1 point will be awarded. If not, no score is given.
- Correct, incorrect, or partially correct – There are certain tasks for which an answer might be partially correct. In this case, a score less than the maximum points will be awarded.
PTE Core – Part 1 Speaking and Writing
The speaking and writing section of the PTE Core test is the longest and lasts for about 46-67 minutes. This assesses both the speaking and writing abilities of the individual. The score one gets for this section is accordingly allocated to both speaking and writing abilities. The PTE Exam pattern and the scoring criteria are tabulated below.
| Item Type | English Skills Assessed | Scoring factors |
|---|---|---|
| Read Aloud Partial Credit 6-7 tasks | Reading and Speaking | Content |
| Pronunciation Native like – 05 points Advanced – 04 points Good – 03 points Intermediate – 02 points Intrusive – 01 point Non-English – 00 | ||
| Fluency Native like – 05 points Advanced – 04 points Good – 03 points Intermediate – 02 points Limited – 01 points Disfluent- 00 | ||
| Sentence Repetition Partial Credit 10-12 tasks | Listening and Speaking | Content If all words are repeated in the correct order – 03 points If 50% of words are repeated in the correct order – 02 points Less than 50% of words are repeated in order – 01 points Unable to repeat the sentence – 00 |
| Pronunciation Native like – 05 points Advanced – 04 points Good – 03 points Intermediate – 02 points Intrusive – 01 point Non-English – 00 | ||
| Fluency Native like – 05 points Advanced – 04 points Good – 03 points Intermediate – 02 points Limited – 01 points Disfluent- 00 | ||
| Describing an Image Partial Credit 3-4 tasks | Speaking | Content Describe all elements of the given image along with their relationship, implications, etc. – 05 points All key elements of the image and their relations, implication, and conclusion – 04 points Most key elements of the image and their implications, and conclusions – 03 points One key element of the image with an implication or conclusion. Basic understanding of core elements of the image – 02 points Description of some basic elements of the given image without a clear implication or interrelation – 01 points Inability to deal with the prompt or mentioning disjointed elements of the presented image – 00 |
| Pronunciation Native like – 05 points Advanced – 04 points Good – 03 points Intermediate – 02 points Intrusive – 01 points Non-English – 00 | ||
| Fluency Native like – 05 points Advanced – 04 points Good – 03 points Intermediate – 02 points Limited – 01 points Disfluent – 00 | ||
| Responding to a Situation Partial Credit 2-4 tasks | Speaking | Appropriacy Response to the situation is clear, polite, and detailed. The language used is appropriate to the given situation and meets the social demand – 03 points The language has an appropriate register – 02 points The response was simple with common expressions and an inappropriate register for the situation – 01 points The response is isolated and incoherent – 00 |
| Fluency Native like – 05 points Advanced – 04 points Good – 03 points Intermediate – 02 points Limited – 01 points Disfluent- 00 | ||
| Pronunciation Native like – 05 points Advanced – 04 points Good – 03 points Intermediate – 02 points Intrusive – 01 point Non-English – 00 | ||
| Answering Short Question Correct/Incorrect 5-6 tasks | Listening and Speaking | Vocabulary Appropriate worded answer – 01 points Inappropriate answer – 00 |
| Summarized Written Text Partial credit 1-2 tasks | Reading and Writing | Content A Good summary of the text with all relevant aspects – 02 points Fair summary with few missing aspects – 01 points Misrepresentation of the text – 00 |
| Form Summarized in 25-50 words – 02 points Summarized in 5-24 words or 51-60 words – 01 points Summarized in less than 5 or more than 60 words – 00 | ||
| Grammar Correct Grammatical structure – 02 points Grammatical errors but smooth communication – 01 points Defective grammar with ineffective communication – 00 | ||
| Vocabulary Appropriate choice of words – 02 points Lexical errors with smooth communication – 01 points Inappropriate vocabulary that interrupts communication- 00 | ||
| Write an Email Partial Credit 2-3 Tasks | Writing | Content Task requirement addressed sufficiently and appropriately – 03 points Task addressed successfully while partially demonstrating it’s understanding – 02 points Unsuccessful attempt to address the task. The topic/task is misunderstood – 01 points Unable to deal with the task with significant misunderstanding – 00 |
| Email Conventions Obvious email conventions with the correct format – 02 points Inconsistent use of email conventions. Missing elements – 01 points Limited or missing email conventions – 00 | ||
| Form 50-120 words – 02 points 121-140 words – 01 points Less than 30 words or more than 140 words – 00 | ||
| Organization A Clear and organized structure where ideas are presented logically. Effective use of transitions – 02 points Acceptably organized email that is somewhat clear. Basic and simple use of transitions – 01 points Unorganized structure with disconnected, unclear ideas – 00 | ||
| Vocabulary Good command of lexis with appropriate context – 02 points Limited lexis range – 01 points Basic vocabulary – 00 | ||
| Grammar Consistent grammatical control with occasional errors – 02 points Moderate grammatical control – 01 points Frequent grammatical errors – 00 |
PTE Core – Part 2 Reading
The reading section of the PTE Core test is 27-38 minutes long. It has five main components and their scoring factors are tabulated below.
| Item Type | Communicating Skills and Scoring |
|---|---|
| Reading and Writing- Fill in the Blanks Partial Credit 5-6 points | Reading and Writing 1 for a correct answer 0 minimum score |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers Partial Credit 1-2 tasks | Reading 1 point for correct answer -1 for incorrect response 0 minimum score |
| Reorder Paragraph Partial Credit 2-3 tasks | Reading +1 for the correct response 0 minimum score |
| Fill In The Blanks Partial Credit 4-5 Tasks | Reading +1 for correct response 0 minimum score |
| Multiple choice, Single Answer Correct/Incorrect 1-2 points | Reading +1 for correct response 0 minimum score |
PTE Core – Part 3 Listening
The listening part of the Pearson PTE test consists of seven sections and lasts for around 30-37 minutes.
| Item type | Communication and traits scored |
|---|---|
| Summarize Spoken test Partial Credit 1-2 tasks Listening and Writing | Content A good summary of the test with all aspects mentioned – 02 points A fair summary of the test with some missing aspects – 01 points Omission or misrepresentation of main aspects – 00 |
| Content A good summary of the test with all aspects mentioned – 02 points Fair summary of the test with some missing aspects – 01 points Omission or misrepresentation of main aspects – 00 | |
| Grammar Correct grammatical structures – 02 points Grammatical errors with smooth communication – 01 points Grammatical error with hindered communication –00 | |
| Vocabulary Appropriate choice of words – 02 points Lexical errors with smooth communication – 01 points Improper word choice with interpreted communication- 00 | |
| Spelling Singular typing/spelling mistake – 02 points Two or more spelling/typing errors – 01 points More than three errors – 00 | |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | Listening |
| Fill in the Blanks | Listening and Writing |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Listening |
| Select Missing Word | Listening |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | Listening and Reading |
| Write from Dictation | Listening and writing |
How to Book a PTE test?
You can book a Pearson Test of English through the official Pearson website. You will be required to follow the steps below.
- Create a myPTE account as illustrated in the image below.
- Provide and submit all the required details for your account.
- Select the location, date, and time of your test and click on ‘Book’
- Fill in all the additional required information and proceed to checkout.
PTE Exam Fee
The PTE Exam fee is ₹17000 including all taxes. If you want to apply for a technical review, you would need to pay an additional $50.
PTE Result
The PTE result is entirely scored and assessed by highly advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI). Therefore, the test results are declared within 2 days.
Fortunately, the acceptance of the Pearson Test of English for Canada Immigration has made the PR process easier than ever. This is the ideal time to consult a CICC-licensed representative and plan your immigration.
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