PTE Academic free mock test in Canada: what is free, and which test to practise for
In Canada, Pearson says PTE Academic is for study and PTE Core is for IRCC permanent residency and citizenship, so pick the right test before you practise. Pearson offers free practice for both through a free myPTE account, and a free start on its AI Practice. Its Scored Practice Tests are the paid mock tests.
Searching for a free PTE mock test in Canada turns up PTE Academic and PTE Core pages that look alike. They are different tests with different practice material. This page sorts out which one you need, what Pearson gives away, what it charges for, and how the two tests differ. It is not immigration advice, and Pearson's and IRCC's own pages decide the rules.
Which test are you practising for?
Pearson names one test for study and another for immigration.
| Your goal in Canada | What Pearson says |
|---|---|
| Study at a university or college | PTE Academic is recognized by 100% of universities and colleges in Canada. |
| Permanent residency or citizenship through IRCC | PTE Core is recognized by the Canadian Government (IRCC) for all economic visa categories including permanent residency and citizenship. |
"Anyone looking to apply to the IRCC for permanent residency or citizenship should choose PTE Core."
Our reading: do not use a PTE Academic mock to prepare for an IRCC application. The question types differ, and so do the timings. Check your university's or IRCC's own page before you book, because they decide which test they accept. Our PTE Academic vs PTE Core page compares the two, and English tests accepted by IRCC lists the tests IRCC takes.
Free official practice for both tests
A free myPTE account is the way in.
Pearson puts its free practice in a portal called Smart Prep. It says you do not need a booking to use it.
"You can access Smart Prep whether you have a test booking or not. Go to myPTE and log in or create an account."
| Free option | PTE Academic | PTE Core |
|---|---|---|
| Study plan | A study plan | Study Plan. A step-by-step guide to help you manage your test practice |
| Guided Practice Tests | 4 full Guided Practice Tests. Sectional Guided Practice Tests. | A full Guided Practice Test. Sectional Guided Practice Tests. |
| Video courses | Video courses split by skill | Video courses split by skill |
| AI Practice, free start | Free to start, no payment required | Free to start, no payment required |
Pearson's November 2024 article on the guided tests describes the same structure for both tests. The help page lists fewer for PTE Core. We show both, because we cannot tell which is current.
"Each category includes five tests: one short test that provides a condensed version of the exam, and four other tests focused on individual skills"
Open Smart Prep in your own account to see exactly what it lists today. The free AI Practice for PTE Core has a free tier too.
| Free tier of Official AI Practice for PTE Core | What Pearson says |
|---|---|
| Diagnostics | 2 diagnostic tests |
| Mocks and questions in the paid plans | 5 full-length mock tests. 4 sectional tests. 300+ official questions. |
| Repeating | Each full-length mock test and sectional test can only be taken once. |
The paid mock tests
Scored Practice Tests, and the paid AI Practice plans.
A Scored Practice Test is Pearson's own mock test, scored by the same AI engine as the real test, according to Pearson. Each test has its own, and the PTE Academic one comes in three versions.
| Test | What Pearson says about its Scored Practice Test |
|---|---|
| PTE Academic | The only practice test to use the official PTE Academic scoring engine and criteria. Full 2-hour test experience. Choose from three different question sets (versions 1, 2 and 3) created by the official Pearson Test Development team. Selling price: $35.99 USD. |
| PTE Core | A full 2-hour mock test with 52 questions. Covers all 4 skills and question types. Marked through the official PTE AI scoring engine. Selling price: 35.99 USD. |
The Official AI Practice paid plans cost the same for both tests on Pearson's pages. A 7-day plan is shown below. The prices are in US dollars.
"Charged in USD; exchange rates set by your bank. One-time payment, not a subscription."
"Your score on the Scored Practice Test is only an indicator of your proficiency. It does not guarantee you will achieve the same score on the actual test."
Our reading: use the free tools to learn the tasks, and keep the single-use scored mock for when you are nearly ready. Pearson's own mock-test plan, from a 2024 article for PTE Academic, suggests a mock halfway through preparation and another just before the exam.
"halfway through your PTE Academic preparation journey, try taking another Scored Practice Test"
"By taking a Scored Practice Test just before test day, you can be sure that you are well acquainted with the test format and the details"
How the two tests differ, and why your mock must match
Pearson's own timings and question lists.
| Part | PTE Academic | PTE Core |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking and Writing | 76–84 minutes, 9 question types | 50-65 minutes, 7 question types |
| Reading | 23–30 minutes, 5 question types | 27–37 minutes, 5 question types |
| Listening | 31–39 minutes, 8 question types | 22–37 minutes, 7 question types |
Pearson's PTE Academic pages call the whole test "A single 2-hour test", and its Academic Score Guide says the test is a "maximum of 2 hours 15 minutes long". The PTE Academic part times in the table above add up to more than 2 hours, and at the top of their ranges to more than 2 hours 15 minutes. The two totals differ, and the Score Guide says why the part times do not add up to either: different versions of the test are balanced for total length, and no test taker gets the maximum or minimum times. So treat the part times as a guide and check Pearson's format page.
Our sum: the shortest part times (76 + 23 + 31) come to 130 minutes, and the longest (84 + 30 + 39) come to 153.
The question lists differ too, according to the tab lists on Pearson's format pages.
| Part | What Pearson's list shows |
|---|---|
| PTE Academic Speaking and Writing | Includes Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion and Write Essay. |
| PTE Core Speaking and Writing | Has Respond to a Situation, Answer Short Question, Summarize Written Text and Write Email. It has no Retell Lecture and no Write Essay. |
| PTE Academic Listening | Includes Highlight Correct Summary. |
| PTE Core Listening | Has Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words and Write from Dictation, and no Highlight Correct Summary. |
Our reading: a practice test that does not match your real test wastes your limited practice time. Always check the question list on Pearson's format page for your test before you start. Tasks such as Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Reorder Paragraph and Write from Dictation appear in both tests. Our PTE Read Aloud in Canada page covers the first of them.
Our ten-minute check that suits both tests
Original practice with an answer key.
This set uses task types that appear in both PTE Academic and PTE Core. Set a timer for ten minutes. Do not look at the key until you have finished. The texts are our own writing.
Task 1: reorder the boxes
- A. That flexibility helps the tyre grip packed snow and ice.
- B. As a result, braking distances on slippery roads are shorter.
- C. Many drivers switch to winter tyres when temperatures stay close to freezing.
- D. Unlike all-season tyres, they use a softer rubber that stays flexible in the cold.
- E. Because of these shorter braking distances, drivers who fit them early in the season are better prepared for the first storm.
Task 2: fill in the blanks (drag and drop)
Applicants who plan to sit a language test should [1] the booking details carefully. A small mistake in a form can cause [2] later, so it is wise to check every [3] before paying. Booking early also gives you a wider [4] of dates to choose from.
Word box: confirm, delays, detail, range, confirmed, delayed.
Task 3: write from dictation
Ask a friend to read each sentence once, or record yourself and play each back once. Type what you hear. The sentences are in the key.
Task 4: select the missing word
A friend reads each script once and says "beep" instead of the last word.
| Script | Options |
|---|---|
| After a long delay, the committee finally approved the plan, and construction is expected to begin early next [beep]. | spring / sprint / string / spreading |
| The speaker had prepared a long presentation, but because the meeting started late she had to [beep]. | shorten it / shorten them / shortened it / shorter it |
Answer key
| Task | Answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C, D, A, B, E | C is the topic sentence. D starts with "they", which needs the tyres named in C. A starts with "That flexibility", which points to the softer rubber in D. B starts with "As a result", which needs the grip in A. E starts with "Because of these shorter braking distances", which needs the result in B, and it closes with advice. |
| 2, blank 1 | confirm | After "should" the verb takes its base form. |
| 2, blank 2 | delays | "Can cause" is followed by a plural noun here, and the unused word delayed is the wrong form. |
| 2, blank 3 | detail | "Every" is followed by a singular noun. |
| 2, blank 4 | range | "A wider range of dates to choose from" is the natural phrase, and a noun is needed after "wider" (the unused words confirmed and delayed are verb forms). |
| 3 | The community centre will host a free workshop on Thursday evening. Residents were asked to report any damage to the council. The new bus route connects the airport with the city centre. | Check plurals, past tense endings and small words such as "to" and "with". |
| 4, script 1 | spring | "Early next" needs a season or period, and spring is the one that makes sense. |
| 4, script 2 | shorten it | "Had to" is followed by the base verb, and "it" refers to the one presentation. |
Using it all in order
A simple route.
- Decide which test you are sitting, using the university's or IRCC's own page.
- Open a free myPTE account and work through the free guided practice for that test.
- Try the free start on Official AI Practice to find your weakest skill.
- Drill that skill with single questions and with sets like ours above.
- Take one paid Scored Practice Test when you are close to ready, in test conditions, and read the skill scores.
- Fix your two weakest question types and, if you have time, take a second mock a few days before the exam.
Pearson's retake rule is also worth knowing before you book. It says you can only book your new test once you have received the scores from your last test, and only one test at a time, so plan any retake around when your scores arrive.
"You can only book your new test once you have received the scores from your last test"
Costs for the real PTE Core test in Canada are on our PTE Core exam dates and price page, and the scoring is on the PTE Core score chart.
Common questions
Pearson's free practice is a study plan, Guided Practice Tests and a free start on its AI Practice, all through a free myPTE account. Its full scored mock test is paid. Pearson says AI Practice is "Free to start, no payment required".
Yes. Pearson's help page lists a full Guided Practice Test and Sectional Guided Practice Tests for PTE Core, and its Official PTE Core AI Practice is also "Free to start, no payment required".
No. Pearson's page for PTE Core shows a Selling price of 35.99 USD, charged in USD. It describes a full 2-hour mock test with 52 questions (Pearson's Core Score Guide says a real PTE Core test has between 52 and 67 tasks).
Pearson says: "Anyone looking to apply to the IRCC for permanent residency or citizenship should choose PTE Core." Check with IRCC before you book.
No. They are separate tests. Pearson gives different timings for each, for example 76–84 minutes for PTE Academic Speaking and Writing and 50-65 minutes for PTE Core.
Pearson lists 5 full-length mock tests and 4 sectional tests, and says each can only be taken once.
Pearson says its PTE Academic Scored Practice Test can be taken "anytime, anywhere on your own device in a quiet environment". The real test is taken at a test centre.