Written Question·Department for Education·UIN 100142

English Language: Assessments

Tabled: 15 December 2025

Answered: 7 January 2026

Question

Mr Andrew Snowden

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what safeguards are now in place to prevent malpractice in English language proficiency tests used for university entrance, following the issues identified by Ofqual with Pearson’s PTE Academic Online test.

Answer

Josh MacAlister

Universities are autonomous bodies, independent from government, and responsible for their own admissions decisions. Where English is not an applicant's first language, it is right that a provider assures themselves that the applicant has a reasonable lik...

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