With the closure of Australia’s border during 2020–2021, institutions were forced to consider new policies and practices to support international student admissions. Flexibility has been key to ensuring recruitment pipelines did not stall. Closure of test centres meant English language testing policy had to be reconsidered. Coupled with these changes, more and more English tests were made available. Institutions now face the challenge of distinguishing one test’s merits from another as well as trying to understand student preferences for English testing.
For students, selecting a mode of testing is a matter of preference. Many factors need to be considered during the decision-making process, such as:
- Is there a test centre located close to their home?
- Can they reach the test centre easily?
- Which testing mode are they most comfortable with?
- What tests does their preferred institution accept? Having the option to complete an English test from the comfort of home can be an appealing option for many test-takers, but does this mean the end of test centre delivered exams?
In a 2021 study conducted by Pearson of over 1,900 students globally about their views on English language learning and testing, most students showed a strong preference for test centre-delivered exams.
In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, Pearson VUE delivered 16 million professional exams globally. When these test takers were given a choice for test location approximately 20–30% preferred to test at home. In contrast, in a 2021 study conducted by Pearson of over 1,900 students globally about their views on English language learning and testing, most students showed a strong preference for test centre-delivered exams.
Responses from all survey participants
Scope of survey participants
Overall, 39% of survey participants said they would prefer to test online at home. However, this was skewed towards respondents living in countries with fewer test centres. For example, in Africa, 46% of participants said they would choose online, at home delivery if the option were available to them.
Responses from test takers in Africa
For people who live outside urban centres, the additional time, cost and stress involved in reaching a test centre can be a significant burden. Remote online testing gives applicants an opportunity to consider their individual circumstances and determine which delivery option works best for them allowing for greater test accessibility.
With the Australian border now re-opened, institutions need to be equipped to support an influx of new international student applications.
With the Australian border now re-opened, institutions need to be equipped to support an influx of new international student applications. Pearson is supporting this upcoming testing demand by opening more PTE Academic test centres around the world and offering PTE Academic Online.
Many now regard online test delivery as a method of opening up recruitment possibilities across the globe and a natural extension of their existing testing options for admissions.
PTE Academic Online follows the same format as the test centre exam, evaluating the same four skill areas of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and takes approximately 2 hours to complete. Pearson’s online proctoring solution allows test-takers to take their exams securely from their home or office. With a simple check-in process, involving ID verification, face-matching technology and a live proctor, the candidate can test at their convenience.
Some institutions may currently view ‘at home’ testing as a temporary solution, but many now regard online test delivery as a method of opening up recruitment possibilities across the globe and a natural extension of their existing testing options for admissions. RMIT, Western Sydney University and Macquarie University are just a few of the Australian institutions that have already accepted PTE Academic Online results.
As Dr Pamela Humphreys, Director of Macquarie University International College and English Language Centre said:
We understand that accessing high-stakes language tests has been challenging for our students in recent months, and high-quality ‘private location’ tests offer an excellent solution to all stakeholders as we jump start the return of international students to Australian institutions.
The decision to accept any new English test or mode of delivery for academic admission should be well considered by institutions. The IEAA Guide to English Language Policy Making in Higher Education, released in November 2021, offers university admissions and compliance teams guidance and best practice advice for choosing the test delivery models they can accept to evidence proficiency level as well as score setting guidelines.
Through the disruption of the past two years, we have seen countless innovative solutions to many of our daily challenges. Many of these solutions will become permanent fixtures benefiting the education industry in the long term. As Australia opens its borders, the opportunity to reach students, with the help of online proctored testing, will be vital to rebuilding our international education industry.
Institutions can learn more about PTE Academic Online here.