The 4 Types of PTE Exams You Need to Know About

PTE, an assessment of English language skills, is ideal for non-native speakers with a desire to apply to universities, immigrate, or work abroad.

To register for the PTE test, it is necessary to learn about them before. With a variety of test formats, each PTE exam is used for a specific purpose and has separate pros/cons.

In today’s article, LUME will list the 4 types of PTE exams, along with detailed info so that you can understand and make the best choice.

Let’s take a look.

Want to FINALLY Pass the PTE Test And Achieve Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… ✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers ✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring ✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT NOW (Limited seats available!)

Key Takeaway

• To apply for a visa to many countries, your best choice is PTE Academic.
• The PTE Core exam will be the bridge for you to study and work in Canada.
• PTE Academic Online is discontinued. Every PTE test is now taken at a Pearson test center.
• Two exams—PTE UKVI and PTE Home are to apply for a visa in the UK.

Related:

• Try our PTE Academic mock tests with AI scoring today!
• The most popular PTE test centers around the world
• How to crack the PTE test with ease

How Many Types of PTE Exams Are There?

Pearson offers four types of PTE exam: PTE Academic, PTE Academic UKVI, PTE Core, and PTE Home. Each PTE exam serves a different purpose, and the four sections below set out who each exam is for, what it costs you in time, and where it is accepted.

PTE Academic

The most common is PTE Academic—a computer-based English proficiency test with various exercises and simulations of real-life situations in an academic environment.

Candidates who want to study abroad, work, or settle down will comprehensively be assessed on Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. In there, the sections include:

• Speaking & Writing: It takes 76 to 84 minutes for exercises such as filling in the blanks, summarizing texts, writing essays, or others.
• Reading: Its time is shorter, only 23-30 minutes to complete reading comprehension, filling in blanks, arranging sentences, etc.
• Listening: There are 31-39 minutes to listening and filling words in the blanks, listening and answering questions, etc.

Pros:

• The test is automatically scored.
• You’ll receive the result within just 2 days.
• It tests all four skills, involving Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
• You can take the test on the computer.
• Its popularity is high.

Cons:

• Require candidates to have to optimize the test time. 
• You need to be familiar with using computers and related software.

PTE Core

If you want to apply for a work visa or immigrate to Canada, the PTE Core is compulsory. 

This exam is served for that purpose, done on the computer, and considered an assessment of your ability to use English in daily situations rather than focusing on the academic environment like the PTE Academic. 

For the PTE Core test format, it also includes four sections:

• Speaking & Writing: Speak into the microphone to respond to the questions and write a short paragraph based on the available information in 50 to 65 minutes.
• Reading: This section will give you multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions within the limited time (27 to 37 minutes). 
• Listening: The participants will hear and answer questions about conversations or short lectures in 22 to 37 minutes.

Pros:

• It only takes 24 hours to know your scores exactly, helping to save time in your visa application process.
• There is no fixed exam schedule, so you can freely choose the proper time to do the exam.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) for automatic scoring ensures objectivity and accuracy.

Cons:

• The practical materials for PTE Core are quite limited.
• The exam cost is expensive.

PTE UKVI

Pearson Test of English Academic UKVI is the full name of PTE UKVI—a language test designed to meet the requirements of the UK Home Office for visas. 

To study, work, or immigrate to the UK, PTE UKVI is an essential ticket for you to prove your English ability. Compared to PTE Academic, the test format of PTE UKVI also has three sections: Speaking & Writing, Reading, and Listening. 

Each section with many different questions is challenging to candidates, so it’s best to get familiar with them before starting the test. 

Pros:

• PTE UKVI results only take 2 days.
• You can apply question types in the sections in work and study.
• It combines AI scoring with human expertise, reducing the risk of bias.

Cons:

• The cost of the PTE UKVI exam is more expensive than other types of exams.
• The number of PTE UKVI test centers is less.

PTE Home

It’s still a computer-based exam for any candidate who wants to apply for a visa to the UK. However, PTE Home only concentrates on appreciating two skills: Listening and Speaking. The results are classified as Pass—Fail.

Unlike PTE Academic, PTE Home relies on the specific requirement of visa categories to divide into 3 levels, which are A1 (duration in 22 mins with 32 questions), A2 (duration in 25 mins with 30-33 questions), and B1 (duration in 29 mins with 29-32 questions). 

To get the PTE Home certification, it forces you to register for the test at an authorized Pearson test center.

Pros:

• The exam schedule takes place regularly, so candidates can comfortably choose the proper test time.
• The result will be sent to you within 48 hours.
• Don’t have to face the examiners and subjective grading, which brings a relaxed mindset.

Cons:

• PTE Home isn’t a comprehensive assessment because it doesn’t include Reading and Writing.
• It is only valuable to apply for a UK family visa or immigration.

Is PTE Academic Online Still Available?

PTE Academic Online is no longer available. Pearson states that all PTE tests must be taken at a test center, and the at-home version of PTE Academic has been withdrawn. Candidates who cannot travel to a test center have no online PTE alternative; Pearson runs more than 500 test centers across over 115 countries.

Pearson uses one booking system for every type of PTE exam. The guide on how to book a PTE test walks through choosing a test center, creating a Pearson account, and paying for the exam.

Conclusion

The four types of PTE exams that we shared above are useful for newbies who are learning about the PTE exams.

Let’s consider what your purpose is carefully before making a decision. Any selection also needs to be optimized according to your capacity and time.

(Read our Vietnamese version here)

Want to FINALLY Pass the PTE Test And Achieve Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… ✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers ✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring ✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT NOW (Limited seats available!)