PTE General Exam 2023: Pattern, Fee, Dates, Eligibility

PTE General Exam is one of the famous English Proficiency exams in the world. Candidates appear in this exam to test their proficiency level in English language. Here, PTE stands for ‘Pearson Test for English’ and it’s goal is to check the fluency in speaking, listening, reading and writing English language. In this blog, we are covering information about PTE General exam pattern, fees, eligibility, dates and other details for the year 2023.

Certain universities and government agencies worldwide also consider the PTE General Exam scores of Level 4 and Level 5 for admissions and work visas. The test can be written by anyone above the age of 16 and the registration process is quite similar to PTE Academic Exam. 

PTE full form	Pearson Test for English
Other Name	International Certificate
Conducting Body	Pearson and Edexcel Limited
PTE General Exam Dates	May, June, August, November, and December
Number of Levels in PTE General	6
Application Fees	INR 15,900
Sections in PTE General	2; (Written and Verbal)
Mode of Exam	Written exam Interview
Official Website	https://www.pearsonpte.com/

What is PTE General Exam?

The PTE General Exam is divided into two sections, a written exam and a verbal interview of 75 and 25 marks respectively. This exam is conducted in this pattern for 6 different levels namely the Foundation Level (A1), Level 1 (A2), Level 2 (B1), Level 3 (B2), Level 4 (C1), and Level 5 (C2). Each of these levels is based on the CEFR levels of evaluation. 

CEFR or Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is used for standardising exams for language proficiency in various regions. The six levels of PTE General are graded as A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. In this categorisation C2 is considered to be the ‘Master Level’ proficiency, C1 is ‘Effective Operational Proficiency’, B2 is ‘Vantage’, B1 is ‘Threshold’, A2 is ‘Waystage’ and A1 is the ‘Breakthrough’ level. 

Countries that Accept PTE General Exam Score

There are various countries accepting PTE General Exam Scores for the intake of students and working professionals. These countries are non-native English-speaking European countries. The list of such countries is mentioned below.

• Albania
• Columbia
• Czech Republic
• Ecuador
• Greece
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Mexico
• Poland
• Spain
• Switzerland
• UK
• Ukraine
• Estonia

Must Read: PTE Preparation at Home

PTE General Test Eligibility Criteria

There is no set eligibility for giving a PTE General exam except that the candidate must be equal to above the age of 16 years. As this is an International Certification exam there is a set of criteria on which each candidate is marked. 

1. Completion: The candidate must write a relevant answer to score marks. Marks for attempting or transferring marks are not allowed. 
2. Fulfil the Requirement: The answer must be within the formal guidelines of the exam following the format of the respective section. For instance, the word limit for a certain section of the exam is to be maintained for the evaluation of the answer, or it should be at least be in the tolerable limit to score minimum. 
3. Descriptive Criteria: The description of the answer should be based on the analytical criteria keeping in mind factors like range, accuracy, coherence, and orthographic control. 
4. Global Selection Criteria: The description of each answer should be interactive and also portray written productivity. 

PTE General Test Levels

Based on CEFR Categorisation, the Foundation level is the lowest level of achievement in the PTE General Exam. The detailed pattern of each level is covered hereunder. 

Foundation Level (A1)

The foundation level of the PTE exam is structured for beginners. It is designed to test their social and basic survival skills in the English language. This 75 minutes exam is based on 9 tasks based on a general theme. The 9 tasks are comprised of Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing tests. The spoken part consists of a Monologue, Picture description, and Roleplay. The exam duration is 75 minutes. 

Level 1 (A2)

Comprising 1 written test and a spoken test of 9 tasks, Level 1 of the PTE General exam is also suited for beginners. The theme of the test basically revolves around basic household terms, transportation, hobbies, salutations, etc. The exam duration is 1 hour 35 minutes.

Level 2 (B1)

For candidates who have an intermediate knowledge of the English language, the PTE General exam Level 2 is an appropriate option. This test evaluates a person based on their knowledge of the language around workplaces, educational institutions, etc. Level 2 explores ideas, emotions, and information a person has about topics like tourism, education, entertainment, etc. Apart from the 9 tasks, this level also has an added spoken test of ‘Discussion’ to judge a candidate’s interaction skills. The test is designed for 1 hour 35 minutes. 

Level 3 (B2)

This 2 hours 30 minutes test is a more comprehensive and extensive form of the PTE General Level 3 exam. This test also consists of spoken and written sections. 

Level 4 (C1)

This exam is set in social and professional contexts and is more suitable for candidates who are planning to study or work abroad. The theme of the test is more around society and the environment where a candidate’s fluency and Mastery of the language are tested. The 2 hours 55 minutes exam consists of an 8 minutes spoken section. The pattern of the spoken tasks is however similar to the previous levels. 

Level 5 (C2)

This exam consists of multiple themes and is levelled for highly competitive candidates. The context of the exam is to test the awareness of the candidate about various topics of international importance and their creative ways of presenting them in the English language. 

Understand Your PTE General Test Scores

The PTE General test scores do not expire, they are rather a certification of language proficiency that can be produced at any time. The distribution of marks around the written and spoken sections is mentioned below. 

Section	Component	Weightage
Written	Listening	10
Written	Listening and Writing	10 (5+5)
Written	Listening	10
Written	Reading	5
Written	Reading	5
Written	Reading	8
Written	Reading	7
Written	Writing	10
Written	Writing	10

Total	75
Spoken	3 sections in Speaking and 1 section specialised for Level 2-5): 25
Complete Score	100

Also Read: IELTS Exam

Why Take a PTE General Test?

The PTE Academic test has more opportunities for study abroad and work-abroad options but it is difficult and one must choose their preference of exam based on the ‘intent’. Here is a list of why one should take the PTE General Exam.

1. To test your level of proficiency in the English Language. 
2. Gain a certificate based on your level of proficiency. If your PTE Level 4 English is weak, you can still apply for PTE Level 3 and gain an International Certificate. 
3. The Level 4 and Level 5 certificates are also accepted in several countries for study abroad and work options. 
4. The International Certificate has no expiry. 
5. No extensive coursework is required. 

FAQs

The PTE General exam is not conducted throughout the year so one should plan their exam beforehand. The exam is conducted at year-end, so to book your slot for PTE General in 2023 the candidate should keep updated with the exam dates. For further updates and preparation tips, follow  Leverage Edu on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.