We have test centers in over 115 countries. Choose a test to find your nearest test center and next available test slot.
For global study, visa applications to Australia and New Zealand, and professional registration.
For IRCC permanent residency (PR) and citizenship applications in Canada.
A four-skills test for work visas and below non-degree study in the UK.
Two-skills tests for joining family, visa extentions, or citizenship in the UK.
I want to access to...
myPTE account
Book a test or check your existing bookings and scores
or
In Part 1 of PTE Academic, you will require many core English skills to pass. It is very important that you prepare and look at ways you can maximize your score.
We’ve put together some tips to help based on each question type.
In the Read Aloud question type, you will be scored based on content, oral fluency and pronunciation.
As part of this question type, you will need to speak aloud and say all the words in the correct order.
Here are some tips to help maximize your chances of receiving points:
Make sure you do not replace any words, leave any words out or add any. If you make a mistake and try to correct it, it will be counted as added words.
Once prompted, you must speak into the microphone right away and read with a smooth, easy natural speed. Try not to speak too fast or too slow.
Use English rhythm with chunking and sentence stress used correctly.
Try not to hesitate or repeat words as you will lose points.
The Repeat Sentence question type is scored based on the same elements as the Read Aloud question type: content, oral fluency and pronunciation.
Here are some tips to help gain points in this question type:
Say all of the words in the exact same order. Do not rush.
Do not use the Erasable Noteboard Booklet, keep the sentence in your head.
It’s easier to keep the sentence in your mind if you understand the meaning. Try to understand the meaning.
If unsure of a word the speaker used, say what you think you heard.
Do not speak too fast or slow.
Similar to read aloud, use English rhythm with chunking and sentence stress. You will also lose points in this question type if you hesitate, repeat words or stumble to start.
Speak with the sounds of an English speaker and copy the intonation pattern of the speaker, but do not change your accent.
In the Describe Image question type, you will be scored based on content, oral fluency and pronunciation.
To be able to describe the image, you will need to understand it as it could be a graph, picture, map, chart or table. Always read the title and make sure you understand the parts that make up the image.
Some extra tips include:
Use the Erasable Noteboard Booklet to take notes about the image, which you can use in your answer. For example, if the image is a graph, chart or table, is there a trend you can comment on? If it’s a map or picture, what are the important features?
Include all aspects and elements of the image in your answer.
Start with a general statement about the image then summarize the most important points.
If there are words on the image you want to use but are unsure how to pronounce them, don’t worry, just say them how you think they should be said.
Try using connector words to link the information you give. For example, use words such as: also, however, as or besides.
You can receive up to 5 points based on your content. In order to score above 1, you will need to include the relationships between parts of the image, possible developments and conclusions or implications of the information in the image.
Don’t forget to talk with a smooth, natural speed at all times during the speaking test.
In total, there are five speaking sections of Part 1: Speaking and Writing.
We recommend that you read more about the other question types such as Re-tell Lecture and Short Answer Question types and learn how to pick up points for these.
Smart Prep brings all our free and paid preparation into one convenient place, so you can mix and match to fit your unique needs.
Smart Prep provides 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.
Plus, 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.
Ready to get started?
PTE Academic is completed on a computer, including the speaking part of the test.
So make sure you are prepared by familiarizing yourself with the equipment you will use during your test. Reading these test tips and you will be fully prepared.
There are many ways you can improve your chances of gaining points in Part 2: Reading during PTE Academic.
To improve your reading skills, practice increasing your reading speed and comprehension at the same time. In turn, you will improve your writing, grammar and vocabulary skills.
To do well in this part of the test, you need to be able to read quickly, using effective reading strategies, as there is a limited time to answer all questions.
Speed reading tasks will help improve your reading speed. Practice speed reading every day and:
Aim to be reading at least 220 words per minute
Reading short articles of around 300 words
Read often for short periods of time
You can also try this as a challenge with your friends to help keep motivated. Once you are happy with your comprehension and speed, focus on chunks (groups of words) rather than individual words.
When your reading skills reach a level you are happy with, you will feel more confident to answer the questions.
In the Multiple-Choice, Single Answer question type, some test takers make the mistake of scan reading and matching the words in the text to the words in the answer. Generally, the words in the text are not used in the correct answer, therefore it is important to learn how to use synonyms and paraphrasing as it will be used in the test.
Learn how to improve your grammar in our Reading: Core Skills part 1 article.
In this question type, you will need more time than in the Multiple-Choice, Choose Single Answer question type, as you need to intensively read the stem (the part before the options) as well as the options, then scan read the text on the screen until you find the part of the text that contains information that was in the stem.
Read the options very carefully and match the meaning of the option with the text. Do not match the words – this is something test takers may make errors with.
You should also make sure not to choose all the options since you lose one point for each incorrect choice. However, you cannot score below zero.
To do well in the Re-order Paragraphs questions, you will need to have a strong understanding of cohesive devices and how they work. You will also need to understand how articles work, as well as the logical and chronological order of information.
In this question type, skim-read the text to get the ideas of the topic of the text. From there, you should read all the sentences carefully.
For both Fill in the Blanks and Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks question types, you will need to understand a range of vocabulary, collocations, grammar, pronouns, and cohesive devices, as well as being able to identify when plural nouns are needed.
You will also need to be able to skim read to get an idea of the meaning of the text, then read intensively before and after each blank. If unsure, you should guess based on the context.
Make sure you do not leave any spaces blank. You do not need to correctly fill in all spaces to get points.
To go back and review the question types within the reading test, we suggest learning more about the reading questions.
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.
Ready to get started?
Do you have your heart set on studying in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland? The UK is a wonderful place to live and learn, but you’ll most likely need to get a UK study visa before you start packing your bags.
This comprehensive guide covers who needs a UK student visa, the requirements for getting one, how to apply, how much it costs, and how long it takes.
If you’re an international student hoping to study in the UK, you’ll most likely need a student visa. The only exceptions are nationals of Switzerland and countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), who don’t need a visa to enter the UK. *
* Please note: The outcome of Brexit may alter this after 2020. Check the UK government’s website for up-to-date information about this.
There are several UK study visa requirements you’ll need to meet to successfully apply. These include:
You’ve been offered a place in a full-time course from an eligible university (i.e. the school must be a licensed Student route visa*Tier 4 sponsors)
You can understand English (both written and spoken)
You have enough funds to support yourself and any dependants, while also paying for the course.
These requirements apply to students from all over the world. This means the UK student visa requirements for Indian students and American students are exactly the same for Chinese students and Australian students (and so on).
