16 June 2009
Hundreds of world-class colleges and universities around the world are now recognizing Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) a new international computer-based English language test endorsed by the Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC®). In less than a year since the state-of-the-art computer-based English language test was first announced, more than 300 programs have chosen PTE Academic as an accurate measure of the English language proficiency of candidates for admission who are non-native English speakers.
Programs accepting PTE Academic exemplify the range of degree programs and schools available around the globe, including undergraduate, graduate, international, business and multidisciplinary programs. The colleges and universities now accepting PTE Academic scores are located in many countries, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Ireland, Latvia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Among the recognizing institutions for PTE Academic are an increasing number of the world’s most prestigious and renowned colleges and universities, such as London Business School, University of British Columbia, Queen's University Belfast, HEC Paris and Yale University’s Yale College.
“PTE Academic will give us a powerful tool for ensuring that the international students we admit are able to express themselves easily in spoken and written English so that they can take full advantage of the world-class academic experience that Yale provides,” said Rebekah Westphal, Senior Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admissions, Yale University.
Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The first Chinese citizen to earn a degree at a Western college or university came to Yale in 1850. Today, international students make up almost 10 % of the undergraduate student body.
“As the academic community has grown increasingly more global, colleges and universities have a greater need than ever before for an innovative, accurate measure of the English language abilities of the non-native English speaking candidates that they are considering for admission,” said Mark Anderson, President, Pearson Language Tests. “As the worldwide leader in educational assessment, technology and publishing, Pearson combined its expertise to create a premier test that will allow our education partners to be confident that the students they admit have the language skills that are requisite for success in an environment where English is the primary language of instruction.”
Anderson continued, “We are proud of the widespread acceptance of PTE Academic and excited to launch the test internationally from October 2009.”
Using Pearson’s proprietary automated scoring technologies, PTE Academic will meet the needs of Universities, other higher education institutions and professional and government organizations requiring a real-life measure of test takers’ Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing ability in English.