IELTS VS PTE
When you finally decide to leave for overseas education, you need to decide on one test that you wish to take in order to set your next foot forward. We have seen a lot of students in a common dilemma - “We can take both PTE or IELTS, what should we choose?” This encouraged us to write a blog that guides every student through both the test formats. Firstly, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a standardized Test jointly conducted by British Council, Cambridge English Language Assessment and IDP Education. It was established during the 1980s and ever since, it has accurately tested and certified the proficiency and fluency of the non-native English speakers. The Pearson Test of English (PTE) was launched by a publication house called Pearson in 2009 and it is a fairly new metric to test and certify one’s fluency and proficiency in the English language. Though it is a new entrant, Edexcel, UK’s largest examination body, highly accredits the PTE. IELTS and TOEFL are a lot similar but have varying formats and features. You need to put your strengths and weaknesses in perspective and later decide which test works the best for you.
IELTS is accepted by European, Australian and now even by most of the American universities too. The PTE test by Pearson is also getting wide recognition in universities across all regions and its test takers are also increasing in number.
1. Test format and questions: IELTS and PTE have four different sections namely, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. Although, the content pattern in these four sections is different for both the tests. A person who would be evaluating your IELTS performance will asses your speaking abilities by having a conversation with you which is recorded for evaluation purposes. During PTE, you do not have a live conversation with someone but you have to speak on a certain topic over a microphone which gets recorded for further evaluation. If you are a great conversationalist, IELTS is a great option but if you are more of an introvert, you can give PTE a chance. In the writing section, IELTS is a completely paper-based examination while PTE is a computerised exam. PTE being a computerised test always has new and updated ways of assessing a candidate’s fluency and proficiency. If you probably cannot answer a question in a given moment, you can come back to it later during IELTS but in PTE you do not have that option. Both the formats have their own set of pros and cons.
2. Scores and Results: PTE has an automated system of grading and gives you score within the band of 10-90 points however, IELTS has experienced examiners who check your papers and give you a score between 0-9 bands. Hence, the result for PTE comes as early as 5 business days and IELTS might take upto 13 calendar days.
3. Dates and Location: Year after year, IELTS has 48 pre-fixed dates with more than 900 centers across 130 countries. PTE Academic test centers are located in over 50 countries across the globe and you can take an exam on any date of the year provided seats are available in the desired center.
If you are still in a dilemma and cannot choose a test to take, counsellors at Shine are just a call away! You can speak to them and they will help you take the next step forward. Wishing you all the best!