AI Scoring
AI scoring is the automated assessment of responses by scoring models rather than human raters. Official PTE is automatically scored, and EdKnot uses AI scoring to estimate practice results.
View termReference
PTE glossary
Plain-English definitions of the PTE terms that affect your score and your prep — from scoring traits to results and test types.
CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark)
The Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) is the 12-level national scale Canada uses to describe English ability. PTE Core section scores are mapped onto CLB levels for immigration.
View termCommunicative Skills
Communicative skills are the four abilities PTE reports a score for: listening, reading, speaking, and writing.
View termContent
Content measures whether your response actually addresses the task — covering the required points accurately and relevantly.
View termFluency
Fluency (oral fluency) is the ability to speak smoothly at a controlled, natural pace without frequent pauses, restarts, or breakdowns.
View termForm
Form is whether a written response meets the task’s structural requirements, most often the required word-count range.
View termGrammar
Grammar measures the accuracy and range of sentence structures in your spoken and written responses.
View termIntegrated Task
An integrated task assesses more than one communicative skill at once — for example, listening and writing together in Summarize Spoken Text.
View termMock Test
A mock test is a full-length, timed practice test that mirrors the real exam so you can check readiness and stamina before booking.
View termOverall Score
The overall score is the headline 10-90 score that reflects performance across the whole test. It is not a simple average of the four skill scores.
View termPartial Credit
Partial credit means you earn marks for each correct element of a task rather than all-or-nothing scoring. A few multiple-answer tasks also deduct for incorrect choices.
View termPronunciation
Pronunciation is how clearly you produce sounds, words, and stress so that a regular English speaker can understand you easily.
View termPTE Core
PTE Core is a general English test used mainly for Canadian economic-immigration pathways. It shares the four skills with PTE Academic but uses a different task set, including Write Email.
View termScore Band
A score band is a planning range that helps learners understand how close a current result may be to a target outcome.
View termScore Report Code
A score report code is the secure reference used to send your official PTE results directly to a receiving institution or authority.
View termSpelling
Spelling measures correct spelling in written responses. Consistent UK or US spelling is accepted, but the two should not be mixed within a response.
View termUKVI
UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) is the UK authority behind certain visa English requirements. PTE Academic UKVI uses the same test content as PTE Academic, with the secure reference some UK routes need.
View termVocabulary
Vocabulary measures how accurately and appropriately you choose words to express meaning across speaking and writing.
View termTurn the theory into a score
Knowing the terms is the start. Practise each task with AI-scored feedback and a complete mock test to see where your score actually stands.