How to book PTE Core

Before you start

• Your passport. Pearson's test-day guidance says the acceptable ID is a valid passport, and the name on the booking must match it exactly (as of October 2026, check Pearson's identification policy for any country-specific alternatives). Have it open while you type.
• A card. Pearson's booking guide lists American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa, plus voucher and promotional codes (October 2026).
• A target date at least fifteen days away. Free rescheduling ends 14 days before the test, so booking with a margin keeps a free exit if your final mock disappoints.
• Your readiness. Two timed mocks at or above target in every skill. The planning calculator shows the gap from a mock to the CLB you need.

The steps

1. Choose the test. Pearson's site asks where you want to go and what you want to do there. Answer Canada and immigration or citizenship, and it offers PTE Core. Then choose check availability and book. If the test name shown anywhere on the next screens is PTE Academic, stop and go back; IRCC does not accept PTE Academic for Express Entry.
2. Find a centre and a slot. Enter a city or postcode. The search lists nearby centres with their sessions. Pearson's guide says the slot must be at least 24 hours ahead (October 2026). Pick a time of day when you concentrate well, select it and continue.
3. Create your myPTE account, or sign in. Enter your details exactly as they appear on the passport: the same order of given names and family name, the same spelling, no nicknames and no missing middle names. Pearson checks the booking against the ID at the centre and turns away mismatches.
4. Answer the booking questions. A few questions about your purpose and background. They do not affect the test content or score.
5. Agree to the policies. Admission, reschedule and cancellation terms. Read the reschedule and cancellation section; it is the part that costs money later.
6. Pay. Enter card details or a voucher or promo code. The fee is in the currency of the centre's country. Review the appointment details, the test name, the date, the time and the centre address before you submit the order.
7. Check the confirmation. The booking appears in your myPTE account and a confirmation email follows. Read it the same day: test name (PTE Core), name as on passport, centre, date and time.

Making sure it is PTE Core

PTE Core and PTE Academic are booked through the same system, run at the same centres and cost about the same. The booking search uses a different exam code for each, and the confirmation names the test. If you have booked PTE Academic and need PTE Core, contact Pearson before the test; a result from one cannot be converted to the other afterwards. The comparison page explains which applications each test serves.

Name and ID details

Pearson's test-day guidance says staff compare the ID to the booking and that if your details do not match you should contact customer support before test day (October 2026). The common problems are a middle name left out, a family name in the given-name field, a transliteration that differs from the passport, and an expired passport. Fix these through your myPTE account or Pearson support as soon as you notice; waiting until the day means forfeiting the fee. If your passport is about to expire, check that it will still be valid on the test date.

Changing or cancelling

Days before the test	Reschedule	Cancel
14 or more	Free, in myPTE	Full refund
8 to 13	Not available; cancel and rebook	50% refund
7 or fewer	Not available; cancel and rebook	No refund

Pearson's PTE Core reschedule and cancellation policy as of October 2026; check Pearson's site before relying on it.

Count the days carefully and act in the morning rather than at the end of the fourteenth day. Rescheduling is done from the booking in your myPTE account; cancellation is from the same place, with the refund returned to the original payment method.

After booking

• Put the fifteen-day decision point in your calendar. That is the last free chance to move the date.
• Do a full timed mock about three weeks out. Every PTE Core task can be practised free here, with the same timers and scoring traits as the test.
• Plan the journey. Pearson asks you to arrive 30 minutes before the session for check-in (October 2026). Find the centre's entrance and parking the week before, not on the morning.
• Read the test-day page. ID, check-in, the booth and what you can bring are on the test-day page.

Results and sending them to IRCC

Results appear in your myPTE account, typically within two business days and sometimes up to five (Pearson, October 2026), with an email when they are ready. Pearson describes score sharing as free and says scores are shared with IRCC; in your Express Entry profile you enter the four skill scores and the registration details from the report. Keep the score report PDF; the converter will tell you the CLB per skill in seconds.

Quick answers

Can I book PTE Core without a myPTE account?

No. The account is created during the first booking and holds your bookings, results and score sharing afterwards.

Can someone else book for me?

The account must be in the test taker's name with the test taker's passport details. A helper can sit beside you, but the details must be yours.

Can I pay in instalments or by bank transfer?

Pearson's guide lists cards and vouchers. In some countries vouchers can be bought locally through authorised resellers, which lets you pay in local currency by other means.

Is there a waiting period between attempts?

No published waiting period; you can book the next available slot. Whether you should is a question for your mock scores.

This page describes Pearson's booking process and policies as of October 2026 for information. Confirm the current steps and terms in myPTE before you pay.