The PTE Core, approved by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as a digital English language proficiency test, includes four sections: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.

This is a forced test that helps to check the English level of Canadian immigration applicants.

In this article, PTE Magic will share with you all useful information related to the PTE Core.

Let’s take a closer look.

(Read our Vietnamese version here)

Key Takeaways

• The PTE Core has recently been released after the PTE Academic, so there are certain differences.
• Candidates can rely on PTE Core scores for Canada PR, work, citizenship, and migration visas.
• PTE Magic shares useful information related to the PTE Core below, including the test format.

Related:

• Everything to know about the PTE Academic exam
• Tips on how to crack the PTE exam easily
• Which countries accept the PTE test results?

What Is PTE Core? 

The PTE Core is a fully digital test due to the leading global learning company—Pearson’s Group, which was announced and carried out in February 2024. This test doesn’t concentrate on assessing academic English skills. Instead, it evaluates ordinary English skills for everyday situations. 

According to the standard of the CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) level, the PTE Core is completely suitable. Candidates can rely on PTE Core scores for Canada PR, work, citizenship, and migration visas.

All test takers must complete four sections, including writing, speaking, listening, and reading, with a 3-hour duration. By using AI to evaluate and give points, examinees will get the objective scores, reflecting their right English level after receiving the results within 24 hours.

5 Reasons for Choosing PTE Core

There are certain benefits when taking part in the Pearson new PTE Core, particularly:

1. Faster test results: If you must take two business days of the test date to receive the PTE result, the time to determine the PTE Core score is much shorter, in 24 hours. 
2. Flexible test dates and times: Don’t have a specific schedule. Candidates might select and decide on the right PTE Core testing slot making their schedule easier.
3. Test content matched with Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB): This is one of the great conveniences for permanent residency applicants or Canadian citizenships.
4. Fair and accurate scoring: Using automated scoring, the Pearson PTE Core points are fair and objective. The AI scoring system ensures high accuracy and reliability, meaning candidates will receive the trust results.
5. The wide level of recognition: PTE Core is spreadly accepted by immigration authorities, universities, and colleges. Test takers can use this score to meet a variety of requirements, from admission and high-grade education to immigration applications.

PTE Core Test Format 

The four indispensable sections in the PTE Core test are listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Candidates’ task is to complete all sections with the best scores possible. 

So, it’s best to learn and practice each one to increase your overall PTE Core points.

Listening

You need to show your capacity to listen and understand English in this section. By listening to a recording file of any conversation, you’ll rely on what you heard and answer the questions.

You must have a sufficient knowledge of grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. Try to complete your listening section within the limited time – 30 minutes.

Reading

Similar to the Listening section, you have 30 minutes to express your ability to understand written English. The challenge set for you is a variety of hard questions, filling in the blanks, reordering paragraphs, or selecting the right answers included.

Speaking & Writing

Due to two test sections—Speaking & Writing—the time will also be longer—the maximum of 50 minutes. We recommend you to prepare a quality microphone to record your voice. In the speaking section, you’ll have to read loudly, repeat sentences, describe images, retell lectures, and answer the short questions. Ensure that you pronounce well and speak fluently.

The PTE Core test in the writing section requires you to write a short statement of main points and an email. Writing quickly, making sure grammar is correct, and covering the whole of crucial information is necessary. You should also combine with the copy, paste, and cut functions to optimize everything.

PTE Core vs PTE Academic

The PTE Core has recently been released after the PTE Academic, so there are certain differences.

Improvements	PTE Core	PTE Academic
Replaced Question	Write Email	Writer essay
Replaced Question	Answer based on the situation	Retell lecture
Written Text	Within 50 words	Within 75 words
Spoken Text	Limit to 30 words and complete in 8 minutes	Limit to 70 words and complete in 10 minutes
Key-point Summary	Yes	No
Scoring System	AI	Human expertise
Time to Return Result	24 hours	48 hours

In Summary

If you plan to immigrate to Canada through the PTE Core exam, you’d better prepare everything now. It is necessary to study and enhance four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

The scoring requirements for four test sections are 60-68 scores for Reading, 69-78 for Writing, 60-70 for Listening, and 68-75 for Speaking. Let’s note these numbers and then make an effort to achieve a good result. Good luck!