Pearson, one of the world’s top learning companies, said it has signed a deal with Oman-based Gulf College to help enhance the English language skills of the university's students.

As per the agreement, both organizations will work towards the delivery of the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) in Muscat and the surrounding area.

Gulf College offers foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in affiliation with top universities in the UK. To qualify for these affiliated degrees, the students must prove that they speak an adequate level of academic English.

PTE Academic is designed to do this by giving a real-life measure of English language skills through listening, reading, speaking and writing skills, and also through fluency, grammar, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary and writing skills, said a senior official.

“After six months of research into the various English language tests on the market, we decided that a partnership with Pearson would be beneficial for a number of reasons, including that students’ English skills would be tested by a professional body, and also since it is computer-based it would minimize human errors so that the testing process is faster and reliable,” explained Dr Taki Abdul Redha Al Abduwani, dean of Gulf College.

Since PTE Academic’s launch in 2009, testing centers have opened in over 40 countries throughout the world so that international students can fulfil English language requirements, said Emma Stubbs, senior VP, Language Testing at Pearson.

The success of PTE Academic comes from the fact that the test offers the fastest results on the market, flexibility in testing sessions, and that it is recognized by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) for fulfilling English language requirements for student visas.

“We’re very pleased that Gulf College has signed a memorandum of understanding with Pearson. This partnership is extremely valuable to us because it allows students in Oman to have a choice in what English language test they take to fulfill their higher-education and student visa requirements,” she added.-TradeArabia News Service