When we prepare for anything new, especially the PTE Academic, asking questions is indeed a great way to get ourselves familiar with all the fundamental things of the test. We will be sharing the top 10 most frequently asked questions and answers to them. Now, let’s dive into it.
1. How often can I take the Pearson Test of English?
Test-takers can take the Pearson Test of English right after they receive their previous results. For instance, if test-takers get their last certificates today, they will be able to book their next test tomorrow. Because the PTE Academic slots are limited, it’s usually full around one week later if students go for the test centres version. Regarding the PTE Academic Online, it’s worse! Sometimes, test-takers cannot book the test for several months.
To illustrate, we accessed the PTE website to book a test on 25 Oct 2023, but we only have available seats until 02 Nov 2023.
cre: Pearson
2. Can I get a Study VISA/ Permit with a PTE certificate?
The PTE Academic is one of the most esteemed English proficiency tests aside from the IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, and DET. So yes, students can apply for visa purposes, admissions processes, and immigration if students take the PTE Academic at test centres. In contrast, The PTE Academic Online version can only help students get through university admissions.
3. Why wasn’t my test certified?
Students’ results will not be certified if they violate any rules while taking the test. The PTE Academic is a 100% computer-based test, and test-takers can sit for it anywhere with the online version. Pearson imposed these rules to ensure the PTE Academic value and integrity, so our job is to follow them strictly. Go read this article: “The PTE Academic Rules” to keep an eye on them all the time.
4. Is PTE easier than IELTS and DET?
It is NOT true. The PTE, IELTS, DET and other English proficiency tests are the same. They evaluate our skills in four (04) areas: Speaking, Writing, Listening, and Reading. Therefore, thinking one test is easier than others is a misunderstanding, which could lead to failure. The predominant differences are the test format and structure.
IELTS Academic: Have paper and computer versions, but test-takers still need to take the Speaking part separately face-to-face with an examiner regardless of the versions they pick.
PTE Academic: A 100% computer-based test that students can sit for at test centres or anywhere (online version). Besides, students will complete everything in a 2-hour session.
Duolingo English Test (DET): This is purely an online English test that students can take anywhere and any time they like without booking. On top of that, the test only lasts for 1 hour.
It’s the same as other proficiency tests, the PTE certificate validation also lasts for two (02) years.
6. May I use more than one email address to buy the test?
Definitely Not! Each test-taker can only use one account to book and then take the test. If students forget their passwords, let’s try to reclaim it back first. In the worst-case scenario, we wholly recommend students contact the PTE Academic support team to solve their problems.
7. What are the consequences of violating the rules?
The consequences have a wide range of severity levels that vary from cancelling test-takers’ certified results to banning them forever from taking the test again. Thus, be truly careful about what you want to do and always adhere to all rules strictly.
8. Can I purchase a coupon from a third-party seller?
The answer is YES. Students can buy coupons (vouchers) from a third party, only OFFICIAL ones.
When we mention the OFFICIAL third-party sellers, it means the authorized test centres because they are the only ones who have the right to buy vouchers and distribute them back to students.
So the question is, how do we check the authorized test centres? It’s easy. Simply go to the PTE Academic Booking page and check all things out.
Click “Book a test” in the top right-hand corner and click next to “Book PTE Academic”.
cre: Pearson
Step 2: Select your location
We recommend students use their “current location” and then click “Search” to find nearby test centres.
cre: Pearson
Step 3: Reach out to test centres
After searching for a list of test centres, all nearby ones will appear as follows. Test-takers take notes on their names and contact them for coupons (vouchers).
cre: Pearson
Make sure to check the names of test centres carefully on the PTE Academic Official website to prevent scammers.
9. Is the overall score an average of the Communicative skills?
The overall score is based on test-takers’ performance across the whole test. Students will complete between 52 to 64 questions in a range of 20 different question types but it is NOT an average calculation of the communicative skills.
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Students can practice thousands of practice questions and immediately receive feedback after submitting their answers. Regarding Speaking and Writing question types, we evaluate students’ performance based on the same grading aspects that Pearson uses to assess test-takers' scores. To illustrate, if PTE takers practice a Part 1: Write Essay on our PTE Practice Website, they will receive feedback based on Oral Fluency, Grammar, Vocab, Pronunciation, Linguistic Range, Coherence. Feel free to review our Video sample feedback here for a better understanding of instantly detailed feedback.
cre: TADE Hub
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