PTE Academic: Test Format, Scoring and UK Visa Use

PTE Academic is a computer-based English test run by Pearson, taken at a test centre in about two hours and scored from 10 to 90 on the Global Scale of English. It has three parts, Speaking and Writing, Reading and Listening, and its UKVI version gives the unique reference number that some UK visa applications require. Universities and the Home Office each set their own requirements, so the result you need depends on where you are applying.

Who runs the test and how is it delivered?

Pearson owns and runs the test, a computer-based academic English exam used for study, migration or work abroad. Candidates sit it at a test centre on a computer, in one sitting that covers speaking, writing, reading and listening.

Every response is machine scored by an automated system, and some responses are also checked by a human expert before the score is finalised. The Score Report gives an overall score together with separate scores for speaking, writing, reading and listening, which shows where preparation should concentrate.

How is the test structured?

The test has three parts, taken in order, and lasts about two hours in total. Each part has its own timing and its own set of question types.

Speaking and Writing contains Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Retell Lecture, Answer Short Question, Summarize Group Discussion, Respond to a Situation, Summarize Written Text and Write Essay, preceded by an unscored Personal Introduction. Reading contains Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown), Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, Reorder Paragraph, Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) and Multiple Choice Single Answer.

Listening contains Summarize Spoken Text, Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, Fill in the Blanks (Type In), Highlight Correct Summary, Multiple Choice Single Answer, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words and Write from Dictation. Many types assess two skills at once, so a Repeat Sentence item, for example, contributes to both listening and speaking.

• Part 1, Speaking and Writing: 76 to 84 minutes, nine question types
• Part 2, Reading: 23 to 30 minutes, five question types
• Part 3, Listening: 31 to 39 minutes, eight question types

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How is PTE Academic scored and how does it relate to the CEFR?

Scores run from 10 to 90, graded against the Global Scale of English, and Pearson maps them onto CEFR levels. Its chart places A2 at roughly 30 to 42, B1 at 36 to 58, B2 at 50 to 75, C1 at 59 to 82 and C2 at 76 to 90, so neighbouring levels overlap and a single score can sit in two bands.

Multiple choice single answer items are marked right or wrong, Multiple Choice Multiple Answers loses points for incorrect selections, and the remaining reading types give partial credit. Speaking items are scored on content, pronunciation and oral fluency, while Write Essay is scored on seven traits covering content, development, structure and coherence, form, general linguistic range, grammar, vocabulary range and spelling.

What are PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home?

PTE Academic UKVI is the same test as the standard version, with the same content, format and scoring, and its Score Report carries a SELT URN, the unique reference number the Home Office uses to verify the result. Pearson describes it as a four-skills test for work visas and for study below degree level.

PTE Home is a separate set of two-skills tests, covering speaking and listening, at A1, A2 and B1. Pearson lists A1 for first-time family visas and for the Sportsperson and Representative of an Overseas Business routes, A2 for family visa extensions, and B1 for settlement and British citizenship. All three use a pass or fail format.

Which UK uses accept it?

The Home Office accepts Pearson's PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home as approved Secure English Language Tests, and the level required depends on the route. GOV.UK says routes such as Skilled Worker, Student and Health and Care Worker need a test covering reading, writing, speaking and listening, whilst citizenship, partner, parent and settlement routes need only speaking and listening.

Pearson lists the UKVI version for the Student route below degree level, Skilled Worker, Innovator Founder and Minister of Religion. For degree-level study, GOV.UK says the higher education provider may assess English itself and use a different test, provided it is still equivalent to the required CEFR level.

Pearson states that almost every UK university accepts the test for study applications, though each institution sets its own required scores. Confirm the score and the version with the admissions office before booking.

How are results sent?

You view the Score Report in your myPTE account once it is ready. Scores are digital, and you can send them to as many institutions as you like at no extra cost.

For a visa, the Home Office checks your result through the SELT online verification system using the SELT URN printed on a UKVI or PTE Home report. GOV.UK says you do not submit documents with the application. PTE Home results are also shared automatically with the Home Office through the SELT system.

How should you prepare, and what differs from a test with a live examiner?

Preparation works best when it follows the marking, because a computer scores every response. Start with an official Scored Practice Test, which Pearson says uses the same format and scoring engine as the real test, then use the per-skill results to decide what to practise first. Official PTE AI Practice, built on the official scoring traits, and the free Smart Prep in myPTE offer further drills.

For speaking, record yourself against the timer and check each answer for content, pronunciation and oral fluency. Hesitations, repetitions and false starts lower the score, and most items allow only one recording, so practise answering without restarting. With no examiner to respond to, practice means speaking clearly into a microphone for a machine.

For writing, check every draft against the published limits. Summarize Written Text must be one sentence of 5 to 75 words, and a failed form requirement scores zero. Write Essay targets 200 to 300 words in your own words; responses under 120 or over 380 words, or off-topic, score zero. Reread essays for the seven traits, including spelling.

In reading and listening, practise selecting only answers you can justify, since Multiple Choice Multiple Answers and Highlight Incorrect Words deduct points for wrong choices. Audio and video clips play once, so practise taking notes as you listen, and time Summarize Spoken Text drills to 10 minutes for a 50 to 70 word summary.

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