PTE Vs IELTS

If you are planning to study abroad, then you must have heard the debate between PTE vs IELTS. Which test should I take for IELTS or PTE? Which is easier, IELTS or PTE? What are the differences between IELTS and PTE? 

IELTS and PTE both evaluate the overall proficiency of a candidate in the English language. 

While IELTS is increasingly becoming a standard test of English worldwide, PTE is still not recognized by a few institutions. 

The IELTS exam is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP - IELTS Australia & Cambridge English. The PTE Academic test conducting body is Pearson PLC, a British multinational publishing company headquartered in London. 

Both of these exams test the same fundamental language competency of a candidate, i.e., Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening. 

Talking about the level of exams, none of these tests are easier than the other. Both have the same level of difficulty. 

The only difference between PTE and IELTS is the mode of examination and pattern. While PTE offers only computer-based tests, IELTS provides the option for computer-based and IELTS paper-based exams. 

The duration for both exams is around 2-3 hours. The IELTS comprises four sections with longer tasks, while the PTE has three parts with numerous short questions.

• The purpose of IELTS and PTE is similar, which is to check proficiency in the English language. 
• Both of these tests assess your proficiency in the English language on 4-components: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening.
• Both exams allow you to answer in major dialects like UK or US English. So, both British and American English are accepted.
• Both the exams provide detailed test scores, reported on a scale (0-9 for IELTS, 10-90 for PTE) with an individual score for each of the four sections.
• Both these tests take approximately 2-3 hours to complete.
• Both the exams, IELTS and PTE, are internationally recognized and accepted by universities, employers, and government bodies.

The first step towards preparation for any exam is to understand the exam pattern and structure. It is to ensure that you have a clear idea about the IELTS vs PTE format, task types, and time requirements of the exam. 

The IELTS exam has four sections sequenced in the following order:

• Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking

While in the PTE exam, there are three test sections sequenced as below:

• Speaking and Writing (Combined Section)
• Reading
• Listening

Here is the section-wise structure of the exam:

The score for IELTS is graded on a scale of 0 to 9 for each of the four sections and the overall score, with scores provided in half-point increments (6.5, 7,7.5).

The candidates are awarded the band score based on each section, along with an overall score. 

The minimum score set by most universities and organizations is 6.5 - 7.5. 

PTE scores are reported on a scale of 10 to 90 (using the global scale of English) for each of the four skills and the overall score. 

Unlike IELTS, the scores in PTE are in single-point increments.

Also, the scoring for PTE Academic is fully automated, using algorithms and speech recognition technology to assess responses.

The minimum PTE accepted score set by most universities is in the bracket of 55 to 60.

The table below mentions the scoring systems compared between the two exams: 

There is not a high difference between the costs of both exams. 

The IELTS costs INR 16250, while the PTE costs INR 15,900, including GST.

Talking about worldwide acceptance, IELTS is a popular and standardised English Exam accepted across 10,000 universities spanning 140 countries. 

PTE was introduced in 2009, and since then, it has also been gaining popularity. As per the trends, PTE is gaining more acceptance in Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

The IELTS exam grades the candidate on a band of 0-9. This band score is the average of the scores assigned to each of the 4-sections (listening, reading, writing, and speaking)

Also, each of these band scores equates to a certain skill level. For example, those who score band 9 are expert users, and those who get band 7 are good users. 

The PTE exam is graded on a scale of 10 to 90 points. This exam tests the candidate's communication and six enabling skills (Pronunciation, Grammar, Vocabulary, Oral Fluency, Written discourse, and spelling) and provides an overall score based on that.

Overall, in the debate of "PTE vs IELTS," we can conclude that PTE is an automated evaluation exam with an almost negligible margin of error in the checking. While IELTS is a standardised exam where you can skip questions and answer them later. So, if you like solving multiple questions quickly, PTE would be an ideal exam for you. However, if you are a pen-and-paper person and capable of writing long answers, go for IELTS.