In the pursuit of higher education in a foreign country, students need to take an English language proficiency test. It is key for all candidates to take admission to their preferred university in Australia. PTE, IELTS, and TOEFL are the go-to examination for all overseas students.
IETLS is administered by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge Assessment English, whereas, the TOEFL is controlled by Educational Testing Service – ETS. Lately, the Pearson Test of English, popularly known as PTE has also gained momentous popularity in Australia in terms of English proficiency for international admissions.
When preparing for the exam, one often thinks about which exam he should take – IELTS, PTE, or TOEFL. The majority of the students take IELTS or PTE exam. Therefore, the questions can cross your mind which is easier IELTS or PTE. What is the difference between both exams?
In the following article, we will focus on how the IELTS exam differentiates from the PTE exam. Along with its significant aspects such as exam pattern, exam structure, types of questions, score comparison, etc. This will help you with the question – which test among both IELTS and PTE Australia is better for your studies abroad?
PTE vs IELTS: Exam Pattern & Structure
When you prepare for any exam, you go through its exam pattern and structure to know how the questions will come. Accordingly, you prepare for the subjects. Likewise, when preparing for the IELTS or PTE exam, you must understand their structure and pattern. This will help you to crack the code of question types. Hence, you can allot time to each section or question accordingly. Let us look at the sections of the PTE and IELTS exams:
The PTE exam has three sections, which are as follows:
- Speaking and Writing
- Reading
- Listening
The IELTS exam has four sections, which are as follows:
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
PTE vs IELTS: Score Comparison
IELTS scores range on a scale of 0 to 9, where there is a gap of 0.5 for each section. All four sections are averaged to bring out a score, which decides your fate of studying abroad. The average score accepted by universities is 6.0 or 6.5. You should aim for a higher score so that at least you are scoring somewhere between 6.0 to 7.0. After all, your aim should be to get into a good and authentic university and not just any random university.
On the other hand, PTE exam scores range on a scale of 10 to 90, where the minimum or average score accepted by foreign universities is 55 to 60. Similar to the IELTS exam, in PTE the students also get a section-wise breakdown of the questions. Each section contains different scores, which are totalled and the average is taken out.
PTE vs IELTS: Academic Criteria
Every candidate wants to know which test would be the best fit for him or her. Therefore, we advise you to at least give one mock test of both exams to know the difference. You can compare the scores attained, the types of questions came, patterns and the complexity of the exam. Accordingly, you can decide which exam you want to go ahead with.
There are a couple of differences between IELTS and PTE in regard to academics. The following are four essential criteria for you to consider when choosing between the both:
- Comfort with Examination Type: If you find writing an exam easier and more convenient, then you should go for the IELTS exam. Whereas, if you want to give the exam from the comfort of your home, you can opt for PTE.
- Agility in Solving: If solving plenty of questions is easier for you, then the PTE exam is the right choice and vice versa.
- Comfort with Writing: IELTS will be a good exam if you can write very quickly, without hindering the quality of your answers.
- Your Speaking Accent: The PTE mainly focuses on evaluating the speaking section. Hence, if you are fluent in speaking English, then you can go ahead with PTE or you always have the IELTS in the option.
Conclusion
To conclude, both exams are better and unique in their own ways. For you to decide which is better, you will have to do your own research and give a mock test once.
For further assistance, you can contact our experts on ConnectPTE. We will guide you for your PTE Australia needs with patience and professionalism.
