PTE for Immigration

PTE or Pearson Test of English is an English language proficiency test that is required to be taken for the purposes of immigrating to a native English-speaking country either for PR (permanent residency) or for study abroad. It is one of the three main English language proficiency tests – the other two are TOEFL and IELTS. 

The PTE is mainly taken for immigration and study abroad purposes for Australia and New Zealand. It is not as popular as the other two tests and major immigration destinations like Canada, USA, UK, etc, still do not accept the PTE as a standard of evaluation. 

The PTE is an easy exam for a native English-speaker but for someone who is unfamiliar with the language, it can be a daunting task. Signing up for PTE classes can prove to be immensely helpful. Keep in mind that learning to effectively communicate in another language other than your own can take time, especially when the standards expected of you are those that are required to function effectively in that country.

GRE – Verbal Section – Tips and tricks

The verbal section on the GRE can be a thorn in the side of many a test taker. But it does not have to be. Unlike the GMAT, the GRE has a very set syllabus that has boundaries of what can and cannot be asked. 

This implies that there is a set amount of knowledge that you will need to learn in order to ace the Verbal section on the GRE. 

The GRE Verbal Section consists of basically 3 types of questions:

1. Vocabulary – Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence

2. Critical Reasoning

3. Reading Comprehension

Out of these 3 categories, the only one that requires you to put in effort to learn is the vocabulary section. This consists of approximately 4000 words that you need to know. A native English speaker is bound to know at least 1500-2000 words. 

If you do not know that many words, it is best that you sign up for GRE classes. 

If you do know at least 1500-2000 words then it should take you only about 4-6 weeks to learn the remaining words as most of them are synonyms of words that we already know and use regularly. 

As for the other two sections, they test your logical and reasoning ability. The best approach to this would be to practice as many lateral thinking problems as possible. Even practicing some of the free GMAT resources can help as the difficulty level of similar questions on the GMAT is higher than the GRE counterparts. 

GMAT Validity Period – How long are your scores valid?

 As things stand, in August of 2020, the maximum time frame that your GMAT scores are valid for, is five years. 

However, if you have attempted the GMAT more than once during that period, your latest scores are generally what are taken into consideration. 

Now, if you have taken the GMAT more than three years ago, then it is highly recommended that you start taking up GMAT classes and the related TOEFL classes or IELTS classes. These exams have changed over time, as they always have. The GMAT is a much easier exam now than it ever has been. Not only does the exam contain fewer questions now, it is also shorter by half an hour. In addition to that, the test taker can even choose the order of the sections that he/she wants to attempt.

Will Indian Business Schools accept the GMAT for MBA admissions?

 If only I had a rupee for every time this question is asked at every MBA related education event that I have been to, I could have retired 3 years ago in a nice cottage in Scotland. However, since the world does not work that way, here I am, writing my nth blog about this. 

Yes. Over the last 8-9 years, the number of Indian Business Schools that accept the GMAT for MBA admissions, has consistently been on the rise. This trend gained momentum with ISB shining as a bright beacon of hope for those who have realized that the other management entrance exams conducted by Indian business schools, are all but a sham of a sieve in separating the cream of the crop. 

And those of you who think you can do well on the GMAT without any help, go ahead and take GMAT classes anyways. You will get better scores.

PTE – Countries

The PTE or Pearson Test of English is conducted in order to test the English language proficiency of each candidate when the said candidate is aiming to immigrate either for education or employment purposes to a primarily English-speaking nation.

The main English-speaking countries in the world are the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. However, not all countries accept the PTE as proof of English language proficiency. The PTE is mostly accepted by the Australian government and educational institutions and by the New Zealand government and educational institutions.

The PTE has a remarkably similar format to the other English language tests that are recognized by the other countries and educational institutions, namely the TOEFL and IELTS.

It is recommended that you attend PTE classes not only to train for the exam but also to understand which exam in fact you should be taking.