PTE Academic and Shorelight partner up to offer U.S. bound students greater choice of English testing

PTE Author
PTE Author
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Reading time: 2 minutes

London/ Boston, December 9th, 2019: Pearson, the world’s learning company, today announced a partnership with Shorelight, a leader in international education that provides life-changing experiences for international learners at U.S. universities.

The partnership will offer PTE Academic as an English language test option across Shorelight’s many programs, applicants, and partner universities. Shorelight partners with top-tier universities to build innovative degree programs and provide high-touch services that support students from the application process to graduation—and beyond.

PTE Academic is a leading global English language test, taken by people looking to study or work abroad who need to prove their English language skills for acceptance to university or for migration. It is already accepted by thousands of universities and academic programs in the USA, including Columbia, Harvard, NYU, Princeton, and Yale.

“We know PTE Academic is becoming the preferred test for many students,” said Meredith Stokes, US Recognition Director, PTE Academic. “Our partnership with Shorelight will enable us to reach wider numbers of USA-bound students and leading universities. Shorelight works with a wide-ranging partnership of leading U.S. universities, many of whom recognize PTE Academic already, and we look forward to partnering with them to open up the option of using our test across the others.”

“We are partnering with PTE Academic to give students access to as many channels as possible to take a secure English test,” said Ben Woody, Assistant Director, Admissions at Shorelight. “While PTE continues to grow their global footprint, our partnership will increase opportunities for students to discover, study and achieve a degree from top-ranked universities in the United States.”

Shorelight partners universities include: Adelphi University, American University, Auburn University, Cleveland State University, Florida International University, Louisiana State University, Mercer University, UCLA Extension, University of Central Florida, University of Dayton, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Kansas, University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Mississippi, University of New Hampshire, University of South Carolina, University of the Pacific, and the University of Utah.

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    Pearson and UCL launch AI research partnership
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    London, February 4, 2020: Pearson, the world’s learning company, and the UCL Institute of Education today launched a new three-year project collaboration looking at the role of AI in English Language assessment.

    The research will focus on test-takers end to end experience of taking PTE (Pearson’s leading high stakes test of English) for either study or migration purposes. This 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.

    The purpose of the research will be to ensure that global test-taker responses are fed back into the ongoing development and use of AI in assessment and to ensure the fairness, accuracy, and validity of these tests.

    Commissioned by the PTE research team, the project will be led by UCL Associate Professors Dr. Mary Richardson and Dr. Sandra Leaton-Gray.

    Dr. Mary Richardson said: “If you take an English oral exam, for example, you want a system that gives you the marks you deserve, whether you learned English originating from America, Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Malta, or Hong Kong. All those different, slightly subtle local variations in vocabulary and sentence structure need to be built into the assessment model, so you get a fair mark. This is where artificial intelligence can really help us.”

    Her views are echoed by Dr. Rose Clesham, Director of Academic Standards, Measurement, and Research for PTE: “Pearson has been working in the area of Artificial Intelligence in assessment for some time. There is a real potential to revolutionize the way people take low and high stakes tests, the way we mark them, and how we provide results and feedback. This new collaboration between PTE and the UCL Institute of Education will put our test takers right at the heart of the assessment process.”

    PTE Academic is one of the fastest-growing products in Pearson and is a strategic growth priority for the company, posting 17% growth in test volumes last year. The test is accepted by the UK, 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 programs in the USA.

    Alongside this, we have recently launched PTE Home, a two-skills language test accepted by the UK Government for family, settlement, or citizenship applications. It tests speaking and listening skills.

  • Image- UK flag, 800px x 451px
    Four more PTE centers in England approved for UK visas & immigration
    By PTE Author
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Pearson, the world’s learning company, has announced a further four test centers in England where people can take PTE as a Secure English Language Test (SELT) for UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) purposes.

    The locations are based in Leicester, Luton, Newcastle, and Oxford and bring the total number of UKVI approved PTE centers in the UK to 22. These centers are expected to open later in April.

    The tests will be delivered through the Pearson VUE test center network. Some UK test centers will not be operating at full capacity, due to current COVID-19 social distancing requirements, as mandated by the UK government and local authorities.

    Pearson VUE has also implemented proactive health and safety measures including, but not limited to, readily available hand sanitizer, increased sanitization in high touch areas, and the regular disinfection of testing workstations (completed between each test taker). These measures support the safety of both testing candidates and staff. Face masks are required at all Pearson VUE-owned test centers.

    Freya Thomas Monk, Senior Vice President of English Assessment, Pearson said: “We are always looking to expand our test center network. Our aim is to give candidates a wide choice of where they take their PTE exam.

    “We have chosen Luton, Leicester, Oxford and Newcastle to meet demand and be convenient for our customers and we are pleased to widen the opportunity to sit an English Language test for UK Visa purposes through either PTE Home or PTE Academic UKVI.”

    Pearson’s SELT tests are as follows:

    • PTE Academic (UKVI) – a four-skills language test accepted for work and study visas. It tests Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening skills.

    • PTE Home – a two-skills language test accepted for family, settlement, citizenship applications as well as Sportsperson and Representative of an Overseas Business applications. It tests speaking and listening skills.

    In total there are now 194 locations across the globe offering PTE for UKVI. Find prices and view all test centers.

    Read more information on the UK Home Office Visas and Immigration process.

    For media queries contact media@pearson.com

    Notes to Editors  

    The full list of UK locations are Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, London (Central x 2), London (North), London (West), Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Wolverhampton.

    About Pearson 

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