However, there is another form of proficiency test that is acknowledged by fewer students. Many students do not even know the exact process and in-depth details of this exam, i.e. the Pearson Test of English, or PTE exam.

To delve into a thorough guideline for this test, I talked with Mahin Nishan, who scored a perfect 90 in PTE last year and has also been teaching as a PTE instructor at Mentors for the last 2.5 years.

PTE Academic is a two-hour-long, give or take, computer-based English language proficiency test. Unlike IELTS, PTE employs automated scoring driven by artificial intelligence. TOEFL is also digital in nature, but uses a different question architecture.

“Perhaps the most unique thing about PTE is the integrated skills testing. Many questions naturally combine skills; for example, ‘Retell Lecture’ tests listening and speaking simultaneously, which matches real-world communication better than isolated modules in other exams. Each question type reflects one or more linguistic skills, and based on the frequency of those skills, each question type carries comparatively more or less score than another.”

Besides, each question type contributes differently towards the total score of the individual modules and the overall score alike. It is not as cut and dry or a simple calculation as IELTS in terms of the overall band score.

Nowadays, students select PTE because of many factors such as fast processing time, unbiased AI scoring, and minimal performance anxiety. Moreover, another advantage is that results are published within 48 hours in most cases.

In terms of universities, PTE Academic is recognised by over 3,900 institutions globally. It is accepted for all academic applications and immigration pathways by the governments of Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. There is also widespread approval across university systems in Canada and the United States, including elite Ivy League universities.

In terms of cost, the standard registration fee in Bangladesh is 220 USD, or roughly 28,000 BDT. Re-examinees are required to pay this fee in full. Paid preparation tools vary between 10 and 50 USD, i.e. 1,228 BDT to 6,138 BDT.

Candidates can prepare for free using the official Pearson Digital Study Planner or third-party online practice platforms such as AlfaPTE and Apeuni.

One comparison that is often made by students is between IELTS and PTE. In this regard, Mahin said that academic institutions and embassies value PTE exactly equally to IELTS. They use a standard conversion scale.

“Here, an overall PTE score can easily be compared to an overall IELTS band score. For example, a PTE Academic score of 65 is precisely equivalent to an IELTS band 7.0, and a PTE score of 79 is equivalent to an IELTS band 8.0.”

When asked whether the speaking section of PTE is easier than IELTS for Bangladeshi students, he said with relief for students that the speaking module is widely considered less stressful primarily because speaking into a microphone eliminates stage fright or panic compared to a face-to-face interview.

Technically, however, it is more demanding, as the voice recognition software tracks continuous fluency and strict pronunciation, and the topics themselves sometimes require deep academic understanding of the particular subject.

There has always been confusion regarding the PTE exam venue. Upon asking about where it is conducted, Mahin clarified the confusion: the test is taken at a selected venue in a single sitting without any scheduled breaks, which is usually notified to candidates via email prior to the exam after registration.

PTE features three primary sections that roughly contain 52 to 64 questions in total. Section 1 is Speaking and Writing, which takes around 54 to 67 minutes across nine distinct task types. Section 2 is Reading, which takes 29 to 30 minutes across five task types. Section 3 is Listening, which takes about 30 to 43 minutes, across eight task types.

“Official scores are published online in just two to five business days, often taking only a little more than 24 hours in most cases,” he said.

For such a competitive exam, all students rush to join coaching centres, take home tutors, and run here and there. Well, that is not the case in every scenario.

Candidates can secure high scores independently without any formal commercial coaching or private tutors. Because the grading is completely machine-automated, students can accurately predict their performance by utilising online practice platforms and taking mock tests.

However, Pearson has its own extremely accurate and powerful copyrighted AI that cannot be replicated by any other platform, and an officially trained trainer can give better feedback and more accurate performance breakdown than third-party practice platforms.

There are some common mistakes students usually overlook. Preparation mistakes include, but are not limited to, relying blindly on templates and practising modules individually rather than globally. Each question type demands a certain set of linguistic skills.

“A complete understanding of the question types is inalienable to success. Live exam-day blunders include triggering the automatic three-second silence microphone shut-off, limited knowledge of academic collocations, failing to manage or allocate time properly across question types, spelling mistakes, using fillers and non-words while speaking, and countless others that come with each question type.”

There is another major issue that students often face. Failing to find a clear solution, they later assume that a specific university does not accept PTE when it actually does, and this information is often missing from the university’s main admissions webpage. This discrepancy occurs because, in many universities, their respective websites lag behind active policy updates.

While a university’s main undergraduate or postgraduate admissions landing page might only explicitly list traditional tests like IELTS or TOEFL, the official approval of PTE is frequently buried in a separate sub-link.

To confirm true eligibility, candidates should refer to the PTE global database or directly contact the university’s international admissions office via email rather than relying solely on the primary landing page.

Lastly, for students who are taking preparation or are already in the preparation phase but have very little time, Mahin has offered the following advice:

“Applicants must explicitly verify the testing policy of the chosen scholarship or admission committee, as a small percentage of government fellowships and universities require specific examinations. Beyond this, candidates should target a score above the university’s minimum threshold to strengthen their profile.”

For students who have a very short time to prepare or are already in the preparation phase, they must prioritise high-weightage question types that carry the maximum number of integrated marks. “Preparation should begin with a scored mock test to evaluate current capabilities,” he concluded.

It is highly advantageous to choose PTE over alternative exams due to its fast scoring and lack of human examiner bias.