On January 30, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced that they would begin accepting the Pearson Test of English (PTE Core) language test for all lines of business (except the Student Direct Stream).
Offered by Pearson Canada Inc., the PTE Core test now joins the CELPIP and the IELTS test as one of the English tests that applicants can use in support of their immigration applications. For French tests, the Test d’évaluation de français pour le Canada (TEF Canada) and Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada) remain the only accepted options.
Many of Canada’s immigration programs put heavy emphasis on English or French language ability. As language test performance is often key to their prospects, having additional testing options (and having more testing dates available) will certainly be a benefit to applicants.
Language test results must not be more than 2 years old when IRCC receives the application.
More information about the PTE Core exam can be found here: PTE Core English test
The PTE Core is a fully computer-based test, with a 50-minute Speaking/Writing component, a 30-minute Reading component, and a 30-minute Listening component.
The PTE Core can be taken in 115 different countries. In Alberta, there are currently two Pearson Professional Testing Centres in Edmonton and another two in Calgary.
Available testing dates and locations for the PTE Core can be found and booked here.
Each type of English language test has its own table showing how test scores equate to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB).
The equivalence table for the PTE Core published on January 30, 2024, is as follows:
| CLB level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 88-90 | 90 | 89-90 | 89-90 |
| 9 | 78-87 | 88-89 | 82-88 | 84-88 |
| 8 | 69-77 | 79-87 | 71-81 | 76-83 |
| 7 | 60-68 | 69-78 | 60-70 | 68-75 |
| 6 | 51-59 | 60-68 | 50-59 | 59-67 |
| 5 | 42-50 | 51-59 | 39-49 | 51-58 |
| 4 | 33-41 | 41-50 | 28-38 | 42-50 |
| 3 | 24-32 | 32-40 | 18-27 | 34-41 |
