Has the recent news that the UK Government is introducing two year post-study work visas for international students made you consider studying there?
Then take PTE Academic to help you get on your way.
PTE Academic is the Secure English Language Test which is accepted by over 98% of UK universities and colleges and has the quickest turn around of results – so far this year scores have been returned in 1.2 days on average.
Not just that:
Testing is available year-round, you can book online and up to 24 hours in advance.
The test itself is done in one single sitting and lasts a maximum of three hours.
You can submit your score to as many Institutions as you like at no cost.
The test is fully computer-based and we believe it is the most accurate and impartial English language test.
Comprehensive test preparation materials are available online and via an app – meaning you can practice as and when to suit your schedule.
So, what are you waiting for? Click here to find out how to book the PTE Academic test and the list of UK institutions which accept us.
If you want to study abroad or migrate, PTE Academic is the fastest English test available. You can book your test up to 24 hours before and get your results online within 5 business days.
Use your results as evidence of your English skill when applying to enroll in academic programs around the world. You can also use your test results when applying for all Australian and New Zealand migration and student visas.
Find out why
Click on the infographic below to find out why PTE Academic is the leading computer-based English test for international study and migration.
Have you ever dreamt of migrating to Australia for work or study? As one of the world’s most attractive places to both work and live, you’re not alone, however, there are a number of things to keep in mind before you start planning to apply for jobs in Australia.
Let’s explore some of the major things that you need to keep in mind when looking to find work in Australia.
Organizing your visa In order to legally apply for work in Australia, you’re going to need a visa that gives you permission to enter the country with a view to seeking employment.
It’s important to remember that the appropriate visa depends on your career type and industry that you’re applying to. To understand what visa applies to your specific skills, use the visa finder on the government’s Home Affairs site.
Learn the culture The workplace culture in Australia is unique for many reasons. Whilst Australian’s are known to be laid-back, this isn’t to be confused with their approach to hard work. Australian’s work hard though also have strict workplace laws that protect the health and wellbeing of all employees.
Australian’s like to keep things casual in the workplace and its common that everyone is encouraged to speak up during meetings. This can cause culture shock for those that migrate from countries where the workplace hierarchy dictates your ability to speak up.
In demand skills As with all countries, certain professions are in demand in Australia. It’s important to remember that seasonality can impact the demand for certain jobs at different times of the year so it’s important to do your own research to understand job availability in your specific area of expertise.
Choosing where to work in Australia If you’re looking to migrate to Australia for work, you’ve probably done some research on where you’d like to live. The major capital cities in Australia are:
Adelaide, South Australia
Brisbane, Queensland
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Hobart, Tasmania
Melbourne, Victoria
Perth, Western Australia
Sydney, New South Wales
Whilst Sydney is best known for tourism, each capital city has a unique look and feel and all have unique attributes. The major Australian universities are largely spread across Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne and the two most dominant cities for professional careers are Sydney and Melbourne.
Writing a resume and cover letter
It’s a common misconception that applying for a job in a new country requires a unique resume and cover letter style. Whilst there isn’t a specific formula when applying for a job in Australia, it’s important to consider that an employer in Australia may not have any context around the businesses that you’ve worked with in your home country. As a result, it’s a good idea to ensure that this context is shared in your cover letter to ensure that key skills aren’t overlooked.
Applying for jobs in Australia
As is the case in virtually all major job markets, applying for jobs in Australia is largely an online experience. The Australian market has a number of major job listing sites and it’s on these sites that you’ll also be required to file job applications. In addition to the major job listing sites, LinkedIn is commonly used in Australia for connecting with recruiters and applying for jobs too, however, this can vary depending on your job category and what you’re hoping to apply for.
The most appropriate site to apply for jobs really depends on what industry you’re applying for, so it’s best to do your own research to find what job site best suits your needs.
Are you thinking of taking PTE Academic, or have you recently taken it, but you are wondering how it is that a computer can mark your test?
Well, firstly the test has been designed by humans, all leading experts in their field. Our human experts design and write the questions, quality assure them and then score them. At this point, computers are trained to use the patterns of highly trained language experts to attribute scores to questions. When the computer marks correlate highly with the human scores, we then allow the computer to mark test scripts from across the world.
As a result of our processes and technology, the computer behaves like an expert human examiner – but without any possible bias, lack of concentration or variation between individual examiners.
The scoring criteria are exactly the same as human scoring – test takers are marked on their delivery, clarity, relevance, accuracy of grammar and appropriateness of vocabulary.
Want to hear more? Take a couple of minutes and listen to one of our leading independent advisors, Dr Alistair Van Moere, a member of Pearson’s Technical Advisory Group, as he explains how it all works.
Practice on the go with the free PTE Academic Official Practice App
We know that preparing for PTE Academic takes time and effort, and how important it is to have the option to prepare wherever you are. The new PTE Academic Official Practice App is a valuable free addition to the range of test preparation resources. The App prioritizes the key practice activities every test taker needs to focus on, and offers the support needed as test day approaches, all conveniently on your mobile IOS device.
Choosing to study or migrate abroad is a big decision and may require you to demonstrate your skills in English.
The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) is widely trusted by universities, colleges, and governments around the world. Taking PTE Academic can create opportunities for you around the world.
If you are taking the test for the first time, study each part of the test thoroughly to demonstrate your English skills as best you can.
Even people that consider themselves to be fluent in English need to prepare as they can sometimes score fewer points than they should have as they have not prepared.
PTE Academic has launched a brand new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC); ‘Introduction to PTE Academic’, which is available free of charge to all users.
The course is designed to familiarise candidates with the test structure and question types for PTE Academic through video guidance and online practice.The course was developed in partnership with E2Language, a global online test preparation and tuition provider for PTE Academic and other English language assessments.
Dan Doyle, PTE Academic Vice President Product Management and Delivery, explains, “This course suits anyone who is unfamiliar with PTE Academic and needs to understand the essentials about what it is they are likely to face in the test in just a few short hours.”
Jarrad Merlo ( Jay), Co-founder of E2Language, further states “Candidates often don’t know which test to take. This MOOC will give candidates a very quick overview of PTE Academic and the information they need to make the right choice for them.”
The course is equally useful for any teachers or Higher Education Institutions who are considering preparing their students for PTE Academic.
Throughout the course Jay briefly offers guidance to on how they should respond to the example questions presented. The course simulates each of the questions types in PTE Academic allowing users to try out their own techniques for attempting the questions before receiving guidance.
After completing the course users are encouraged to undertake further preparation in order to maximize their chances of achieving their desired score on the test. Candidates can choose from a wide range of quality PTE Academic self-study resources including books, a mobile phone app for practice on the go and a fully Scored Practice Test – which gives an indicator of how they may perform on the test. For alternative preparation resources and tutor-lead support, PTE Academic has a range of preparation partners including E2Language to help provided targeted preparation based on where help is needed.
If you want to migrate to Australia or New Zealand you may be required to sit an English test as part of your visa application. Or you may need to sit a test as part of a skills assessment or for professional registration.
The question is “which test should I take?”
There are a range of language tests you can choose from. However the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) is the market leader in computer based English language testing. PTE Academic is delivered entirely on a computer and then scored by a computer, using Pearson’s automated scoring technology.
The PTE Academic English test is accepted by Australia’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and Immigration New Zealand (INZ) for all visa applications. This includes Permanent Residency, Employer Sponsored/Work Visas and Student Visas.
Further, PTE Academic is accepted by most Australian skills assessment authorities and professional registration bodies including:
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMAC)
Certified Practicing Accountants Australia (CPA Australia)
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
Australian Computer Society (ACS)
Engineers Australia
How does PTE Academic’s technology help me?
You will sit PTE Academic on a computer in one of Pearson’s secure test centers. Pearson then uses its automated scoring technology to ensure that your English skills are assessed with complete fairness. Your responses are scored objectively and consistently, no matter where in the world the test is taken, so it doesn’t matter where a test taker comes from or what they look like.
The use of the automated scoring technology also allows PTE Academic to deliver test results typically within 5 business days, in comparison to other English languages tests which take 2-3 weeks.
Where can I take the test?
Booking PTE Academic is a simple online process. Simply choose one of our 240+ test centers in over 50 countries, then select a convenient test time and date. We test 365 days of the year around the world.
Plus you can also schedule your test up to 24 hours in advance where seats are available.
Interested in studying abroad?
When studying abroad in a course taught in English, you will often need to prove how your English language skills. With PTE Academic you can apply to thousands of universities and colleges around the world including:
All universities in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, including all New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics.
All TAFE and Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics in Australia and New Zealand.
Prestigious institutions such as Stanford University, Harvard University, and Imperial College London accept PTE Academic scores.
In the USA, Canada, UK, Singapore and Europe, PTE Academic is continuing to grow.
You can view a complete list of institutions that accept PTE Academic on the website.
Pearson awarded government commercial agreements to provide test of English for people applying to work or live in the UK
Test-takers in India will now be able to take PTE for UK work and study visa applications
LONDON 16 DECEMBER 2019 10am: Pearson, the world’s learning company, today announced it has been awarded commercial agreements from the UK Home Office to provide Secure English Language Tests (SELTs) to people who need to demonstrate their English language skills to work or live in the UK.
Running for a minimum of three years, the commercial agreements will be delivered through the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic and PTE Home - a new speaking and listening test for family visa, settlement and citizenship applicants. Both these English language tests have been internally developed by Pearson.
PTE Academic is one of the fastest growing products in Pearson and is a strategic growth priority for the company, posting 30% growth in test volumes last year. The test is already accepted by the Australian and New Zealand governments for all visa applications. It is also accepted by 100% of Australian, New Zealand and Irish Universities, 98% of UK universities, and more than 2,000 academic programmes in the USA.
The fully digital test is delivered through Pearson VUE, the computer-based testing business of Pearson. The latest AI technology is used for scoring; biometric data collection provides enhanced security measures and voice recognition software is applied for the speaking element of the test. These cutting-edge technologies ensure the provision of an impartial and highly accurate test of people’s English language proficiency.
Furthermore, test takers can book online up to 24 hours in advance, take advantage of year-round worldwide testing slots and receive their results quickly - 1.2 days the average so far for 2019.
Rod Bristow, President of Pearson UK, said: “We are proud that the UK Government joins the Australian and New Zealand Governments in recognising this test for visa applications, alongside thousands of leading universities across the globe who already accept it for study purposes - including most UK universities.
“Alongside this, our new English language test PTE Home has also been accepted by the UK Government for those who need to prove their speaking and listening skills when applying for family visas, for instance.”
Commenting on this development, Ramananda Sg, Vice President- Sales and Marketing, Pearson India said, "We at Pearson recognize that there is a huge demand for the Indian students to prove their English Language proficiency whether it is for higher studies or finding work. With UK Government recently reinstating the 2-year post-study work visa, the UK as the destination to study abroad has gained prominence in India. PTE's recognition for the UK is perfectly timed to provide fast, fair, accurate and flexible English assessment option to the Indian learners."
The SELT tests are focused on immigration requirements and the details are as follows:
PTE Academic (UKVI) - a four skills language test accepted for work (and certain study) visas. It tests speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
PTE Home - a two skills language test accepted for family, settlement or citizenship applications. It tests speaking and listening skills.
In Australia, where PTE Academic has been approved for visa applications since 2014, the number of visa applications approved last year for entry were above half a million.
Furthermore, to date, hundreds of thousands of SELTs have been taken each year by individuals seeking to apply for a visa to study, work, visit or join family in the UK, where evidence of English language ability at a specific level is required.
This represents an exciting opportunity for PTE Academic, which will start delivering these tests in early 2020 and will be one of four approved suppliers.
PTE Academic currently has more than 250 test centres in over 50 countries, with its test centre network and global coverage due to rapidly expand to more than 110 countries during the early stages of the commercial agreements - and now including PTE Home.
With thousands of universities across the globe offering overseas students a chance at personal, academic and professional growth, it is no wonder that many students aspire to study abroad. However, due to the high cost of gaining such an education, it is extremely important conduct thorough re-search before choosing a university. Let’s look at some of the factors that should be kept in mind before applying abroad:
Your budget: Studying abroad can be expensive. Thus, it is crucial to know how much you are willing to spend and set a budget for the same. The key thing to keep in mind here is that expense does not always translate into quality and quality does not always mean an Ivy League University. One can get quality foreign education at prices that suit you and your parent’s budget at a lesser known college.
Availability of scholarships: Many universities offer international scholar-ships to students depending on multiple factors such as financial situation, academics and more. It is worth looking into them in order to ease the finan-cial burden of studying abroad.
Speak to other students: Once you have decided on the college or university you wish to attend, reach out to the students who have already studied or are studying in that institution. Many colleges offer online forums so that those who wish to study there can interact with the alumni and current stu-dents to get a fair idea about the institute and make a decision. This can also help in allaying any fears or queries related to studying abroad.
Required documents: Research the documents and paperwork required at your desired university and keep them in one place. Almost every country requires students to undertake an English proficiency test like PTE Academic. So, one needs to practice and sit for the same. Do keep in mind that some countries would require you to undertake a medical check-up. Knowing what is required of you and having a good knowledge of the steps involved the application process smoother.
Consult your bank: It is always wise to inform your bank about your potential temporary migration to prevent them from freezing your debit or credit card accidentally. While your international cards may hold good for the first few days, one should open a local bank account upon arrival for easier transac-tions.
Exposure to new cultures, new methods of learning and a sense of inde-pendence are some of the reasons why studying abroad is a good idea. Keeping these factors in mind can help you choose the right college as per your educational needs, while reducing stress and the hassle that follows.
