PTE Core Vs PTE Academic: Know Which is Better for Learners?

Are you planning to take the PTE exam but unsure which one will suit you? This article will tell you the difference between PTE Core and PTE Academic, helping you pick the exam that aligns with your goal. In addition, by reading below, you will learn about the PTE exam dates available, modules, and patterns. Firstly, know about the PTE Academic and Core in detail. Look below for more details.

What Is PTE Core?

The PTE core is a new English skills exam that was declared by, Pearson’s Group. It is the world’s leading learning company. It’s designed to assess general language ability for everyday circumstances rather than studies. In addition, it has been approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). It is for all Canadian economic visas including migration, work, or citizenship permits. In addition, it’s aligned with the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level. It is a fully digital test consisting of three sections: Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. Moreover, it uses AI to check and score the test taker’s English capability.

Thus, these are the details about the PTE Core. Further, read below to learn about the PTE Academic.

What Is PTE Academic?

PTE Academic tests aim at academic English skills. This exam content focuses more on study contexts, which are related to abroad academic areas. Students can find materials such as lectures and discussions in the tests. Hence, this is ideal for people who want to focus on proving their English in professional condition.

Thus, PTE Academic is a popular choice for students aiming to go to top colleges abroad. Many institutes in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK recognize and accept the test for all visa types.

Hence, this option is great for those who want to study or work in an English-speaking country. However, globally colleges and firms recognize this exam for entrance purposes. Moreover, to ace the test, first, you should understand the format of the test, so read below to learn about that.

PTE Academic and PTE Core Exam Module

The PTE exam modules consist of three parts- Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing. Therefore, please take a look below to understand their task individually.

Speaking and Writing

This part will take 50 minutes to complete in PTE Core as it contains:

• Personal Introduction
• Read Aloud
• Repeat Sentence
• Describe Image
• Respond to a Situation
• Answer Short Question
• Summarize Written Text
• Write Email

On the other hand, the PTE Academic test includes Re-telling lectures and Essay Writing in place of respond to a Situation & Write an Email.

Reading

This section will take about 30 minutes to finish as its topics are:

• Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks
• MCQs
• Reorder Paragraph
• Fill in the Blanks
• Multiple Choice, Single Answer

Listening

This part will take around 30 minutes to finish as it contains

• Summarize Spoken Text
• MCQs
• Fill in the Blanks
• Select Missing Word
• Highlight Incorrect Words
• Write from Dictation

These are the detailed syllabus of the PTE Academic and Core. Now, please read below to know the differences between them, such as purpose, PTE exam dates available, test duration, and more.

Key Difference Between- PTE Core Vs PTE Academic

Like PTE Core, PTE Academic is fair to introverts, as the computer scoring system more accurately reflects their English skills. However, they target two different test takers and have other purposes. Let’s see the most vital ones below:

Purpose

• Core PTE is designed for professional and workplace contexts.
• On the other hand, PTE Academic is tailored for abroad higher studies purposes.

Target Audience

• Job seekers, professionals, and those needing professional certification or immigration take the Core PTE.
• Students applying for higher studies or migration take PTE Academic.

Focused Content

• Core PTE focuses on workplace communication and practical language use.
• But, PTE Academic Centers English studies, including reading and writing for higher education.

Preparation Materials

• Core PTE focuses on professional methods and workplace language tasks.
• On the other hand, PTE Academic points to scholarly texts, lectures, and essays.

Exam Dates Availability

• You can take the Core PTE test in one of the 400+ test centers in 115 countries. It runs regular test days and often has PTE exam dates available at the last minute.
• Take your PTE Academic exam in one of over 475 test centers all over the world. Thus, you can book your slot at the last minute.

Test Length

• As for PTE Core, the length of the test is around 2 hours.
• But, for PTE Academic, the duration of the exam is approx 3 hours.

Thus, these were the most vital differences listed above.

Conclusion

Summing up, PTE Academic and Core contribute to assessing English language skills. However, these two serve different purposes and contexts. Knowing the differences between these tests, such as PTE exam modules, pattern, purpose, and more. Also, the above-mentioned details help you to be aware of exactly what you are in search of and should enable you to make the right judgment.