English-language proficiency tests are your ticket to working, studying, or migrating to an English-speaking country. There are several tests out there that you can consider as proof of your English Language. The PTE test is one of the best and most well-recognized language tests. The PTE tests offer two assessments; PTE General and PTE Academic, both catering to slightly different purposes. Before fixing either one of the PTE Tests, understanding the difference, purpose, and format of both these tests is quite important. It will help candidates decide on the right test for them depending on their goals, whether it’s for academic or professional development. Choosing between PTE Academic or PTE General can be challenging for some test takers. Don’t worry! In this blog, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about the tests in detail to understand the context and purpose and help you make the right choice. Let’s delve deeper into each of these tests.

PTE Academic is specifically designed for aspiring students to study in an English-speaking country. It measures the candidate’s ability to use English in an academic environment to succeed. The test offers integrated testing of all sub-skills like speaking, writing, reading, and listening that generally occur in real life’s authentic academic settings.

Major Features of PTE Academic:

Objective: It is utilized for intakes in colleges and universities across the globe for students who intend to pursue further studies abroad in English-speaking nations.

Content: The exam contains exercises that reflect speaking, writing and listening to lecturers in class.

Acceptance: PTE Academic is accepted worldwide by thousands of academic institutions, not to mention major colleges in the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada.

PTE General, on the other hand, is designed for that candidate who wants to prove his general English proficiency. This test is a must-have for business purposes as well as common everyday communication where one wants to enhance one’s language skills.

Key Features of PTE General:

Purpose: Since this test is an assessment of general English proficiency for personal, professional or academic purposes, it is less focused than PTE Academic on the academic context.

Content: This test will involve assessments in reading, writing, listening, and speaking tasks, and this involves more everyday language use than academic purposes.

Acceptance: PTE General is accepted by a few institutions and organizations; however, PTE Academic is more highly accepted by academic institutions.

PTE Academic

PTE Academic is designed for those students who have to study in English-speaking universities to get their degree in a respective academic program. Many colleges and universities require PTE Academic test scores as a pre-condition for their application. The test assesses the most important skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, which yields a greater prospect of success at the place of learning. It is considered highly in recent times as a valid test to determine if a student has any chance of success in an English-speaking university.

Examples of Institutions That Accept PTE Academic

The most highly ranked institutions are Harvard University and Stanford University in the U.S. while in the UK, the most popular universities that accept the PTE Academic are the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The University of Melbourne and the Australian National University in Australia all accept PTE Academic scores for entry. It is through the PTE scores that these institutions evaluate their student’s English proficiency.

PTE General

PTE General includes more general content and maintains a focus on individuals interested in developing proficiency in the English language for everyday use as well as for improving their professional skills or immigration. Different to PTE Academic which is designed especially with the requirements of university admissions in mind, people wishing to test their language skills in applied situations useful to their lives should opt for PTE General. Usually, PTE General is not considered to be sufficient for university admissions because its core purpose is more to ensure general English capability rather than preparation in academics.

Typical use of PTE General

PTE General is often taken to prove English language proficiency for job purposes, to fulfill the language requirements for visa applications, or to improve their level of English for personal development. Since it is versatile enough, it is ideal for those who intend to use English in several non-academic settings such as in practical conversations or professional settings.

The availability of test dates and the validity of the test results can significantly affect the candidate’s choice.

PTE Academic

PTE Academic is taken throughout the year, meaning that applicants can sit it at a time suitable for them. A considerable number of students who wish to take the test early enough to clear deadlines by their universities benefit from this fact. Also, test results usually take less than 48 hours to get sent, hence allowing applicants who have deadlines within a short period to obtain prompt feedback. Candidates have enough time to make use of the scores since the scores are available for two years.

PTE General

The PTE General is administered only thrice a year, in May, June and December, which may be a constraint to the test-takers who need more options for speed. This is not a case like in PTE Academic. PTE General test scores are released a week or two from the date of sitting for the test. For those who would prefer a longer period of validity but do not require an immediate confirmation of competency, the results are good because they remain valid for up to five years.

PTE Academic

PTE Academic test is in total about three hours long, and it tests all four of its language skills: speaking, writing, reading, and listening. Integrated tasks require applying the candidates’ skills together, therefore simulating real academic challenges.

Structure

The test is divided into three parts.

Speaking and Writing: This is estimated to take around 54-67 minutes. The tasks may include reading aloud, repeating sentences, and essay writing.

Reading: This section will take about 30 minutes and will be comprised of multiple-choice questions, reorder paragraphs, and fill-in-the-blank tasks.

Listening: Lasting 30 minutes, it consists of a mix of listening tasks, including summarizing spoken texts and answering multiple-choice questions.

PTE General

The PTE General lasts for two to three hours on average, depending on the level chosen to sit.

PTE General has two segments:

Written Paper: It entails reading and writing exercises that test for understanding and utilization of language.

Speaking Test: This tests the speaking ability by conducting face-to-face interviews that is usually carried out by an examiner.

It is pretty basic to align your choice of taking PTE General or PTE Academic with your career or personal goals. In case a person is interested in obtaining proof of English language proficiency out of real-life situations, then the best fit is PTE General, and for any other person who is seeking entry into a university, the answer would be PTE Academic.

As one learns about the differences between PTE Academic and PTE General it will lead you to the proper selection of a test, suited to your needs. These two exams present astounding opportunities to prove one’s knowledge of English, be it about college preparation or to further enhance job prospects. The test you opt for can help shape your education and professional life; hence, you need to consider your goals, research the various institutions or organizations of interest, and select the test that aligns best with your aspirations.  You can pass the PTE tests quickly if you prepare well and have the right mindset.