Pearson announced on 7 September 2021 that PTE Academic would become shorter. From 16 November 2021, the test centre exam takes two hours instead of three. The format, question types and scoring scale stay the same; the test simply has fewer questions.
Key facts
- Announced 7 September 2021
- From 16 November 2021
- Length Two hours (was three)
- Unchanged Question types and scoring scale
- PTE Academic Online At home; not valid for visa or migration
Acceptance
Pearson said the shorter test remains accepted by the same universities and professional bodies, including more than 3,000 academic institutions, and by the governments of the UK, Australia and New Zealand for visa and immigration purposes.
PTE Academic Online
On the same date, Pearson launched PTE Academic Online, which can be taken at home with a live remote proctor through Pearson VUE’s OnVUE system. It follows the same two-hour format and scoring as the new test centre exam. Check-in uses ID verification and face matching, and candidates need a reliable internet connection, a computer with a webcam and a quiet room. Pearson stated that the online version was not valid for visa or migration purposes.
What this means
If you prepared with older three-hour materials, the skills and question types are the same, but practise with a two-hour mock so your timing is right. For any visa or immigration application, book PTE Academic, or PTE Academic UKVI for UK SELT routes, at a test centre, not the online version. If you are thinking of PTE Academic Online for university, confirm first that each university on your list accepts it. Note that the test changed again in August 2025, when two new speaking tasks were added. Results from both versions use the same 10 to 90 scale.