The Pearson Test of English Academic is all set
to attract more takers. Hear it from Carl Rhymer.
S. Dipak Ragav:
For students wanting to pursue higher studies in English-speaking
nations, the TOEFL (for U.S. universities) and IELTS (for U.K., Australian
universities) have for long been the two options as language proficiency tests.
About three years ago, Pearson group, one of the world’s leading Education
company, came out with their own English language test called the Pearson Test
of English (PTE) Academic in 2009.
In over three years, PTE Academic
has managed to find wide acceptance amongst most universities in the U.K. and
Australia. Global sales director of Pearson Language Tests Carl Rhymer was in
Chennai recently. He spoke exclusively to The Hindu Education Plus about
PTE, Indian students’ performance in the global examination scenario and more.
You have been associated with
global exams for nearly two decades. How have Indian students fared over the
years?
Indian students are doing a very
good job. Over time their language ability and performance in exams have been
improving year on year. They realise their importance of maximising study
opportunities and invest their time and efforts in preparing themselves for
examinations. Globally, Indian students perform pretty well against other
nationalities.
What are the salient features of
PTE and what are the advantages for students?
One main thing is convenience. It’s
easy to register and students can apply very close to exam day and can get their
results in five working days. The test is done in three hours in one sitting and
there is no need to come back another day.
Also, this test is the most
relevant to the studies. All materials are real lectures or journals and not
recorded in studios. It better prepares and mirrors what they do in classroom.
The other area is we are the fairest as we use automated scoring for tests.
Read More.....
PTE Academic measures
your English ability by testing your level of English through tasks
which reflect real-life settings.
Test timings
PTE Academic is 3 hours long and is split into timed parts.
When the time is up on the section, the test will move on automatically.
There are 20 different types of task. Some tasks will test intergrated
skills (e.g. reading AND speaking).
Introduction: untimed
We ask you to introduce yourself. This section is not assessed.
Speaking and writing: 77 –
93 minutes
Reading: 32 – 41 minutes
Break: 10 minutes
The break is optional.
Listening: 45 – 57 minutes
The timings shown are variable. The test
will always last 3 hours in total.
Booking
You can register online for the
test 48 hours in advance
You must visit a Pearson test
center to take the test of English
You do not need any special
computer skills. We recommend taking one of our
practice tests to get used to moving through tasks.
You can also watch the
tutorial on our website.
PTE Academic is taken using
a QWERTY keyboard, where the letters on the top line
spell out 'QWERTY'. IF you are not used to this type of
keyboard, it may help to practice with one before you
take the test.
Enter as such of your name
as you can. Then
contact us so we know there will be a difference
between the name you register with and the name on your
ID.
All your personal data is
collected, transmitted and stored in a safe and secure
way. We will only use the information you enter for
expressly stated purposes.
Please complete and
return this form only if you have been advised to do so
by customer service.
Depending on the nature
of your request, it may take up to 6 weeks to process
your application. Therefore, please ensure that you
leave sufficient time before the date on which you would
like to take the test. Please refer to page 7 of the
test taker handbook.
If you fail to turn up to
your appointment you will not generally receive a
refund.
You may
recieve a partial refund if you cancel your test before
the appointment date.
For your best change of
a refund, contact the
customer service team in your region. In some
circumstances we will try to reschedule your test free
of charge.
Your ID needs to
be a valid, non-expired and government-issued.
It must:
show your name in
Roman characters (A-Z)
show a recognizable
photograph
show your signature
In many countries, a
passport is the only acceptable form of
identification. Some countries enforce stricter measures
– see pg.10 of the
Test Taker Handbook before your test.
Palm vein recognition scans
the veins inside your hand to create a digital template
that represents your palm vein pattern. Everyone’s veins
are different, just like a fingerprint, this allows us
to check your identity.
To use the palm vein
scanner, you simply hold your hand in place above the
scanner for a few seconds. The scanner uses a
near-infrared light source, similar to a remote control
– and you never touch the sensor.
Contact the relevant
customer service team as soon as you know you are
going to be late. If you arrive up to 15 minutes late
you may still be allowed to take it. You will still get
the full three hours to complete the test.
If you arrive over 15 minutes
late you will not be allowed to take the test and you
will lose your fee.
The personal introduction
is sent to institutions along with your test scores. It
gives them an extra way to check your identity, by
comparing your voice with the recording from the test.
Your personal introduction
is not assessed. It does not contribute to your test
score.
Research supports the idea
that automated scoring gives more analytical, objective
results than markers do.
Our automated scoring system is
impartial – it cannot be influenced by external factors
like your appearance, personality or body language.
Our automated scoring
system means you can be certain you are being judged
only on your language performance. And the
institutions you send your score to can be confident
your score is accurate and representative of your actual
English language ability.
Raise your hand and tell
the test administrator. They will do whatever they can
to help and will ensure the problem is recorded.
Make sure you tell the test
administrator about any problems you feel affect your
ability to complete the test. Without their record of
the problem, it is very hard for us to trace these
issues later on.
Please put your complaint
in writing and send it to your
local customer service team. We treat all complaints
seriously and always investigate them fully.
Download
the parental consent form
item
challenge form