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PTE Core vs PTE Academic: Purpose, Fees, Format, & Scoring System

Whether you are going abroad for study, a job, or immigration purposes, choosing the right PTE exam is extremely important. Moreover, when it comes to proving your English language abilities, you must know which exam is best to take. Thus, the PTE offers two types of exams, the PTE Core and PTE Academic. But which is best, PTE Core vs PTE Academic?

Thus, read our blog to identify all the information about these tests in detail by understanding the difference between PTE core Vs PTE academic. So, let’s start.

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Table of Contents

Difference Between PTE Core Vs PTE Academic

Many students predict that the PTE core and academic are similar, but wait, the difference between these two is excessive. Thus, it is important to know even a single difference. So, the PTE Academic is for academic English proficiency, and the PTE Core is for general English skills test evaluation for everyday conversation. Therefore, it is important to understand the difference between PTE core Vs PTE academic in depth so that you can make a clear decision to choose the right one. So here is a small brief for both.

PTE Academic

The PTE academic exam is a Language Proficiency Test that is given on the computer. It’s a kind of gateway that tests your English language ability for academic pursuits. Moreover, it assesses your skills to read, speak, write, and understand academic-equal English. Thus, if you are going abroad for study purposes, then PTE academic is best for you.

PTE Core

The PTE core is also a Language Proficiency Test that assists your English ability to write, read, listen, and speak. It is poles apart from the academic as it mainly focuses on general English. This type of English is used in daily conversation, which you can evaluate from the news, articles, or by crafting emails. Thus, if you are doing the job or permanently shifting abroad (Canada), then you can opt for the PTE core.

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This is a short description of these two PTE exams. However, to know more in-depth, let's check out this table of PTE Core vs PTE Academic below.

FeaturePTE CorePTE Academic
FocusIt focuses on General English proficiencyIt emphasizes on Academic English proficiency
Target AudienceThis is given by those who want to immigrate to Canada or for work visa applicantsThis is for students who want to pursue higher education in abroad.
ContentIt encompasses everyday language scenariosIt is related to academic materials and tasks
RecognitionPrimarily for CanadaWorldwide recognized

This is the table of the PTE core and academic. It will give you an idea about the PTE core and academics in detail. Now, let’s move to the next section to know the purpose of these two exams. So, let’s embark.

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1. PTE Core and PTE Academic Purpose

The PTE exam is beneficial for the students, but before choosing the exam type, it is vital to know its purpose. However, the student lacks the ability to choose the right one. Therefore, it is necessary to know the difference between PTE core Vs PTE academic. Thus, to clear your doubt, we have shared the purpose of these two PTE exams. 

PTE Academic

PTE Academic is a passport to get into any university as it provides educational opportunities for those students who are looking to pursue undergraduate programs, master's degrees, or PhD grads. Thus, this exam helps you to get admission into your desired college, but for that, you need to score the marks set by the college to meet all the English language score requirements. Thus, it can help you to validate your English language skills and also assist in fulfilling the requirements for visa application. Hence, this is the major purpose of the PTE Academic exam. 

PTE Core

The PTE core exam is for those individuals looking to shift to Canada permanently. Besides, getting permanent residency in Canada unlocks doors to many opportunities and possibilities. Moreover, those who are looking to settle in this nation for their future can choose this test to get a ticket to permanent living in Canada. Thus, below are two main reasons for introducing this test.

  • The PTE core’s scores directly impact IRCC [Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada]
  • This test is also accepted for Canadian citizenship applications.
  • It assesses your English language ability in short and through a computer-based system. 

Hence, this is the purpose of PTE Core vs PTE Academic. Moreover, it provides a clear image of the exam. Now, in the next section, let’s analyse the test format of the PTE academic and core.

2. Test Format of PTE Core Vs PTE Academic -

If you think PTE academic and core have similar formats, then wait. You must evaluate and know the backwards and forwards of these two types of PTE exams. Hence, their format varies from each other. Here is the proper explanation of the format for these two exam types.

Exam typePTE AcademicPTE Core
Duration2 hours2 hours
Validation2 years2 years
Question type in different section
  • Speaking & Writing: Read Aloud, Repeat Sentences, Describe Images, Re-tell Lectures, Answer Short Questions, Summarize Written Text, Essay
  • Reading: Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, Re-order Paragraphs, Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Single Answer
  • Listening: Summarize Spoken Text, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, Fill in the Blanks, Highlight Correct Summary, Multiple Choice, Single Answer, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words, Write from Dictation
  • Speaking & Writing: Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Respond to Situation, Answer Short Questions, Summarize Written Text, Write Email
  • Reading: Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, Re-order Paragraphs, Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Single Answer
  • Listening: Summarize Spoken Text, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Single Answer, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words, Write from Dictation

This is the breakdown of the format of PTE Core vs PTE Academic in detail. Thus, Go through this table and get familiar with the format for both exams. It will help you to prepare for the exam effectively and score high in the exam. Now, let’s move ahead to knowing the fees of these two PTE exams in brief.

3. PTE Core VS PTE Academic Fees

If you think that the fees of the PTE Core vs PTE Academic exam are different, then you are in a dilemma. The fee for these two exams in India is INR 18,000, inclusive of 18% tax. However, PTE exam fees vary according to the country. Thus, it is suggested to check exam fees before registering.

This was all about the fees for PTE academic and core. Now, let’s explore the countries that accept PTE exam scores for both categories. So have a look.

4. PTE Core Vs PTE Academic: Accepting Countries

Before choosing the right PTE exam, you must know the countries that accept this exam. Many students make this common mistake. Thus, let’s explore which country accepts PTE Core vs PTE Academic. So have a look.

PTE Academic – This test is basically for academic purposes and is accepted by 73 countries, such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, France, Germany, etc. Also, over 3500 universities and colleges undertake their scores for English language proficiency tests to offer admission.

PTE Core – It is exclusively recognized by the IRCC and accepted only in Canada.

Through this, we hope you get an idea about which countries are accepting the specific PTE exam. Now, in the next section, let’s assess the scoring system for both exams.

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5. Scoring System of PTE Core and PTE Academic-

You might be familiar with the PTE exam, which is a computer-based exam that is scored by using an AI-driven scoring system. This approach makes sure that students get fair, accurate, and efficient scores. Thus, here is the breakdown of the PTE Core vs PTE Academic scoring system.

The PTE core and PTE academic assess your reading, writing, speaking, and listening abilities through different formats. However, the scores are given between the range of 10 to 90 points according to the Global Scale of English. 

However, both exam scoring patterns cannot be comparable as the PTE core aligns with several language standards. On the other hand, PTE academic evaluates scores through communicative skills and enabling skills.

Hence, according to the new scoring system of the PTE exam, overall performance and communicative skills are evaluated, and the final score is given along with the feedback report. Thus, you will get scores in the range of 10-90 according to the performance and other skills in both PTE academic and core.

Practice Tips for Both Exam PTE Core and PTE Academic,

Students get confused in choosing the right exam about which is best PTE Core Vs PTE Academic. Whatever exam type is chosen, preparing robustly for the exam is mandatory. Thus, we have shared generic tips to prepare for both PTE exams to score well and get through it in one attempt only. So, let’s have a look at these exam tips.

  1. Create a study plan
  2. Set daily goals to complete either one section or any part.
  3. Practice each section individually to foster a well-formed skill set.
  4. Use several resources available online to prepare for the exam
  5. Appearing for mock tests will help you to understand the actual difficulty level of the exam.
  6. Use strategies to improve in the lacking areas.
  7. Read books, articles, and news, or listen to podcasts or different English accent-based movies to understand the tone.
  8. Familiarize yourself with the format and manage time.

These are some of the tips that will help you to prepare for the exam well.

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Conclusion

In short, choosing the right PTE exam type might be difficult, but we hope this guide might have streamlined the process for choosing the suitable exam. Thus, the PTE core is mainly accepted in Canada, and PTE academics are for students to assess their language proficiency and get admission to foreign colleges by using their scores. Thus, it depends on you which exam you want to choose. Moreover, if you want to enroll in coaching to prepare for the PTE exam, then Gradding is best for you. It is one of the leading PTE coaching online in India. Get connected to experts to know more.

FAQ

What is the difference between PTE Core and PTE Academic?

The PTE Academic evaluates English language skills for academic purposes. On the other hand, the PTE core focuses on English skills that are used in everyday conversation. Also, it is accepted by only Canada.

Is PTE Core the same as PTE Academic?

No, PTE core and PTE academic are different from each other. One is for academic purposes, and the other is to test general language skills.

Which one is easier, PTE Core or PTE Academic?

The PTE core is considered easier than PTE academic because it focuses on the language skills that are used in everyday conversation. The academic is a bit challenging as it is created according to the academic purpose.

Is PTE Core easy to pass?

The PTE core is designed to be user-friendly to achieve the desired score by using the right format of language skills, making this PTE exam type not easy but manageable by using the right preparation method.

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