How Does PTE Academic Mark Different Accents?

How does PTE Academic mark different accents?

In this short guide, PTE Magic will briefly explain the PTE scoring system to discover whether accents matter in PTE tests or not.

Stay tuned!

Key Takeaways

• Unlike a human judge, the AI scoring system never gets tired, distracted, or biased.
• The PTE scoring system is well-trained, unlike human examiners who might find some accents hard to understand. 
• Some test-takers might think pronunciation and accents are the same, but they are not.  
• Focusing on improving your pronunciation is the key to gaining a good PTE Speaking score. Below are our top tips.

Related:

• The #1 PTE online course from PTE Magic
• PTE exam preparation tips

Understanding the PTE Scoring System

What’s behind the PTE scoring? A random algorithm doesn’t calculate the test questions completely because leading language experts with high professions also evaluate the test. 

Initially, experts write the questions, double-check every detail, and personally score them. Then, the computers are trained to replicate this scoring method. Once the human examiners approve the computer’s marks, Pearson officially uses it to score tests worldwide.

Unlike a human judge, a computer never gets tired, distracted, or biased. It has the same standards and delivery as humans but with more consistency. You can trust this type of test result.

How Does PTE Academic Score Different Accents?

PTE Academic tests don’t pay attention to test-takers origins or how they sound. The test’s scoring system is extremely well-trained, unlike human examiners who might find some accents hard to understand. 

So, how does PTE Academic mark different accents? According to Pearson, their AI scoring system improves its algorithm by analyzing speech from over 126 countries with more than 90 languages. Studies have compared the performance of test-takers across countries to ensure that their results are scored equally.

With around 130 different language accents, the PTE engine is designed to recognise worldwide speakers as long as they speak clearly. In other words, the system doesn’t focus on your London, New York, or New Delhi accents. It only assesses if your speech is clear and understandable by English speakers.  

What’s the Difference Between Accent and Pronunciation?

Some test-takers might think pronunciation and accents are the same, but they are not.  

Pronunciation is how you sound a word. For example, if you say “why,” your lips will be rounded, and you will avoid them touching. But when you say “vibe,” your lower lip will feel your upper teeth. This means a tiny adjustment in your mouth will change the meaning entirely.

On the other hand, an accent is the rhythm and melody of language. This is what makes a British speaker sound different from an American speaker, though they are saying the same word. People with different accents will pronounce words the same but have their unique way of speaking.

Tips to Improve Your Pronunciation for PTE

Below are our top tips for your PTE pronunciation improvement:

• Focus on PTE Repeat Sentence task: Pay attention to the pronunciation markers in the sentence. These are specific sounds or words that evaluate how correctly test-takers can pronounce them, which are crucial to achieving higher pronunciation scores.
• Practise hard sounds: Different languages have different ways of pronouncing words and sounds. Test-takers who are not native speakers should identify sounds that are missing in their native language and practice them. You can listen to audio resources to improve these hard sounds.
• Repeat as much as possible: The PTE Repeat Sentence task doesn’t apply negative marking; therefore, aim to repeat as many words as possible, even if you miss some in the task.
• Learn from context: Pearson’s AI scoring system cannot predict your speaking context, so pronounce every word clearly to avoid homophonic errors such as “where” and “wear”.
• Practise with mock tests: Identify your weak areas in pronunciation by taking mock tests. With an AI-scoring system and a duration similar to the real PTE test, PTE Magic mock tests are your ideal option to improve your PTE Speaking score. 

Conclusion

Your accent is fine when it comes to the PTE test. The secret to achieving a higher PTE score isn’t in mimicking your voice to some generic ideal. The PTE Academic marks different accents equally, therefore, you just need to speak naturally and clearly.

Focusing on improving your pronunciation and avoiding common speaking mistakes is the key to gaining a good PTE Speaking score. Check out our other blogs for more tips on PTE speaking!

Last updated on 09/01/2025