Attempting the PTE exam and turning your dream into reality is on your 2021 bucket list then hold your thoughts for a second and listen to what we’re saying next. Recently, Pearson, the exam conducting authority, has made certain changes in the PTE Academic exam.
Knowing these changes is crucial for you as it will help you have a viable exam strategy and increase the success odds. In this post, we have summed up these changes so that you don’t have to do the hard work.
Changing For Good
Pearson claims to make the PTE Academic exam is an hour shorter and more personalized from November 16, 2021, onwards. This change was done by seeing the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other than this, candidates have been granted the freedom to take up the exam from their homes. Pearson calls it “PTE Academic Online.”
Though it was a must-needed step, most of the universities/colleges/organizations will NOT consider it. So, if you ask us about “Should I take PTE Academic Online?”, we would say; it is a waste of money. And therefore, we will not discuss much about PTE Academic Online. Our focus is on PTE Academic only.
The test is now a little shorter
You will be glad to know that PTE Academic is now a shorter exam. The original timing, which was 3 hours earlier, has been reduced to 2 hours. There is clearly a one-hour difference. All the English skills will be assessed using the same sort of questions. Only the number of questions will be less.
Before the changes, the PTE Academic exam used to feature nearly 70-82 questions. The updated version will take the help of 52-64 questions for the same job.
To have a better understanding of where time duration has reduced, have a look at this table.
Section-wise time duration trimming details are as displayed below.
Speaking Section
Reading Section
Listening Section
The test has a shorter duration by making one more change and it is removing the 10-minute optional break. Yes, now you don’t have the facility to take a break. PTE Academic exam will be conducted at a stretch.
Scoring reports or feedback is now a bit more personalized
The new PTE Academic exam score report will now be more detailed, focused, and personalized.
Alongside the common score report, there will be an additional skill report granted to the candidates. This skill report will feature detailed performance feedback, which will allow test-takers to find where they went wrong.
Expert assistance to improve the score and performance is also offered with the skill report. The scoring information will be completely explicit in the PTE Academic exam from now onwards.
The scoring report will not reflect the performance in the enabling skills.
Not Everything Is Changed!
All the above mentioned changes have been done to PTE Academic. To be a wise PTE aspirant, it’s important to know what has not changed as it will keep things clear. These remain the same amidst the changes:
- Test format
- Exam fee
- Score validity
- Exam requirements
- Level of difficulty
- Global recognition
All these exam aspects remain as before.
The Final Say
PTE Academic is your key to success in a native world. Coming up with flying colors in this exam opens the doors to endless opportunities. However, having ignorance towards the recent changes can be a major obstacle and you will continue preparing as per the old exam model.
The new PTE Academic is shorter and more detailed. The changes have been done to keep the exam relevant to the changing landscape. The blog explained all the key changes in detail.
If you have any doubts or confusion, regarding the recent changes, the better move is to take up the PTE mock tests, based upon the recent changes. Official PTE mock tests will be launch on 27th October 2021. Take them, get familiar with the new format, gain confidence, and conquer the world.
Good news! All the test format changes have now been live at Gurully.com. Our team has followed all the guidelines as per the Pearson and it is ready for practice. Now you can get the roughly 2hrs Scored PTE mock test at Gurully’s platform to get you ready for the real exam.
Frequently asked questions(FAQs) for new shorter versions:
- Is there any change in test format?
No, the test format remains the same. - What about the exam fee in the shorter version?
There is no change in the exam fee. - Is there any change in score validity?
There is no change in validity. It remains the same for 2 years. - What about the difficulty level of the exam?
In most people’s minds, this question has been raised about difficulty level, but difficulty level remains the same because reduced questions are balanced with time. - Are there any changes in Question types?
There is no change in question types. All 20 questions will be asked in the exam. However, the number of questions is reduced. - Is there any change in the Scorecard?
Yes, Enabling skills will no longer appear on the scorecard from 16th Nov.
