Pearson Language Tests

The Pearson Test of English Academic is an English language test designed to assess the readiness of non-native English speakers to participate in a university-level English language instruction program. Pearson created PTE Academic in response to demand from institutions, government and other organizations for a more accurate way of testing non-native English language students who enter the English-speaking academia world.[8]

PTE Academic is endorsed by the Graduate Management Admission Council. Amongst other universities, London Business School in the UK, Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Yale University in the United States accept PTE Academic scores. Other institutions in other countries, including Spain, France, and China, have also signed up to accept PTE Academic. These include leading business schools such as INSEAD and HEC Paris in France, IESE, IE Business School and ESADE in Spain and SDA Bocconi in Italy. In addition to the business schools, there are also a number of arts and music colleges who accept the exam's scores.[9] In February 2013, opened a new test center in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia in association with the Malaysian British Educational Cooperation Services.[10]

It is a computer-based exam which focuses on real-life English used in academic surroundings. This is to say that integrated language is used throughout the test and students will listen to a variety of accents and academic language which they will encounter at English-speaking higher education institutions.[11]

The exam will include an unmarked voice recording of the candidate, which is part of advanced biometric data that should assist institutions in verifying the identity of candidates and should aid them with their admission decisions.[12] The test will be a maximum of 2 hours and 15 minutes long and takers can expect their results to be delivered to them, online, within 5 working days.

Test scores are reported on the Global Scale of English, a standardized, numeric scale from 10 to 90 which can measure English language proficiency more precisely with reference to the widely known set of levels distinguished in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR.[13]

PTE General (formerly known as the London Test of English) or Pearson English International Certificate (as of December 2020)[14] is an international English language examination for speakers of English as a foreign language (EFL). It is developed by Pearson Language Tests and administered by Edexcel, the exams are accredited by QCA, the Qualification and Curriculum Authority.[15] In some countries (e.g. Poland, Greece) the oral interview is assessed by locally trained assessors, whereas in other countries (e.g. France, Italy, Argentina) they are entirely graded in London.

Pearson English International Certificate is consistent with a theme-based exam designed to test how well a learner can communicate in authentic and realistic situations, and not on how well they remember formal vocabulary and structures. For this reason, the tests use real-life scenarios rather than pedantic grammatical exercises. They test the four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. There are six levels which are mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The Framework was developed by the Council of Europe to enable language learners, teachers, universities or potential employers to compare and relate language qualifications by level.

Reading, writing, listening and speaking are tested at all levels. The alignment of the London Tests of English to the CEFR has been established by mapping the test specifications to the CEFR descriptors. This mapping process was submitted to an external audit by University of Westminster. Work is in progress to further improve the robustness of the alignment on the basis of empirical data.[16] Levels 4 and 5 of the PTE General are accepted for entrance to universities in the UK and by a variety of international companies.

Pearson Tests of English have been formally accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).[15]

PTE Young Learners (formerly known as LTEfC) are international English language exams for young children (aged from 7 to 12) who are learning English as a foreign language (EFL). They test the four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.

PTE Young Learners exams are based around the amusing adventures of the Brown family. The exams are theme based and designed to be fun and motivating. At the lower levels they aim to test how well children can use language structures and at the higher levels how well they can use language to complete communicative tasks. For this reason, the tests use real-life scenarios rather than grammatical exercises.

There are four PTE Young Learners levels

Pearson has developed an online marking system, ePEN, and a web-based test centre service system, Edexcel Online, to provide rapid feedback on the individual performance of students in the exams.

• Pearson Language Tests
• EALTA Guidelines