What to expect on the day of your PTE test

Pearson Languages
Teenager studying with open books on his bed

Reading time: 6.5 minutes

Embarking on the journey of taking the Pearson Test of English (PTE) can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if it's a pivotal moment in your study abroad journey or a step towards a career and even permanent residency in an English-speaking country. This comprehensive post is designed to guide you through the entire process, from the moment you decide to take the PTE test to the day you actually sit for it, ensuring a worry-free and breezy experience from start to finish.

With our detailed walkthrough, you can approach the test with confidence, a sense of preparedness and a calm mind. We'll cover everything you need to know, from what to bring, where to leave your belongings and what to expect. So that when the test day arrives, you can focus on passing your English test and not worry about the small things.

What to expect on the day of your PTE test
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree Pearson can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

Preparation begins at home

Before leaving the comfort of your home, it's essential to ensure that you have everything in order. This includes checking that the name on your application matches exactly with the one on your valid passport – no nicknames or abbreviations.

Double-check the date, time and location of the test. To avoid any last-minute rush, plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled test time. Remember, all you need is a valid passport, your confirmation email, and a positive mindset to tackle the test ahead.

Arriving at the test center

Arriving early is not just about punctuality; it sets the tone for a calm and focused test-taking experience. It allows you time to take a few deep breaths, gather your thoughts, and mentally prepare for the challenge ahead.

The PTE is meticulously designed to consider every detail, allowing your own English language proficiency skills to shine through effortlessly, without the distractions of logistical concerns.

Security measures

The first step at the test center involves confirming your identity with a valid passport. A quick and secure palm scan follows, ensuring the integrity of the testing process and that only you can take the test for yourself.

If you have a hand injury or condition that prevents the palm vein scan, it's advisable to contact customer care in advance for alternative arrangements, so there are no surprises on test day.

Securing personal items

Watches, wallets, phones and other smart devices should be securely stored in lockers outside the testing room. This precaution ensures a distraction-free and secure testing environment, allowing you to focus solely on the test questions without worrying about the safety of your belongings.

Pre-test checks

Before you enter the test room, there is a check to make sure you aren’t carrying any prohibited items. The administrators will ask to see you aren’t concealing anything; they might ask to see the inside of your pockets or up your sleeves, for example, asking you to pat yourself down to show you aren’t hiding anything. 

Our security checks are no contact, so rest assured the administrators will treat you with respect and dignity. If you wear glasses they will also be checked (also with no physical contact).

Inside the test room

Once inside the test room, you'll find a comfortable booth equipped with everything you need — a computer, keyboard, audio headset and an erasable booklet with two pens. The layout of the room is designed to minimize distractions.

Don't worry about others around you speaking; the microphones are intelligent and only pick up your voice during the speaking section, ensuring your responses are clear and undisturbed.

Taking the test

The PTE exam covers four sections: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Each section is carefully designed to assess your command of the English language in diverse contexts.

The Reading section evaluates your ability to understand written information, while the Writing section tests your skills in composing coherent and structured text.

The Listening section measures your capacity to interpret and analyze spoken messages, and the Speaking section gauges your proficiency in verbal communication. Together, these sections provide a comprehensive evaluation of your English language abilities in both academic and real-world settings.

A friendly invigilator's presence

You're not alone in this journey. A friendly invigilator is there to assist you if needed. Feel free to raise your hand if you find yourself stuck or require assistance. The invigilator ensures that everything runs smoothly, maintaining a stress-free testing environment, and is there to answer any procedural questions you might have.

They are the unsung heroes of the testing process, vigilantly overseeing the room with a keen eye to ensure fairness and order, all while providing a reassuring presence that can ease the nerves of even the most anxious test-takers.

Exiting the test room

Upon completing the test, a simple hand raise signals the end of your testing session. The test invigilator will assist you in exiting the test room. You can leave the test center with a sense of accomplishment, knowing that you've done your best.

What happens next?

After the test is complete, you'll be guided by the invigilator to exit the test room. You will then proceed to the locker area to retrieve your personal belongings. It's important to ensure you have all your items before leaving the test center. Once everything is collected, you can leave the premises.

Post-test reflections

Stepping out of the test center, you might experience a mix of relief and anticipation. The weight of the PTE exam is now a memory, and the immediate sense of freedom can be both exhilarating and nerve-racking. It's natural to reflect on the questions and your performance. You may find yourself replaying certain moments or wondering if you could have articulated your thoughts more clearly in the speaking section or if you caught all the nuances in the listening section.

Try to relax and avoid post-exam analysis, as it won't change the outcome. Instead, focus on the effort you've put in and give yourself credit for completing the test. It's a good moment to take a deep breath and appreciate that you've taken a significant step forward in your academic or professional journey. Now, the wait for the results begins, but remember, this period of anticipation is also a time to unwind and treat yourself after the hard work and preparation you've dedicated to this challenge.

Waiting for the results

The PTE test results are typically available within 48 hours, allowing you to get back to your routine with minimal delay. You will receive an email notification once the scores are ready to be viewed. Log in to your PTE account to access your test score report. The report will detail your scores for each section, along with an overall score.

What to do if you have concerns

If you have any concerns about the test process or your results, reach out to the PTE customer support team. They can provide guidance and address any issues you may have.

Planning your next steps

With your results in hand, you can proceed with your study abroad applications for educational institutions, visa processes, or job applications that require proof of English language proficiency. If your score doesn't meet the requirements, you can always prepare and retake the test.

Remember to celebrate the completion of your PTE test, regardless of the outcome. It's a significant milestone in your English language learning journey.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How early should I arrive at the test center? A: It is recommended to arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled test time to complete the necessary pre-test procedures.

Q: What kind of identification is accepted? A: A valid passport is the only accepted form of identification accepted at the PTE test centers.

Q: Can I bring my own stationery? A: No, the test center will provide you with an erasable booklet and pens for note-taking and writing on during the test.

Q: What happens if I arrive late to the test center? A: Late arrival may result in not being allowed to take the test, and you may need to reschedule your tests for another time.

Q: What should I do if I need assistance during the test? A: If you require assistance at any point during the test, raise your hand, and an invigilator will help you.

Q: Can I take a break during the test? A: There are no scheduled breaks during the PTE test. If an unscheduled break is needed, you must raise your hand and ask the invigilator. However, the test clock will not stop.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of times I can attempt the PTE test? A: You may take the PTE test as many times as you feel necessary to achieve your desired score. However, you must wait to receive your scores from one attempt before scheduling the next one.

Q: What happens if I cancel before my test? A: If you have chosen NOT to attend your PTE exam after booking the test online, you will receive a refund within 14 days of your scheduled test time. Applicants who have not yet taken the exam within 15 calendar days will receive a 50% refund on the payment of the exam fee. However, a cancellation of a scheduled test will not result in a refund.

Why choose PTE?

PTE is regarded as an essential visa-processing tool for governments around the globe. With its rigorous and precise testing methodology, it is recognized for its high standards and trusted results. Countries such as New Zealand and the UK are all accepting PTE scores for work visas, acknowledging the exam's credibility in assessing English language proficiency.

Furthermore, PTE's acceptance has recently expanded to include all study permits in Canada, making it a versatile and invaluable asset for prospective students and professionals aiming to advance their careers or education in English-speaking environments.

If you have any other questions or want to learn more, make sure to check out the link below. You can also watch the video of 'What happens on PTE test day'. 

Find more out about PTE

More blogs from Pearson

  • A group of business people sat together at a desk

    Beyond borders: Harnessing the power of English language skills for a global competitive edge

    By Samantha Yates
    Reading time: 7 minutes

    How does increasing English proficiency drive international growth? Read on to find out how future-focused business leaders are gaining a competitive edge globally by investing in English language training.

    The link between English language proficiency and global business growth is indisputable, and this presents leaders with an exciting opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.

  • A group of business people talking together

    Future of global workforce decoded: A Pearson and People Matters study

    By Samantha Yates
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    Companies today face a renewed skills challenge. One that goes beyond the traditional skilling agenda that helps employees keep up with the ever-evolving nature of technology. But rather one that prioritizes soft skills and seeks to leverage the right tools and modalities to address change.

    The Pearson and People Matt­ers study, Future of Global Workforce Decoded, echoes the growing importance of having the right skilling pedagogies in place to build communication and collaboration within globally distributed teams. Download the full report here or keep reading this summary.

    The study surveyed around 70 business and talent leaders across India to assess how they see the future of global workforces evolve and unpacked trends on how companies are driving productivity.

    The new skilling agenda: communication and collaboration

    The Pearson Power Skills report contextualized this need for skilling by identifying communication and collaboration as pivotal soft skills required to build a capable workforce across India and APAC. For companies hoping to accelerate growth through a productive global workforce, the need for developing these soft skills rises exponentially.

    For around 56% of leaders interviewed, the right learning certification and skill building programs enabled them to improve business performance. This was closely followed by creating the right employee experience and increasing inclusivity.

    The rise of skilling and certification needs echoes a business concern common to companies with global workforces: to accelerate growth and leverage post-pandemic consumer behavior shifts to build more profitable business processes. Focusing on building communication and collaboration is central to this.

    Previous studies noted that communication and collaboration remained vital soft skills for companies across APAC to develop. And with good reason. With its impact felt across different aspects of an employee's journey, the focus on building communication and collaboration is imperative.

    Around 60% of companies reported that communication and collaboration helped them:

    • Improve employee performance
    • Increase engagement levels
    • Increase cross-functional work
    • Improve retention

    Building the right skilling pedagogies

    When it comes to top talent challenges among global workforces, the lack of communication and collaboration as an essential part of teams remains an important challenge. Over 45% of companies today state this as a pivotal barrier. Another 47% of companies stated the difficulty in reskilling remains concerning.

    The solution: new, more relevant learning pedagogies that address the skilling needs.

    The right pedagogies also help raise performance and drive workforce productivity.

    Besides focusing on developing managers to lead global teams, for over 58% of companies, providing bespoke learning opportunities is key to their ability to solve future uncertainty and raise employee productivity.

    This need to adopt bett­er skilling methods is driven by many who find themselves in uncertain waters. The study found that over 77% of companies identified skill gaps bett­er and provided more relevant learning opportunities as a top learning priority.

    Having the right learning pedagogies that enable tracking and impactful, new-age interventions targeted to improve communication skills is the need of the hour. The study found that the ability to work cohesively in a global work sett­ing depended crucially on how easily different teams can communicate with each other.

    Assessments and hiring for success

    To ensure the success of learning tools and goals related to communication and collaboration, companies also need to consider another key component of their talent management process: whom they hire.

    As recruitment becomes a key HR function, companies with globally distributed and diverse workforces today need to hire individuals who fit their culture and can upskill quickly. Therefore, it's no surprise that the top hiring priorities for companies in the coming year are:

    1. Assessing candidates’ ability to learn new skills
    2. Assessments to gauge job and culture fit
    3. Better engagement and experience

    While building the right communication skills focuses on enabling learners to gauge the nuances of a global work sett­ing and enhance their proficiency in the language, how companies hire proves to be equally important.

    Platforms such as Versant by Pearson prove vital tools for assessing job fit and communication skills, enabling companies with global workforces to hire those who meet their requirements. While new-age learning techniques help address gaps and spur productivity by enhancing communication and collaboration skills, ensuring the right candidates are hired greatly improves the ROI and impact of such skilling programs.

    Driving skills forward to help recruit, develop and retain talent

    The future of global workforces is increasingly dependent on how successfully they can communicate and collaborate with each other. While once considered skills that were good to have, they have risen to the forefront of business demand.

    There is a clear demand for bett­er assessment and learning tools that enable companies to hire and train bett­er. Companies with a global workforce today require personalized learning programs that leverage the latest tech solutions like generative AI, immersive learning, and greater ROI and impact tracking. The diversity of a global workforce throws up newer challenges, and as companies expand, having the right tools – that address both hiring and learning needs – can greatly improve how HR leaders create impact.

    With varying expectations and aspirations, aligning company needs with those of the employee is critical for success.

    Those who focus on building the right communication and collaboration capabilities within their global workforces today stand bett­er prepared to tackle business challenges and drive productivity.

    Investing in the right learning pedagogies and addressing communication concerns thus have a direct impact on how productive global workforces are. The new skilling agenda of focusing on communication and collaboration is today driven by a need to channel diverse workforces to tackle business uncertainty.

    A defining factor of how companies ensure a productive future is by building the right hiring and learning capabilities that address the new skilling agenda.

    To find out more about this study, download the full report here.

    Pearson works with over 2,000 leading enterprises around the world, helping them to diagnose skills gaps, identify learning pathways and interventions, and mobilize their workforces through verifiable skill credentials.