Choosing IELTS or PTE For IT Professionals - Which Should You Go For?

When it comes to English proficiency tests, there are several options to choose from including the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Pearson Test of English (PTE), among others.

However, the PTE is a popular option among Infocomm and Communications Technology (ICT) professionals largely because it was available as a computer-based test before the computer-delivered IELTS test was launched.

The IELTS computer-delivered test is also a great option to consider if you’re looking to take an English proficiency test. In fact, IELTS might be the better option for you!

Before we dive in, let’s take a closer look at the PTE and IELTS as well as some key differences between the two.

What Is PTE?

Launched in 2009, the PTE is an English language test that was launched by Pearson Inc. It has two tests: PTE Academic and PTE General, both computer-based and automated.

These tests have gained popularity in recent years and are accepted by thousands of institutions around the world and by the Australian and New Zealand governments for visa purposes.

What Is IELTS?

Set as the golden standard for English proficiency tests, the IELTS was launched in 1989 and evaluates the fluency of English in both written and spoken formats.

Accepted by over 11,000 institutions in more than 140 countries, the IELTS has both paper-based and computer-based versions of its test, which is split into four sections: speaking, writing, listening and reading.

5 Reasons Why to Choose IELTS Over The PTE

1. IELTS Has More Global Acceptance & Recognition

In both tests, your language skills get assessed with general scores provided. However, compared to PTE, IELTS is more widely recognised around the world, with the most popular countries being Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.

In fact, the IELTS General is the only non-academic English test which is accepted by Australian migration!

The IELTS is the preferred option for international students entering higher education and pursuing professional certifications. Hence, as an ICT professional, having IELTS scores could work in your favour as it is associated with learning and professional purposes.

2. The Test Format Is Different

While both tests assess your language ability across reading, writing, speaking and listening, the difference is that all components of the PTE are marked by a machine – including the speaking part, where you’ll speak to a computer.

However, this isn’t the case for the IELTS, where you’ll get the speaking portion assessed by a human examiner.

The advantage of interacting with the human examiner is that you’ll get the experience to react in a real-life simulated situation, which might be a more accurate representation of your communication skills.

3. The Freedom to Navigate Back & Forth Through Your Questions

As with all tests, it helps to have the flexibility to move back and forth through questions. After all, you might want to double-check your work or even skip questions that you aren’t able to answer right off the bat before revisiting them.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an option in the PTE, which only allows you to navigate forward through questions – that means you’ll have to correct your mistakes before moving on to the next question.

On the other hand, the computer-delivered IELTS lets you navigate back to check your answers as well as skip questions and come back to them at a later time to complete.

Another key difference is that the individual questions in PTE are timed and you can only record your response once for spoken answers.

In the case of IELTS, individual questions are not timed and you can correct your answers and potentially score better across the different components of listening, reading and writing.

4. Your Skills Are Tested Differently

The PTE has many integrated questions where more than one skill is tested in a portion of the test. For example, both listening and speaking are assessed in the speaking component, reading and writing in the reading portion, as well as reading and speaking in the speaking part.

In the IELTS, each skill is assessed separately. Hence, giving you the opportunity to focus on each component and work on scoring well for each skill individually.

5. Reassessment Option by Senior Examiner

Between the two, only the IELTS has a reassessment option, where test-takers who are not satisfied with their scores can opt to get a re-evaluation done by a senior examiner.

Although it isn’t guaranteed that you’ll get your score revised, at least the option is there!

Ace your IELTS Test with IDP Today!

Are you planning to sit for the IELTS test?

At IDP, we offer a wide range of IELTS preparation tools to help you effectively study and prepare – from our master online preparation course to sample tests – so that you feel more confident on your test day and pass with flying colours.

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