Why is the PTE Exam Getting Popular among Study Abroad Aspirants?

The PTE exam is currently in the news for being increasingly popular among study abroad aspirants as an English language test. In India alone, there were more than 1.8 million English assessment tests occurred. Moreover, the volume of PTE hiked by 50% in the world in 2023. This article will discuss the factors responsible for the same. In addition, there is an overview of the PTE test and its types. Let us first start by knowing what is PTE test, the PTE exam format, and what are its purposes.

Brief Overview of The PTE Exam

The PTE stands for Pearson’s Test of English and has 3 sections which are writing and speaking, listening, and reading. People from a non-English speaking country take this test to qualify to work or study in an English-speaking country. Different sections assess various abilities of a candidate’s English language. Therefore, the overall PTE score is what the institute considers. Unlike the IELTS exam pattern, the PTE exam format has the writing and speaking sections combined. The PTE test preparation also ensures that you get familiar with various accents.

This was all about the PTE test. Now, let us talk about its types and their purpose.

Types of PTE Exams and Their Purpose

There are three types of PTE exams. Each one of these tests has a different purpose. It means that candidates take these exams on different occasions. Yet, all of them are English language assessment tests. The three types of PTE exams are:

1. PTE General
2. PTE Academic
3. PTE Academic Online

These types are explained in detail below:

PTE General

The main purpose of taking the PTE General exam is to qualify to work or immigrate to a foreign country like the UK, US, Canada, or some other English-speaking country. The PTE general exam is held on 5 different levels. These five levels are linked to the CEFRL. PTE general has 2 sections which are writing and speaking. Despite having only two sections, PTE general is designed to assess your reading and listening skills as well. It is the writing part that consists of these skills. This type of PTE test is to get work and immigration visas in countries like Australia and New Zealand.

PTE Academic

The PTE Academic is the exam that study abroad aspirants need to appear for. Thus, it is also one of the most accepted English language tests. The PTE exam format for the Academic one has 3 sections which are in the following order:

1. Speaking and Writing
2. Reading
3. Listening

The total time duration is of 2 hours (approx.). Moreover, the total types of questions in the PTE Academic is around 20. Take a look at the table below to know what each section has for you:

PTE SECTION NAME	QUESTIONS / TIME DURATION
Writing and Speaking	No. of Questions: 28 to 36 Time Duration: 54 to 67 minutes
Listening	No. of Questions: 13 to 18 Time Duration: 29 to 30 minutes
Reading	No. of Questions: 12 to 20 Time Duration: 30 to 43 minutes

PTE Academic Online

This is exactly the same as the PTE Academic. However, unlike the previous one, you can take the PTE Academic online and from anywhere you want to.

Furthermore, what is important to note is that PTE academic online requires a quiet setting. Moreover, you also need to have a set of equipment.

Factors Increasing the Popularity of PTE Exam

Students are increasingly opting for the PTE exam. However, in recent years, the growth has been quite rapid. It is also a hypothesis: The PTE syllabus and question types are different from those of IELTS.

Moreover, IELTS coaching is something that can be accessed more easily. Yet, recently there have been successful PTE coaching institutes as well. Students are able to find a space for learning English to crack PTE more easily. This increase in accessibility can be one of the major reasons impacting the number of PTE exam takers in India.

Moreover, study abroad aspirants are inclined towards PTE more than ever. For instance, despite having options like IELTS and TOEFL, students go for PTE academic to get a UK study visa, to show proof of their English language skills.

Furthermore, take a look at the table below to know how many universities accept PTE scores around the world:

COUNTRY NAME	No. of Universities that Accept PTE Scores
UK	400
USA	1200+
Canada	90+
Australia	400+

Conclusion

To sum up, the acceptance rate of the PTE exam is increasing. Hence, the number of people appearing for the exam is also doubling. The PTE test can get you a US Study Visa, a Canada visa, and a UK study visa along with being accepted in other countries as well. Thus, if you are thinking of appearing for PTE this year, you can take advantage of PTE coaching at Gradding.com with exciting offers. Navigate through their website and find out for yourself!!