Is It necessary to give IELTS or PTE for a Canada PR visa?

For Canada, Immigration language proficiency is important. Not only will the knowledge of English or French language help you get settled in Canada and get a job it will also be a pertinent aspect of your Immigration process.

Canada immigration is point based, and the applicants who get high language scores in the authorized Test get a high CRS score which helps them get selected for the ITA.

At present, there are five approved tests for the English language that will help the applicant relocate. The most popular Test is the IELTS test. Also, IRCC has recently approved the PTE as a valid test for Canadian immigration, and by the end of 2023, people can take the PTE test to prove their efficiency in the language.

Let us look closely at both the English Language test for Canadian immigration –

IELTS ( International English Language Testing System )

It is the most popular test and the main component in global immigration. There are more than 11,500 organizations around the world that trust IELTS test results. It is an evaluation of the English proficiency and skills of the applicant and has two categories –

• IELTS General Training
• IELTS Academic

The format of both these times is similar where; the Test is divided into four sections - listening, writing, speaking, and reading. The Speaking Test is conducted two to three days later, and the total score is provided to the applicant in bands that range from 0 to 9. A score of 0 is given to an incompetent candidate, and a score of 9 is for excellent results and is the highest band an applicant can achieve. The cost of an IELTS test is INR 15,500 for one person.

The results of the Test are delivered in 5 to 7 days if the Test was computerized and in 13 to 14 days if it was a paper-based test.

PTE ( Pearson Test of English)

It is a test to assess the English Language ability of the candidate and is undertaken in three types –

• PTE Academic
• PTE Academic UKVI
• PTE Home

It is a two-hour long computer-based test in which the appellant's ability is tested in these exams in four major segments - Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. All the segments are tested in two hours only. The candidates are required to solve different types of questions, from Multiple choice to essay writing. The scores are available to the applicant in two working days only on the "My PTE" dashboard.

The most common Test is the Academic PTE test which is undertaken by a lot of test givers. It is a test for students who are looking to get admission to a university. The reason that PTE is highly popular is that the applicant will not have to wait for two to three for the speaking Test. The exam centers are friendly and small, with only 15 seats per room. The average cost of a person taking the Test is INR 15,900.

Which Test to choose for Canada immigration – PTE or IELTS?

The Test you choose for Canadian immigration will depend on your forte and comfort level. PTE is a computer-based test, but IELTS provides an option for Paper-based tests as well. If the appellant feels more comfortable writing on paper, then IELTS will be the much-trusted option for the applicant.

While PTE is also accepted now for Canada Immigration, IELTS has a much wider bandwidth when it comes to acceptance in universities and organizations. It has become a trusted test around the world over the years.

Both these tests are well-recognized and essential. Thus, the choice of the test is entirely up to the applicant, as the cost of these tests is essentially the same.