Eligibility is one of the major concerns for those who have just heard of the PTE Academic examination. However, the conducting body of the examination, Pearson LLC Group, has set no eligibility criteria as such for making the PTE Academic examination exclusive for just a few groups of people. Absolutely anyone who is 16 or above can appear for the examination and that’s the only single criterion that candidates need to adhere to. In this section, we will look at all the eligibility criteria that aspiring candidates may be thinking of with regards to the PTE Academic examination in 2021.
Age Criteria
Candidates who hope to take the test should be 16 years old at least to appear for the examination. Candidates aged 16 – 17 have to submit a parental consent form, that states that their parents are in agreement regarding their son/daughter appearing for the examination.
Required Educational Qualifications
The conducting body of the examination has not laid down specific laws regarding the educational qualifications required for taking the PTE. This allows students from all educational backgrounds to appear for the examination.
Documents Required for PTE Academic Examination
Candidates are asked to furnish certain identification details at the time of registration and exam booking on the personal account created on the official website. The most commonly used identification proof used on the official website is the passport, which is the document that states that candidates have authorization from their government to go abroad.
You should also keep the identification proof you furnish with you at the time of the examination. Without the identification proof, you will not be allowed to enter the PTE Test Centre that you would be designated for appearing in the examination.
Criteria for Aspiring Candidates with Disabilities
As the conducting body of the PTE Academic examination has set no specific criteria regarding candidate eligibility barring age, even people with physical and mental disabilities can book the examination. However, those with disabilities are given certain privileges that they can use to enjoy the “special arrangements” made for them by the Pearson Virtual Universe Enterprise (VUE).
However, candidates with disabilities need to state their situations several weeks in advance from the planned date of the examination. To apply for the special arrangements, candidates also have to furnish valid documentation that explains their situation clearly, following which the conducting body will make the required arrangements. If a candidate has already booked an exam before submitting the request, he/she has to cancel the examination and apply for the arrangements before booking the examination.
Number of Appearances Allowed for Candidates
Unlike numerous other competitive examinations where candidates are only allowed a few chances to crack the examinations, the PTE Academic examination has no such limits. The Pearson LLC Group, the examination’s conducting body, has been very generous to candidates on that front, as they are allowed to appear for the examination as many times as they wish. This means that people who fail to make a mark on their first attempt can count on an unlimited number of future attempts to clear the examination.
Documents Needed to View Scores
There are no additional documents required to view the scores when they are released. Typically, the PTE conducting body releases scores for an examination within a period of 5 business days. Candidates don’t have to randomly visit the website to check for the results. They will be notified as soon as the results are ready via an e-mail to the e-mail ID that the candidate used while creating the personal profile on the official website.
After receiving the notification e-mail, candidates can proceed to their personal profiles to view the results, which are presented in a graph format to help students better identify their strengths and weaknesses. This type of result presentation allows students to find out how they can improve on their weaknesses for scoring well in the examination on the next attempt.
Eligibility for Refunds for Cancellation of Examination
If a candidate cancels a booked exam before 14 days of the scheduled date of examination, the conducting body will provide a full refund to the candidate. If the cancellation is required with just a week remaining for the examination, then the candidates will receive a 50% refund. However, bookings cancelled in the last week leading up to the examination will not receive any refunds.
