28 July 2010
MEDIA RELEASE
PEARSON READY TO SET A NEW SECURITY STANDARD FOR AUSTRALIA
Pearson is ready to set a new security standard for Australia, following the approval by the UK
Border Agency of the Pearson Test of English Academic for student visas.
Late last week, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) formally approved the Pearson Test of English
Academic (PTE Academic) as fully satisfying the UK Government’s criteria for English
language proficiency tests for student visas under Tier 4 of the Points Based System.
Pearson’s renowned biometric security system and cutting edge testing technology is now
available in Australia and awaiting approval by the Australian Commonwealth Government.
One of the main areas of concern for the UK Home Office was test security. To meet this
concern, Pearson’s new test uses multiple layers of biometric and other cutting-edge technology.
This process, which eliminates a paper trail and local marking, includes the capture of three
types of biometrics (palm vein scanning, digital signatures and test day digital photographs of
applicants) and an online verification database of candidate results and speech samples, to ensure
the authenticity of both the individual taking the test and the results. Automated scoring further
provides a secure, standardised assessment of language proficiency to make certain that
subjective judgments do not come into play when assessing a candidate’s language abilities.
Under the terms of the new UK legislation, foreign students applying to come to the UK under
the Tier 4 (General) category for courses below degree level (except foundation degree and
English language courses), have to demonstrate that their level of English is up to a specific
standard. This is equivalent to a score of 43 on the PTE Academic score scale.
Fraser Cargill, Pearson Vice President for Asia Pacific, explains the approval should provide
confidence for the Australian Government and our educational institutions: “This Approval by
the British Government should see renewed focus by the Australian Government on the security
potential of Pearson’s biometric system as well as the reliability and integrity of its testing
programme.”
“The British Government wants language tests that are secure and rigorous enough to ensure the
integrity of their immigration system,” Fraser Cargill said.
“Pearson is using biometric technology to raise the bar and set a new standard in English
language testing, as we believe the advantages offered by our test are of real benefit to students,
institutions and governments. PTE Academic is already accepted for Tiers 1 and 2 of the Points
Based System, and Pearson is extremely pleased to achieve approval for Tier 4.”
Further inquiry: Fraser Cargill 0437141002 or 9254-2000.
About PTE Academic
PTE Academic is a new computer-based test of international academic English. Through the use
of 20 integrated and often innovative item types, the test meets the needs of universities, other
higher education institutions and professional and government organisations requiring a real-life
measure of test takers’ ability to deal with academic English in communication.
A unique feature of PTE Academic is that test takers’ verbal and written responses are marked
using Pearson’s automated scoring technologies. Research shows that the automated scoring
technologies underlying PTE Academic produce scores comparable to human raters but with the
accuracy, consistency and objectivity of a machine, ensuring maximum reliability and validity.
Unlike human judgement which can be influenced by a variety of factors, an automated scoring
system is impartial. This means that the system is not “distracted” by language-irrelevant factors
such as test takers’ appearance or personality such as might happen in spoken interview tests. In
addition, the impartiality of automated scoring means that test takers can be confident that they
are being judged solely on their language performance and institutions can be confident that they
would have earned the same result, regardless of where in the world the test had been
administered.
For more information about the automated scoring technologies used to score PTE Academic,
About Pearson Language Tests
Pearson Language Tests (PLT) is part of Pearson plc. PLT is developing PTE Academic in
collaboration with the Graduate Management Admission Council
®
(GMAC
®
). Pearson Language
Tests delivers a suite of English language proficiency tests called Pearson Tests of English. This
currently includes the following products:
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)
Pearson Test of English General (PTE General)
Pearson Test of English Young Learners (PTE Young Learners).
About Pearson
Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education and education technology, reaches and
engages today’s digital natives with effective and personalised learning, as well as dedicated
professional development for their teachers. This commitment is demonstrated in the company’s
investment in innovative print and digital education materials for pre-K through college, student
information systems and learning management systems, teacher professional development,
career certification programmes and testing and assessment products that set the standard for the
industry. The company’s respected brands include Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, Longman,
Addison Wesley, Benjamin Cummings, PEMSolutions, Stanford 10, SuccessNet, MyLabs,
PowerSchool, SuccessMaker and many others. Pearson’s comprehensive offerings help inform
targeted instruction and intervention so that success is within reach of every student at every
level of education. Pearson’s commitment to education for all is supported by the global
philanthropic initiatives of the Pearson Foundation. Pearson’s other primary businesses include
the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information, visit
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