Pearson Advances English Language Assessment with Enhanced PTE Test

PTE Author
PTE Author
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LONDON: 10 July 2025 – Pearson (FTSE: PSON.L), the world’s lifelong learning company, today announces enhancements to the Pearson Test of English (PTE), bringing new advances in secure, accurate, and trusted assessment.

Starting in August 2025, PTE Academic will introduce two new speaking tasks: “Respond to a Situation” and “Summarize a Group Discussion”. These additions precisely assess how test takers communicate in real-world situations, demonstrating key skills needed for academic and professional success.

The scoring model is also being enhanced, with advanced AI working alongside human experts to better detect copied or unoriginal responses.

To help test takers perform at their best, Pearson has introduced new preparation resources tailored to the enhanced PTE Academic, including scored practice tests, PTE expert courseware, test taker webinars, and video content.

Trusted fundamentals remain

The core features of PTE remain: it is fully computer-based, primarily AI scored, and delivers fast results, typically within two days. The test continues to be trusted by more than 3,500 institutions and millions of learners worldwide.

Growth in global test center network

PTE’s secure test center network continues to expand worldwide, with 30 centers opened so far in 2025, bringing the total to 517 locations. New openings across Canada, China, Australia, India, Vietnam, and 12 other countries are supporting growth in key migration and study abroad markets.

Sharon Hague, President of English Language Learning at Pearson, said:

“As English becomes ever more important for global education, careers, and migration, we are investing in the future of assessment. We know that English tests must reflect the skills people need to thrive in academic and professional settings and deliver results institutions can trust when the stakes are high. We’re responding with enhanced test security and new tasks that better reflect real-world communication. And because these are life-changing moments for test takers, we’re providing new preparation tools to help them feel confident and ready on test day.”

Helping more learners take the next step

Pearson’s latest investments meet the different needs of governments, institutions, and learners worldwide, as part of an ongoing programme of innovation and development.

Enhancements to PTE Academic take effect from August 7, 2025, with further information available on our information page.


About Pearson

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That's why our c. 18,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world's lifelong learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. Visit us at pearsonplc.com.

Media contact: ellen.clark@pearson.com

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    London, 22 June 2022: Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, has announced that its Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic can now be taken by people around the globe looking to practice nursing and other healthcare-related roles in the United States. 

    The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, has recently added PTE to its list of approved English Language testing services for foreign healthcare workers.  

    PTE can now be taken by workers who want to come to the US to work in one of the identified seven non-physician health professions, which include registered nurses, licensed practical or vocation nurses, and clinical and medical technicians. 

    Giovanni Giovannelli, President, English Language Learning, Pearson, said: “We know there is a huge demand for nurses worldwide, with an estimated near-three million overseas healthcare workers in the US alone in 2021. 

    “We also know the US is a highly sought-after destination for foreign health workers worldwide, including from the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Jamaica and Mexico. 

    “With this in mind, we are delighted that PTE Academic has been added as a recognized English Language test by HRSA, helping us boost this vital profession by offering a new testing option for nurses who want to further their career in the USA.” 

    Following this approval, PTE Academic has been added to CGFNS International’s system for verification. CGFNS International is an immigration neutral, nonprofit, mission-driven organization that helps foreign educated healthcare professionals live and work in their country of choice by assessing and validating their academic and professional credentials. They are the only organization approved by the United States Department of Homeland Security to validate the credentials of seven foreign healthcare professions for occupational visas. 

    Furthermore, PTE can now be used by U.S state Boards of Nursing that recognize the test for licensure purposes. 

    As part of their visa application process, healthcare workers are able to take PTE Academic at one of the 87 test centers across the USA, or from a choice of over 380 centers in 115 countries.  

    Globally, PTE Academic is accepted by several medical agencies, including the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC), and the Graduate Entry Medical School Admissions System (GEMSAS). 

    ENDS 

    About Pearson 

    At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to add life to a lifetime of learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That’s why our 20,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world’s leading learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. For us, learning isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are. Visit us pearsonplc.com

    About PTE Academic 

    PTE Academic is an English Language proficiency exam used for study and work visas and is accepted by the Australian, New Zealand, and UK governments and over 3,000 universities and colleges worldwide. It takes two hours to complete, and test takers typically receive results in less than 48 hours. 

    Read more about HRSA

    Read more about CGFNS

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    Talent Beyond Boundaries is the first organization in the world to focus on pioneering talent mobility for refugees as a complementary solution to traditional humanitarian resettlement.

    Anyone displaced by the crisis in Ukraine, or anywhere around the world, can register on the Talent Catalog to be considered for international employment and skilled visa opportunities.

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    ENDS

    At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to add life to a lifetime of learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That’s why our c.20,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world’s leading learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. For us, learning isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are. Visit us at pearsonplc.com

    Pearson Media Contact: Heather Gilmore heather.gilmore@pearson.com

    TBB Media Contact: Jessie Mawson jmawson@talentbeyondboundaries.org

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    International postgraduate applicants researching their options in the UK will now find it easier to access information on, study for, and take an English language test.

    Pearson and UCAS International have joined forces to introduce the Pearson Test of English (PTE) into Myriad by UCAS, giving second language-speaking students the opportunity to learn about and schedule their English language skills assessment in the same place as they are conducting their research into master’s degree courses.

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    Shileen Costain, Director of Global Business Development for PTE, Pearson, said: “More than 200,000 postgraduate students started their studies in the UK in 2021.

    “With many of these coming from non-native English-speaking countries we are proud to partner up with UCAS International to offer PTE as an English language test for all these students who need to prove their proficiency levels. 

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    ENDS

    UCAS Press Office  contact details

    Pearson Press Office contact details 

    Media Relations - media@pearson.com

    About Myriad by UCAS

    Myriad by UCAS connects the world to UK higher education by providing a single postgraduate gateway under the trusted UCAS brand. International students can search courses, research universities, make applications, get matched to scholarship and funding opportunities, and find jobs and accommodation all within one app. 

    About UCAS

    UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, is an independent charity, and the UK's shared admissions service for higher education. 

    Our services support young people making post-18 choices, as well as mature learners, by providing information, advice, and guidance to inspire and facilitate educational progression to university, college or a degree apprenticeship. 

    We manage almost three million applications, from around 700,000 people each year, for full-time undergraduate courses at over 380 universities and colleges across the UK. 

    We also provide a wide range of research, consultancy and advisory services to schools, colleges, careers services, professional bodies and employers, including apprenticeships. 

    We’re a successful and fast-growing organisation, which helps hundreds of thousands of people every year. We're committed to delivering a first-class service to all of our customers – they're at the heart of everything we do. 

    About Pearson

    At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to add life to a lifetime of learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That’s why our c.20,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world’s leading learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. For us, learning isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are. Visit us at pearsonplc.com