Getting started

PTE Core is the newest member of Pearson's PTE English test family, announced for booking on January 30, 2024. It is a computer-based test of general English language ability. In 2023, PTE Core was approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as proof of English language proficiency for Canadian work permit, permanent residence or citizenship applications.

Compared with the more common PTE Academic, PTE Core's question types are highly similar (many are identical), but the content is set in everyday life and work rather than academic contexts, and it is aimed squarely at the Canadian immigration pathway.

• Applying for Canadian immigration (economic-class programs such as Express Entry)
• Applying for a Canadian work visa
• Applying for Canadian citizenship

• The exam is the same length as PTE Academic — 2 hours — taken at a designated test centre
• Test centres are broadly the same as for PTE Academic; some newer centres may not yet offer PTE Core, so confirm with the centre before booking
• The fee at mainland China test centres is USD 317 (refer to the live price on the official site)

The whole exam has three parts. The full list of question types and their weights is in the question-type guide:

• Part 1, Speaking & Writing (about 46-67 min): RA / RS / DI / RTS / ASQ / SWT / WE — 7 question types
• Part 2, Reading (about 27-38 min): FIB-RW / MCM-R / RO / FIB-R / MCS-R — 5 question types
• Part 3, Listening (about 30-37 min): SST / MCM-L / FIB-L / MCS-L / SMW / HIW / WFD — 7 question types

The Score Report has one Overall Score and four skill scores (Listening / Reading / Speaking / Writing), each on a 0-90 scale.

PTE Core uses cross-scoring: many question types count toward more than one skill — Read Aloud counts toward both Speaking and Reading, Repeat Sentence toward both Speaking and Listening, Write from Dictation toward both Writing and Listening. So improving one question type often lifts two skill scores at once.