PTE Academic and PTE Core comparison

Whether preparing for studying abroad, migration or VISA acquiring, it’s truly crucial to pick the right test. Just recently in February 2024, Pearson introduced the PTE Core to the market of English assessment services, so we will be aiming to identify the differences between the PTE Academic and PTE Core in this article.

What is the PTE Core? 

PTE Core is a computer-based test that helps you pursue your Canadian dream for the approval of economic VISA categories. The test is designed to evaluate your four general English skills, which is different from PTE Academic used for academic settings. Thus, if students want to study in Canada, they need to take PTE Academic instead.  

Test format

It’s almost the same in both PTE Academic and PTE Core. Both tests evaluate takers’ general English skills including: Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking in one seamless section, which is divided into three parts - Part 1: Speaking & Writing, Part 2: Reading, and Part 3: Listening.

How long to receive the results

After submitting your test, the result will, most of the time, be ready in 48 hours. Your test will go through a unique grading procedure by computer algorithm and human proctor check to deliver an accurate result. 

The test is accepted worldwide

PTE Academic is accepted by over 3,300 universities across the world, including countless famous institutions such as Oxford University, Yale, HBS, and so on, and this number is surely increasing every day. Regarding PTE Core, it’s designed for your Canadian dream, so it’s accepted by the IRCC for immigration and citizenship. 

How to prepare

Frankly speaking, it’s only hard for those who haven’t known how to prepare for the test yet. There are five simple preparation steps that students can apply to both PTE Academic and PTE Core. The five steps include:

• Step 1: Get to know PTE’s fundamental information
• Step 2: Understand your current level
• Step 3: Create a detailed study plan and commit to it
• Step 4: Take 2-hour Practice tests every week
• Step 5: Utilise unlimited times that we can take the PTE

There are some things about this preparation strategy that you should know in advance.

• For self-study students: Our Academic team developed this preparation strategy based on scientific research backed up by Cambridge so that we comprehend how long it takes to improve a specific score in the PTE Academic or PTE Core scale. So make sure that you read it thoroughly and apply it to your case step by step as we guide you. 
• Require you to follow strictly: If you want something easy and fast, please DO NOT read this strategy as it’s not. We make it super detailed for your follow, which is why it is pretty long and requires your attention throughout the article. While reading the strategy, kindly remember to apply it to the situation.

What should I choose?

It depends on your purpose and country's destination to pick the right test. To illustrate, if you want to study abroad (even study in Canada) or get a visa in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK you need to take the PTE Academic. However, if you want to get a permanent economic visa to work in Canada, PTE Core comes in. 

Question types and timer

There is not much difference between PTE Academic and PTE Core, let’s compare each part to see it clearer.

• Part 1: Speaking & Writing:  There are five question types that appear in both tests including Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Answer Short Question, and Summarize Written Text. Moreover, they have the same time to answer each question. In other words, preparing for both PTE Academic and PTE Core is the same for these question types. Nevertheless, test takers should know there are two different item types. In PTE Academic, we have Retell Lecture and Write Essay, which do not appear in PTE Core. In contrast, Respond to a Situation and Write Email do not appear in PTE Academic because they are unique item types in PTE Core.
• Part 2: Reading: As you can see in the above image, everything is the same. The same question types the same amount of time for the whole Part 2: Reading – around 30 minutes.
• Part 3: Listening: Similar to Part 2: Reading, we have almost everything the same. Except that PTE Core does not include Highlight Correct Summary. 

PTE Practice Platform for both PTE Core and Academic

We aim to support millions of students across the world to prepare for their English tests effectively and affordably through our live interactive practice platforms. PTE Academic and PTE Core is no exception. This PTE Practice Website offers PTE Academic and PTE Core takers the following benefits.

• Thousands of practice questions similar to the real questions;
• Instantly detailed feedback for all question types;
• The same grading elements as Pearson;
• 2-hour Full Mock tests;
• Three supportive vocab lists;
• An integrated dictionary;
• And other supporting self-study features.

For instance, if students practice a Summarize Spoken Text, which is available in both PTE Academic and PTE Core they receive the following feedback immediately after submitting their practice answers. Specifically, we evaluate your answer based on Content, Form, Grammar (Spelling), and Vocabulary, which are the same grading aspects that Pearson uses to assess test-takers skills. For more details, kindly review this video feedback for a better understanding.

Wait no more, let’s pay a visit to the PTE Practice Website, create a FREE account and start preparing for your test today.