More often than not, students are bound to be in a dilemma whether to go for IELTS or PTE. This blog is intended to throw some light on to ease students’ queries and they can decide which English Test they ought to select to suit their needs.

It is a well-known fact that no tests are easy when it comes to English proficiency tests even to the native speakers of English. 

Therefore, a candidate applying for study abroad needs to familiarize with the test format and practise the tests under time pressure as per the time in the actual test. This builds up the confidence to ace the test in a real test situation. 

However, the main difference between IELTS and PTE is that IELTS offers a choice between a paper-based exam and a computer-delivered exam, whereas the PTE test is all computer-based and marked by a machine. Additionally, with the IELTS test, the speaking part is a face-to-face talk with an examiner and with the PTE test, you speak to the computer.

For a candidate who believes speaking is a tough thing to get through, IELTS would be a better option. One reason is that it is face-to-face as the candidate speaks to a human examiner in a quiet room, as this is one to one. 

In case the candidate has difficulty, s/he could ask the examiner to elaborate the question or ask for repetition of the question. More importantly, the IELTS speaking module consists of three parts that lasts for about 11- 14 minutes.

The speaking section of PTE consists of five parts and the candidate needs to speak into the microphone. A machine unlike the IELTS speaking, where humans grade the speaking section, grades you. 

Each question on PTE speaking is timed and a candidate needs to speak within the stipulated time period, which at times is nerve racking as even the questions such as interpreting graphs or complex images and explaining the key features within the stipulated time can take many candidates by surprise. 

Hence, IELTS would be more or less appropriate since many candidates find it more comfortable to present their views owing to the fact that the questions are not timed.

When it comes to writing, PTE and Computer-delivered IELTS requires a candidate to type their answers on the computer, and candidates who are not comfortable typing should opt for IELTS paper-based test as many candidates find it easier to write than to type their answers.

Navigating questions in PTE and IELTS can be a question many candidates worry a lot about. You can navigate the questions forward in the PTE test, which implies that you need to be careful not to make any errors while selecting your answers, whereas you can come back to questions and recheck your answers in IELTS until the time permits. This flexibility in especially the reading and the listening section of IELTS makes IELTS an advantage over PTE.

The maximum total test time for IELTS is 170 minutes and 191 minutes for PTE Academic.

Although IELTS scores are measured on a band of 1 – 9, the PTE score calculator measures the candidate’s performance through numbers from 10 – 90 points. Edwise education consultancy in Kathmandu provides excellent coaching for IELTS and PTE students.