Pearson launches Beyond PTE at Southeast Asia Partner Summit

New insights reveal more than half of test takers in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea pursue Pearson Test of English for work and migration opportunities.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearson (PSON), the world's leading learning company, today released insights from Pearson Test of English (PTE) candidates across Southeast Asia for 2024. The data reveals a younger demographic with ambitions to work and study around the globe.

This announcement comes on the heels of the successful 2024 Asia PTE Partner Summit, a gathering of more than 400 international education professionals simultaneously hosted in Changsa, China, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Manila, Philippines, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam and virtually across other Southeast Asia countries, South Korea and Japan.

At the summit Pearson launched a new test taker service, Beyond PTE, and gathered education officials from embassies and consulates and institutions as well as training providers to discuss the latest trends in international education and presented the annual report card for PTE.

Guests and speakers at the Summit included the Hon Phil Honeywood, CEO, International Education Association of Australia, Guy Perring, Regional Director, Etio (formerly Tribal i-graduate), Danielle Zhou, Business Development Manager, Austrade, Wu Xinping, Education Market Manager, British Council, and Felix Ye, Senior Market Development Manager, Education New Zealand.

Beyond PTE Launch

The Beyond PTE program launched in collaboration with Trip.com, Malaysia Airlines and Casita.com. This new service is designed to provide a barrier-free, one-stop solution for PTE candidates, through integration with the right financial, legal and travel service providers, each one of them offering additional benefits for PTE test takers.

Beyond PTE offers include:

• Trip.com - Flight discount up to MYR40 or SGD15, 20% UK railcard off, up to GBP7, 5 % OFF UK & EU train and bus ticket
• Malaysia Airlines - Join MH Explorer program to access up to 30% flight discount and free baggage up to 45kg
• Casita.com - Student accommodation cashback up to GBP150/AUD250/USD200 for PTE test takers

PTE Director Asia, Matthew Lampkin said: "By launching the Beyond PTE cooperation program, we aim to provide multi-dimensional services and all-round support for candidates studying abroad. Pearson is committed to meeting growing demand, with new centres opened this year in key locations, such as Hanoi, Vietnam, Jakarta, Indonesia and Vientiane, Laos providing greater access and convenience for our test takers."

New Insights from 2024 Testing

The lates insights from the millions of PTE tests taken around the world in 20204 were also released at the Summit including:

• Demographics Comparison:
  • Gender Distribution: Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea: Female (59.6%), Male (40.4%); Global: Female (50.1%), Male (49.9%)
    • Higher female participation in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea is encouraging in the region, compared to the near-equal global gender split.
  • Average Age: Both regions show a broad age involvement from 16 to 73 years, demonstrating comprehensive demographic coverage for English proficiency.
  • Nationalities: Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea: 89 nationalities (leading nationality: Filipino); Global: 180 nationalities (leading nationality: Indian)
    • This reflects the regional diversity while highlighting different leading nationalities.
  • First Languages: Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea: PTE test takers spoke 90 different first languages, with the most common being Tagalog; Global: Most common first language is Mandarin.
• Testing Locations Comparison
  • The top five testing locations in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea include key cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Makati City, Seoul, and Singapore underscoring PTE's broad geographical reach.
• Purpose and Destinations
  • Purpose for Taking PTE: Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea: Work/Migration (52.5%), Study (31.4%); Global: Similar distribution, focusing on work, migration, and study applications.
  • Top Destinations: Both regions show a high preference for Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, reflecting consistent global aspirations.
• Levels and Programs of Study
  • Levels of Study:
    • The top two levels of study in the region are: Undergraduate degree (32.8%), and Postgraduate/Master's degree (24.8%)
  • Programs of Study:
    • The top three study areas for the region are: Business and Management (18.2%), Health (17.6%), Tourism and Hospitality Management (11.6%)
• Occupational Interests
  • Top Occupations: Health and Social Services (29.8%), Technical and Scientific (7.7%), and globally the top occupations are: construction, education, banking, and finance globally.
• Information Channels
  • Primary Sources of Information: Friend or family (29.4%), Internet search (19.7%) and Australian Department of Home Affairs (13.6%), Friend or Family being top primary source of information underlying the strong word of mouth and willingness to recommend among PTE test takers.

About PTE

PTE is committed to providing fast, reliable, and accurate English language testing. With over 500 test centers in 118 countries, PTE supports educational, migration, and professional ambitions worldwide. By combining human expertise with advanced AI, PTE offers a fair and highly accurate English language test, recognized by governments, organizations, and universities globally. The test is available for all visa types in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and is recognized by over 3,500 universities worldwide. In 2024, PTE achieved significant global success, including launching PTE Core for Canadian visa applications and gaining recognition in the Netherlands and the US. Over 2,000 US universities now recognize PTE, including Princeton University and MIT.

About Pearson

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to add life to a lifetime of learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That is why our over 20,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world's leading learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. For us, learning is not just what we do. It's who we are. Visit us at pearsonplc.com.