Having a certain level of proficiency in the English language is mandatory to immigrate to Canada on PR visa as it is the primary language of the nation. There are various tests which people can take and use the scores as a proof of their language skills while submitting the PR application.
Let’s know about them:
IELTS:
The International English Language Testing System which is popularly known as IELTS is the most accepted test which is preferred by all the organizations in Canada and due to this it is the first choice of all the applicants who wish to shift their base to Canada to have a great life. IELTS test is of two types; Academic which is for students and General Training which is non-academic and is for PR purpose. It assesses all the required skills which are Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. One can take the Paper based test or the Computer delivered test, both have equal acceptance. The difference is that the result of paper based is declared after 13 days and for CD-IELTS it is 3-4 days. Both the scores are valid for 2 years and are checked by human examiners.
CELPIP:
It is called the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program which is designed by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) for people who wish to come to Canada. This test is based on Canadian English which is a mix of British and American English and originally was conducted in Canada only but now it can be taken from other locations as well like India, UAE, Singapore, USA, China etcetera. Similar to IELTS, all four language skills are tested here. This test has two types; CELPIP – General test and CELPIP – General LS test, for PR you need to take CELPIP general test. It is a computer based test.
PTE core:
It is known as Pearson Test of English which is a completely computer based test of English proficiency, even the correction is AI based. This test also evaluates all four language skills as both of the above mentioned tests. It is one of the popular tests but is not acceptable at as many organizations as IELTS which does not let it be the most preferred choice.
How to make a prudent choice between the aforementioned tests:
- It is absolutely true that all the tests are good and assess the English language skills of a non-native speaker well which gives rise to the very crucial challenge of deciding the best one.
- The most significant aspect here is the acceptance of a test at the place where you plan to work if that is decided or the field in which you want to pursue your career.
- If you want to go for the test which is accepted everywhere in Canada then it is undoubtedly IELTS but if you find it difficult and time consuming for you then you can consider PTE or CELPIP which are less time consuming and a little easy if you are comfortable with the technology. However, the difficulty level is almost same and all the language skills are assessed in both of them too.
- You also need to look at the availability of the test centers in the city you want to take the test because not all of them have test centers in each city. CELPIP has very limited presence in Indian cities but PTE has its test centers in all the main cities. However, IELTS has good number of test centers in all parts of India.
- It is also essential that you practice enough before you book the test so it is always advised that you pick a test which is acceptable in your organization or field of interest and has the coaching centers and test centers in your city or any nearby city. Not have sufficient practice leads to low scores and then you might need to attempt it again which is not too encouraging.
- Finally, the cost of the test or the fees is also an important consideration. You must look at the affordability of the test.
Based on the above discussion, you can weigh your options and analyze the pros and cons before you decide which test is most suitable for you. However, you must consult your PR visa consultant in this regard as they will be able to give you the best suggestion in this case.