With everything that has been happening in the news recently, you could be forgiven for not having realised that a new opportunity became available in December of 2019: Pearson was recognised by the UK Home Office as an official provider of SELT (Secure English Language Tests).
Pearson are the creators of both PTE Home and PTE Academic and they will now be working alongside the UK government for a minimum of three years. During this time, both exams can be sat for official purposes of immigration and study within the UK.
PTE Academic is already accepted by 100% of universities in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland and 98% of UK universities. It is also the fastest-growing academic English exam.
Looking at specific opportunities each exam provides, SELT-status means that those who pass PTE Home will now be eligible to apply for family, settlement or citizenship purposes. And those who pass PTE Academic (UKVI) will be able to apply for work and particular study visas in the UK.
PTE Academic has been approved for visa applications in Australia since 2014 and over half a million people had their visa applications approved in 2019 after successfully completing the exam.
This represents a fantastic opportunity for those who wish to work and study in the UK as PTE is now one of only four official SELT providers in the country.
Tests are now available and can be booked 24 hours in advance. On top of this, test results are made available, on average, in just over 24 hours. PTE Academic is currently delivered in 250 test centres across over 50 countries with commercial agreements in place to see this extend to 110 countries in the near future.
As you can see, there are good reasons for PTE’s growing popularity. Read on to find out even more about the SELT-approved PTE Academic and why doing the exam could be the best option for you.
What is PTE Academic?
PTE Academic is a computed-based test of academic English. The exam covers all four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening, and the skills are tested in an integrated manner. This means that speaking and listening skills or reading and writing skills, for example, may be tested using the same task.
The test lasts for approximately 3 hours and is based on the specific skills required for successful study in an English-speaking university environment.
Why choose PTE Academic?
PTE Academic has a number of advantages compared to other SELT approved academic English examinations. The first benefit is its convenience: alongside the fact PTE Academic can be booked just 24 hours in advance, tests are also available 365 days a year.
The fact that results are received, on average, in just over 24 hours means you will not be left waiting for weeks wondering whether you have the results you need for your future plans.
As noted above, the PTE test is also accepted for immigration and study purposes around the world, so the opportunities which follow a successful score in the PTE are vast.
The fact the test is computer-based also makes PTE Academic scores fair and objective. There is no room for human error, so all PTE tests will be scored in the same way.
How can you achieve success in PTE Academic?
1) Become familiar with the exam:
The best way to begin your journey to PTE Academic success is by knowing exactly what is in the exam. There are a wide range of tasks and it is important that you are familiar with all of them.
Navigating your PTE studies is best done with the support of a dedicated, expert PTE Academic teacher, who will be able to explain in a clear, logical manner exactly what each task is testing and how you should approach the tasks. At Swoosh English, we offer just that, so make sure you check out our PTE packages.
2) Become familiar with academic English:
PTE Academic is based around authentic academic texts, the like of which you will encounter in your academic studies in the UK or any other English-speaking academic context.
In order to be successful with your PTE Academic studies, it’s important that you are comfortable with reading, listening to, speaking and writing academic English.
Take the time to read academic articles in English which relate to your study background, and, ideally, other study backgrounds too. Also, take the time to listen to lectures and seminar discussions in English.
Many can be found on YouTube and they will give you a good insight into the sorts of academic language you are expected to understand and produce.
At Swoosh English, our expert PTE Academic teachers will be able to provide you with further guidance and practice in regards to developing your academic English knowledge and competence by providing you with speaking practice and helping you to recognise the sort of language which is and is not appropriate for use in an academic context.
3) Do plenty of PTE Academic practice tasks:
In order to become good at anything, it helps to do that thing over and over again. This is true for PTE Academic. It will help to get plenty of practice actually doing the exam so that you can see which areas you do well in and which areas require further practice.
It will also help you to improve your timing so that you become skilled at using only the time necessary to complete each task and you ensure that you are able to complete as much of the PTE exam as possible in the time provided.
Once again, you will fully benefit from this practice if you are working with an expert PTE Academic teacher who can provide detailed feedback on your performance and clear guidance as to how to improve your results in the future.
At Swoosh English, we will also be able to provide you with high-quality PTE study resources which are based on the exam and will allow for dedicated, focused practice.
If you wish to find out more about PTE Academic or if you are ready to take advantage of the exciting opportunity that SELT-status has provided, come and join a PTE course today at Swoosh English where we can provide you with support and dedicated guidance to help you achieve your goals of living and studying in a world-class educational environment.
