Choosing the right General English test: How PTE Core compares

PTE Author
PTE Author
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PTE Core, our brand new general English test, is approved by the Canadian Government (IRCC) for all economic visa categories, including citizenship and permanent residency.  

Choosing the right English test for you is important. A core factor in your decision will be how the test meets the score requirements set by the IRCC.   

We have carried out comprehensive research to ensure that PTE Core correlates to the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). You can take a closer look in our alignment report (PDF, 833KB).

However, there are many other things to consider when finding the best test for you. For example, how quickly you need to receive your results? Are you in a rush to take your test? Do you want your speaking skills to be assessed by a human examiner or not?  

So, to make it easier for you to decide which test is right for you, we have put together a handy summary of how PTE Core compares to IELTS General and CELPIP.  

Booking a test

PTE Core is the fastest way to prove your English language skills. Book quickly, up to 24 hours in advance. There are frequent test dates and 475+ test centers around the world.

  PTE Core IELTS General CELPIP General Test
Registration and booking Online or by phone up to 24 hours in advance Online or in person, up to 3 days in advance Online or by mail, up to 24 hours in advance
Appointment availability Appointments are available up to 365 days (about 12 months) a year Paper-based test available 48 fixed dates throughout year  Computer-based test available up to 7 days a week Appointments are available 5 days a week (Wednesday to Sunday)
Locations Multiple locations worldwide in over 100 countries Multiple locations worldwide in over 100 countries Test currently available in 25 countries

The test

PTE Core is the faster, fairer, simpler way to assess your General English skills. It assesses all 4 skills in just 2 hours and you will typically receive your results within 48 hours. There is no separate speaking test with a human examiner, so you are judged on your English skills and nothing else.

  PTE Core IELTS General CELPIP General Test
Duration 2 hours 2 hours and 45 minutes 3 hours
Number of test sittings One test sitting Two test sittings One test sitting
Skills assessed
  • Listening  
  • Reading  
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Listening
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Speaking (separate face-to-face test)
  • Listening
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Speaking
Content Content based on everyday life situations and sources

Speaking and Listening sections use Academic content from IELTS Academic test

Reading and Writing sections use content from everyday life situations and sources

 Content based on everyday life situations and sources
Accents PTE scoring engines are trained to recognize 126 accents with accuracy Speaking test assessed by human examiner so range of accents recognized varies Speaking test assessed by human examiner so range of accents recognized varies

Results

With PTE Core you will typically* receive your results within 48 hours of sitting the test and you can share your scores with an unlimited number of organizations for free.

  PTE Core IELTS General CELPIP General Test
Typical score turnaround Results typically* within 2 business days

Paper-based test results within 13 business days

Computer-based test results within 3-5 business days

 Results within 3-4 business days
Sharing results

Share directly from secure portal

Unlimited number of shares for free

Paper-based test: share via post with up to 5 organizations for free

Paper-based test: additional shares incur processing fees

Computer-based test: unlimited shares included

Shared directly from portal up to 5 organizations included

Additional shares incur processing fees
Scoring scale

Scores from 10-90  

Correlation to CLB available

Scores from 1-9 

Correlation to CLB available

Scores from 0-12 

Correlation to CLB available
Scores valid for 2 years 2 years 2 years

*Typical means in over 95% of instances. Some results may take longer due to security checks or other score validation processes.

What our customers say about PTE Core

"As a new test, PTE Core has made a very good impression. It's fast and efficient, but you need to prepare for it, same as you would for any other test." Oleh, Canada

"I was happy with my score. It was a very positive experience. Results are quick which helps us to think about our future plans." Deepshikha, Canada

"Taking PTE Core was a positive experience because it allowed me to demonstrate my English proficiency accurately and efficiently." Gunjan, Canada

Book your PTE Core test now

Ready to book your faster, fairer, simpler PTE Core test?

Book PTE Core

 

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    10. Inception (2010)

    This movie should be on your list if you are focusing on advanced language learning. The language and the plot are both really complex. You will be exposed to advanced vocabulary and narratives which are really thought-provoking.

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    More ways to prep

    Ready to prepare for your English language test? Explore Smart Prep, which combines all our practice materials in one place, so it's easier for you to stay on track with your PTE preparation.

    • Smart Prep is a clear path to test day, guiding you through the official paid and free resources available for your test

    • It can be accessed whether you’ve booked a test or not – just create, or sign in to your myPTE account

    • Preparation materials include guided practice tests, introductory videos, video courses and test tips.

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    Smart Prep brings all our free and paid preparation into one convenient place, so you can mix and match to fit your unique needs. Perfect if you have booked your test and are not sure where to start with your preparation journey.

    Here are four top tips to help you get started:

    1. Explore Smart Prep

    All you need to do is set up your free myPTE account, and you will have access to all our free and official prep resources — so everything you need to be ready ace your test is at your fingertips.

    2. Use Scored Practice Tests to track your progress

    As close as you can get to the test without taking the real thing. Our unique Scored Practice Tests are just like a mock test and are marked in the same way as your PTE test. So you can see how you score and then focus on the areas you need to improve.

    With five to choose from, we recommend you use them throughout your prep journey to check your progress.

    3. Practice with 300+ questions

    Practice makes perfect and our PTE Academic Question Bank is packed full of questions with model answers, plus samples for speaking and writing. So you have plenty of opportunity to practice before the real thing.

    4. Read our handbook and Score Guide

    Finally, don’t forget to download our free PTE Academic Handbook and Score Guide.

    The handbook covers everything you need to know about taking PTE Academic - from how to prepare and test day policies, to how to retake your test if necessary.

    And, the PTE Score Guide helps you understand things like what you’re graded on, how automated scores work, and how our scores compare with those of other English language tests.

    Ready to achieve your dreams?

    PTE is more than an English language test. It’s your ticket to studying abroad.