PTE About

The full form of PTE exam is Pearson Test of English Academic that is taken up by non native English speakers to test their English proficiency before pursuing a career abroad. The PTE exam is a computerized multi level test with four sections namely Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. It is conducted by the Pearson PLC Group.

The Pearson PLC Group conducted three kinds of PTE exam:

a) PTE Academic

b) PTE General (formerly London Tests of English)

c) PTE Young Learners (formerly London Tests of English for Children).

Difference between three kinds of PTE exam:

The PTE exam holds its origin in 2009.

The key standout factor that makes the PTE test one of the best possible option is, the result or score is given out to the student in a minimal time of 5-days.

PTE fees

The fee range of PTE exam is around $150-$210, though the exact value varies between countries.

The PTE exam fees for Indian students is INR 11,300. In case of late application the PTE exam fee for Indian students is INR 14,125.

Mandatory Requirement for PTE Indian Students

Indian students necessarily require passport as Identity proof for applying and appearing in PTE exam.

PTE test can be booked from PTE official website.

Age criteria for PTE exam

Students can apply for PTE exam from the age of 16. However, if applicant is under the age group of 18, then they require a parental consent letter to sit for the test.

Time duration of PTE exam

The total duration of PTE exam is 3- hours, conducted at a stretch without any break.

PTE Exam Format

A PTE exam comprises four sections namely Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.

An entire PTE question paper consists of 20 kinds of questions.

Here is a look at the test format of PTE exam as elaborated in the official Pearson website:

PART 1: SPEAKING & WRITING (77 – 93 minutes)

• Personal Introduction
• Read aloud
• Repeat sentence
• Describe image
• Re-tell lecture
• Answer short question
• Summarize written text
• Essay (20 minutes)

PART 2: READING (32 – 41 minutes)

• Re-order paragraphs
• Fill in the blanks
• Fill in the blanks
• Multiple choice questions
• Multiple choice questions
• A ten minute break is optional

PART 3: LISTENING (45 – 57 minutes)

• Highlight the correct summary
• Multiple choice questions
• Select missing word
• Highlight incorrect words
• Summarize spoken text
• Multiple choice questions
• Fill the blanks
• Write from dictation

The PTE exam is conducted on a computer in a secured test center, notified in prior to the examinee from the official website. A private booth is allotted from where you can hear other PTE test examinees but not look at them. Students are also provided with a headphone for the PTE Listening section.

The PTE exam is conducted 363 days in a year in more than 50 countries across the globe, which definitely makes it accessible for all kinds of students.

Indian cities where the PTE exam is conducted includes –

• Ahmadabad
• Bangalore
• Chandigarh
• Chennai
• Cochin
• Coimbatore
• Delhi / New Delhi
• Hyderabad
• Jalandhar
• Kolkata
• Mumbai
• Nagpur
• Patiala
• Pune
• Rajkot
• Vijayawada

The benefit taking up the PTE exam is, its score is accepted by Australian Government and UK Border Agency for Visa applications.  All universities of New Zealand accept PTE score. Also, many universities accept the PTE score for English eligibility in countries like UK, Australia, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland. Universities like Harvard, London Business School,  Stanford Graduate School of Business, Yale and INSEAD accept the PTE score. Official statistics confirm the acceptance of PTE score by 6000 organizations.

To prepare for PTE exam, you can start with PTE Academic online scored practice test available in the official website of Pearson.

Test tutorials and videos are also offered by Pearson for easy preparation of PTE exam.

For official PTE providers in India please click here.

On the PTE test day, for a secured exam procedure, the following three steps are mandatory. These are conducted at the very start of PTE exam:

a) Digital signature

b) Digital photo

c) Digital palm scan

The score scale of PTE exam is between 10 – 90.

The entire PTE exam is machine – scored. As the exam is machine – scored, there is only two kinds Correct or Incorrect. The machine scoring is mainly for accuracy and also faster delivery of score than human marking system.

PTE FAQs

a) Is PTE a complete computerized test?

Yes, PTE is a complete computerized test where all four sections (Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking) are to be cleared by answering through computer only.

b) How many times can I apply for PTE exam?

PTE exam can be appeared as many number of times a student wishes to. However, every exam has to be completed with results and then application for the next test is valid.

c) How is the official Pearson PTE training conducted?

The official Pearson PTE training happens online, over Skype.

d) Is there negative marking in PTE exam?

Of all the 20 kinds of questions, in three of them, there is scope of negative marking.

e) What is the difference between IELTS and PTE Speaking section?

In IELTS Speaking test, there is a live examiner who tests the student. In PTE, students have to speak to a microphone which is recorded and analyzed later for scoring.

f) What is the unique test feature of PTE exam?

When appearing for PTE exam over computer, one can only move forward to the next levels and not move back to alter or change their previous answers.

g) How is time management in PTE exam?

The total time of a PTE exam is 3-hours. When you appear for the test, look at the right hand top corner of your computer machine. It will display your test timing and time left in hand. This helps PTE examinees to keep pace during their exam.

Books for PTE exam

The Official Guide to the Pearson Test of English (Pearson Tests of English)
A must aid while preparing for PTE exam, this can be bought from the official PTE website. This is also sold by Amazon. You can try book stores near you to get this book.

Pearson Test of English Academic Practice (Practice Tests Plus) by Dell/Chandler / Silva / Cotterill
This book has been counted helpful by prior PTE examinees as in the CD you get to hear student experiences. Also, the list of PTE exam tips in this book is sure to grab your attention.

Wiley’s PTE Advantage for Academic Module (WIND) by Betterthink – A TCY Program
This is only for those taking the PTE Academic test and comes with three mock test papers that you can solve for a real time experience of PTE exam.

PTE Academic Testbuilder (with Audio CD Pack) (Macmillan Testbuilders)
Along with the book you get a CD and software, both of which will stimulate your PTE exam preparation. The CD focuses especially on Reading and Speaking section of PTE exam.

Conquer the PTE Exam by Burch
This book is also a helpful aid during your PTE exam preparation days.

You can also use the following correspondence details of Pearson (for Indian students), to know more about PTE exam refer their official website.  :