RMT1980

Hi Head78, from memory, when I got my exam results (the very next day to my amazement!) it didn't state any validity on there per-se. Although I believe that IMMI requirements are that you have to have taken the test in the 3 years immediately prior to lodging your application. The other nice thing about PTE was that they only book 8 - 12 people on any one exam (certainly in Cardiff where I went anyway), whereas IELTS was 100 candidates at each exam - It was like being back at school taking GCSEs. I was actually lucky on my exam day though as I was the only candidate booked to take the exam, so I had the room all to myself. It goes without saying also that PTE being completely Computer based is far better in my opinion than traditional exam papers and question sheets like IELTS is based on. I definitely recommend you take the practice PTE exams though online and read up about the exam format, as it helps to know how the Computer exam will flow on the day, since when it starts you cannot stop it and you have to keep going with in the time limits for each part. Sounds worse than it is, but it's straightforward once you've read and understand the format.

Thank you for doing that... I've been a 'reader' of PIO for a long time but only recently joined. I'm still feeling my feet when it comes to posting and treading carefully so as not to break any rules, so sorry if I make any newbie mistakes.

There have been numerous threads about people taking PTE Academic versus IELTS, and it would appear to be becoming a more popular choice since IMMI opened up the examining boards that could be used for the purpose of GSM. I am slightly biassed but I was very impressed with the PTE Academic exam versus the IELTS which I sat twice but didn't get the mark I needed to meet the Superior grade. When I decided to switch to the PTE exam I passed it the first time and got 90, 90, 90, 89. Even better was that I got my results the very next morning emailed to me, as opposed to the 2 week agonising wait that I had with IELTS. The exam format of the PTE was much less formal and much more 'real world' whereas the IELTS was very formal and also very 'old school' in it's style of questioning. The fact that PTE spreads modules across questions is also good in my opinion since you can gain points for multiple modules from a single question or set of questions, as opposed to IELTS that was very defined in its 4 modules and the questions only relating to that module you were working on.

Thanks for the link, that is an interesting read. I wonder why they don't keep all their systems in-sync? The new border.gov.au site includes the SOL Occupation Ceilings for the previous 2014/2015 Migration Programme.

I am extremely interested in this post of yours @CaptainC. May I please ask where you have sourced this information please?