Research

We're committed to leading the way in English proficiency testing. We invest in ongoing research to inform the development and validity of our English tests, and ensure PTE remains secure, accurate and trusted.

Leading the way through research

We are committed to investing in continuous research, working with independent researchers to ensure PTE remains secure, accurate and trusted, and evolves with the ever-changing world.

Frequent publications

Our research publications provide clear evidence of PTE’s effectiveness and integrity, with reports and whitepapers on everything from score correlations to prosperity studies.

World-leading experts

Our Technical Advisory Group are world-leading experts in language testing and psychometrics. They provide independent feedback, advice, and critical assessment of the development of PTE tests at every stage.

Supporting the research community

We are committed to advancing testing and setting new standards. As part of this mission, we support the next generation of assessment researchers with our bi-annual grants and awards program.

Grants and awards

We are proud to support new horizons in assessment research through our grants and awards program.

Open to faculty members, doctoral students and qualified freelancer researchers, we offer funding from £2,000 up to £30,000 depending on the scale of the project.

Browse previously funded research for past publications and successful proposals.

View the current research call

Latest publications

We publish research reports and papers throughout the year. Explore the latest publications below, or choose a category to find what you're looking for.

Research themes

Construct definition

Towards more valid scoring criteria for integrated reading-writing and listening-writing summary tasks, Chan, S., May, L., 2021
Overlap and Uniqueness: Linguistic Componential Traits Contributing to Expressive Skills in English as a Foreign Language. In Reading Psychology, March 2018, Pae, H. & O’Brien, B., 2018
An investigation of integrative and independent listening test tasks in a computerised academic English test. In Computer Assisted Language Learning, Volume 30, 2017 – Issue 8, Wei, W. & Zheng, Y., 2017
Investigating the construct measured by banked gap-fill items: Evidence from eye-tracking. In Language Testing 35(I), pp. 51-73, McCray, G. & Brunfaut, T., 2016
Relationships among metacognitive skills, listening, and academic reading in English as a foreign language. In Linguistic Research, Volume 33(Special Edition), 1-27, Pae, H., Sevcikb, R. A., Greenbergb, D. & Kim, S., 2016
Back to basics: how measures of lexical diversity can help discriminate between CEFR levels. In Applied Linguistics, Treffers-Daller, J., Parslow, P. & Williams, S., 2016
The processing and evaluation of fluency in native and non-native speech, Bosker, H.R, 2014
The Role of Task and Listener characteristics in Second Language Listening. In TESOL Quarterly, Volume 49, Issue 1, Brunfaut, T. & Révész, A., 2014
Diagnosing the development of writing ability, Hutha, A., 2014
Effects of Skill Integration on Language Assessment: A Comparative Study of Pearson Test of English Academic and Internet-Based College English Test Band-6, Yan, J. & Xiaoyi, Z., 2014
Can integrated skills tasks change students’ use of learning strategies and materials? A case study using PTE Academic integrated skills items, Wei, W., 2013
An Investigation into the Writing Construct(s) Measured in Pearson Test of English Academic. In Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2(1), 108-125, Zheng, Y. & Mohammadi, S., 2013
A model for receptive and expressive modalities in adult English learners’ academic L2 Skills, Pae, H., 2012
The factor structure of vocabulary skills and academic reading performance by adult English learners, Pae, H., 2011
Establishing construct and concurrent validity of Pearson Test of English Academic, Zheng, Y. & De Jong, J.H.A.L., 2011
The Pearson International Corpus of Academic English (PICAE), Ackermann, K., De Jong, J.H.A.L., Kilgarriff, A. & Tugwell, D., 2010

Reliability

A Comparative Study of Chinese Test takers’ Writing Performance in Integrated and Discrete Tasks: Scores and Recurrent Word Combinations in PTE Academic. In Hamp L. & Jin Y. (Eds), Assessing the English Writing by Chinese Learners of English (pp.29-47). Springer, Chen, Y. & Zheng, Y., 2022
PTE Academic research summary of shortened test form, Clesham, R., 2021
Examining sources of variability in repeaters’ L2 writing scores: The case of the PTE Academic writing section. In Language Testing, January 2018, Barkaoui, K., 2018
Standardizing rater performance: Empirical support for regulating language proficiency test scoring, Ackermann, K. & Kennedy, L., 2010

Validity

Validating the Speaking and Writing Sections of PTE Academic, Yoon, H. & Isbell, D., 2025
How well does the PTE Academic test measure communication ability?, Ulicheva, A., Ishaque, S., Clesham, R., 2024
Influence of working memory on PTE Academic task performance, Ulicheva, A., Ishaque, S., Clesham, R., 2024
Examining the Domain Relevance of PTE Academic for Australian Professional Bodies, Clesham, R., Hughes, S., Miller, L., 2023
Computer-based tests and machine marking: candidates' perceptions and beliefs about the test taking experience, Richardson, M., Leaton Gray, S., Popov, J., Maddox, B., 2023
Investigating the Parameters Accounting for Language Proficiency: the case of an English language test used for Academic purposes, Tsagari, D., & Demetriou, T., 2022
Examining the relevance of the Pearson PTE Academic test tasks for professional nursing registration – a stakeholder perceptions study, Knoch, U. and Pitman, A., 2019
Stakeholder perceptions of the use of PTE Academic for the purpose of skilled migrant selection in the accounting profession in Australia, Frost, K., Fan, J., Blain, H., McNamara, T., 2018
The PTE Academic and ‘Outer Circle’ Students: their Proficiency in, and Ownership of English and their Academic Performance at UK Universities, Wilson, R., 2016
Michigan State University, USA: Using Multidimensional Item Response Theory (MIRT) to Link Multiple Test Forms and Report Subscores for Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE A), Xu, J., & Reckase, M., 2016
Using PTE Academic to predict achievement and measure proficiency gains in an intensive EAP foundation programme, Durrant, P., Walker, C. & Michel, R., 2015
Investigating lexical validity in the Pearson Test of English Academic, O’Loughlin, K., 2014
The Relationship Between Receptive and Expressive Subskills of Academic L2 Proficiency in Nonnative Speakers of English: A Multigroup Approach. In Reading Psychology (2014), Pae, H. & Greenbergb, D., 2014
Forced Choice or Free Choice?: The Role of Question Formats in Predicting Speaking and Writing Skills of Nonnative Speakers of English. In Educational Assessment, Volume 19, 2014 – Issue 2, Pae, H., 2014
Concurrent and predictive validity of Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic), Riazi, M., 2014
Review of Pearson Test of English Academic: Building an assessment use argument. In Language Testing 2012 29: 603, Wang, H., Choi, I., Schmidgall J. & Bachman L. F., 2013
Can PTE Academic be used as an exit test for a course of academic English?, Owen, N., 2012
Construct validity of the Pearson Test of English Academic: a multitrait-multimethod approach, Pae, H., 2012
Demonstrating cognitive validity and face validity of PTE Academic writing items Summarize Written Text and Write Essay, Chan, S.H.C., 2011
Applying EALTA Guidelines – A practical case study on Pearson Test of English Academic, De Jong, J.H.A.L. & Zheng, Y., 2011
Once or twice? – A critical review of current literature on the question how many times the audio recording should be played in listening comprehension testing items, Jones, G., 2011

Standards and score comparisons

Establishing score concordance between the enhanced PTE Academic and IELTS Academic - Background: Construct Comparison, Chan, S. & Jones, J., 2025
Pearson English International Certificate: Establishing Comparable Standards Across Test Modes, Clesham, R. & Miller, L., 2022
2020 Concordance Report PTE Academic and IELTS Academic, Clesham, R. & Hughes, S., 2020
A Standard Setting Study to Establish Concordance between the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE A) and the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), Jones, G & De Jong, J.H.A.L, 2017
Linking to the CEFR: Validation Using a Priori and a Posteriori Evidence. In Banerjee, J. and Tsagari, D. (eds.), Contemporary Second Language Assessment. London, GB, Bloomsbury Academic, pp. 83-100, De Jong, J.H.A.L. & Zheng, Y., 2016
Setting university language proficiency entry requirements on the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) in relation to performance categories on the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment, Fox, J. & Fraser, W., 2014
Aligning PTE Academic test scores to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, Pearson, 2010

Test preparation

How do test takers prepare for computerized speaking tests? A comparative study of the PTE Academic and the CET-SET. Language Testing Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Fan, J., Jin, Y., Kong, X., Zhang, X., 2021
Drawing on repeat test takers to study test preparation practices and their links to score gains. Language Testing. 2020;37(4):550-572, Knoch U, Huisman A, Elder C, Kong X, McKenna A., 2020
Examining Chinese test-takers’ PTE Academic test preparation: practices, effects, and perceptions, Ma, J., 2017

Subscores

Fairness

Using Product Data to Investigate the Internal Structure and Measurement Invariance of Pearson Test of English Core (PTE Core) Reading Items, Boz, E.S., Akbaş, D., 2025
An investigation of mother tongue differential item functioning in a high-stakes computerized academic reading test, Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35:3, 412-436, Zhu, X., Aryadoust, V., 2022
DIF investigations with Pearson Test of English Academic, Song, X., 2014
Differential item functioning and unidimensionality in the Pearson Test of English Academic, Pae, H., 2011

Automated scoring

Meet our experts

Our independent Technical Advisory Group members are experts in language testing and psychometrics. They provide feedback, advice, and critical assessment of the development of PTE Academic at every stage.

Meet the team

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Research