Choosing the right English test is like hiring the perfect tour guide

Abi Fordham
A university teacher stood in front of a class, responding to a student thats sat with their hand up
Reading time: 2 minutes

Imagine planning a trip to a new city. Sure, you could wander around on your own, relying on internet reviews and vague directions, or you could hire a tour guide... someone who knows the streets, understands the landmarks, and can give you a genuine and knowledge-filled experience.Ìý

Now, would you pick a tour guide who just started last week, or would you look to one who has been showing people around for decades, refining their approach and knowing all the ins and outs of the landscape?Ìý

That’s the difference experience makes.Ìý

Why experience in testing matters

Just like an expert guide ensures you experience the best parts of a city because they’ve explored every corner before, a test backed by years of research and constant refinement delivers reliable, accurate results for international admissions teams. ÃÛÌÒapp has spent years perfecting its approach to language assessment, not only through research but also by learning from every test taken.

Each test provides valuable data, feeding into ongoing improvements, ensuring that assessments remain fair, precise, and aligned with real-world English proficiency needs.Ìý

The result? Universities can trust they’re admitting students based on a system that gets smarter with every exam, reducing unpredictability and reinforcing reliability.

English Tests designed by experts

Both PTE Academic and ÃÛÌÒapp English Express Test benefit from ÃÛÌÒapp’s expertise:Ìý

  • PTE Academic: A globally trusted exam designed to measure real-world English proficiency with precision.Ìý
  • ÃÛÌÒapp English Express Test: Fast and convenient skills assessment, backed by the same deep research ensuring fairness and accuracy.

Final thought: Choose experience

When you pick the right guide who is backed with expertise, it can transform your experience from ordinary to unforgettable. Likewise, choosing a well-established proficiency test, refined through years of experience, gives universities the confidence to make informed admissions decisions.Ìý

ÃÛÌÒapp has spent decades perfecting the science of language assessment—so why leave such a critical choice to uncertainty?

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    Exploring the four Cs: Using future skills to unlock young learners’ potential

    By Annie Altamirano
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    What do we mean by future skills?Ìý

    The skills students will need in their future studies and careers are dramatically different from those required previously. Times are changing rapidly and educational institutions and teachers have a critical role to play in developing those skills in our young learners so that they are able to fulfill their potential and have bright futures ahead of them.Ìý

    These skills are referred to as future skills. There is no common consensus on how to define these skills but, broadly speaking, they can be grouped into four categories:Ìý

    1. Ways of thinking

    Skills in this category include critical thinking, creativity, innovation, problem solving, metacognition and learning skills.

    2. Ways of working

    Here, we’re talking about the skills of communication and collaboration.

    3. Tools for working

    Information literacy is an important 21st-century skill, as well as ICT literacy and citizenship, both global and local.Ìý

    4. Life skills

    The final category covers life and career skills, and is all about personal and social responsibility.Ìý

    One way you can encourage young learners to build these skills is through STEAM subjects (that’s science, technology, engineering, arts and math), which will equip them with functional skills such as organizing, planning, cognitive flexibility and self-regulation.Ìý

    The four CsÌý

    The four Cs refer to four important skills for young learners to master: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. These are essential, not just in an educational context, but in everyday life.Ìý

    Falling into the first two categories of future skills (ways of thinking and ways of working), these can help children build confidence and self-esteem. They also encourage healthy emotional development.ÌýÌý

    So let’s take a closer look at the theory behind them.

    1. Communication

    We usually think of communication as speaking and listening, but it’s actually much broader than that. Communication encapsulates telling stories, reading, sharing ideas and experiences, body language, facial expression, eye contact and tone. Children learn to decipher the world around them by learning and practicing these skills.

    Strong communication skills, developed early, are directly related to their literacy success. These skills allow children to articulate their thoughts and ideas effectively, and listen to decode meaning. Students then begin to use communication for a range of purposes, and communicate effectively in diverse environments. Furthermore, developing strong patterns of verbal and non-verbal communication also fosters self-esteem and social skills.Ìý

    2. Collaboration

    Collaboration is how young children begin to build friendships with others. At first, young children will watch what others do and say, before moving on to playing together. As they get older, they become aware of other children’s feelings and ideas. Friendships become motivating and they learn how to make compromises and respect each other’s perspectives and skills.Ìý

    Collaboration is enhanced through group work and project-based activities, sharing time with peers. Children thrive when they feel valued by the people around them, not just adults but their peers too.Ìý