Why does Pearson use automatic speech scoring for such a high-stakes test as PTE Academic?
In many ways, automated scoring gives more clinical, objective scoring than humans do. The machine scoring model always gives the same assessment of a spoken response and is not influenced by external factors such as the speaker’s appearance, personality, or body language. Furthermore, automated scoring gives standardized assessments regardless of where in the world the test is taken. Human scorers, on the other hand, give more impressionistic judgments and are influenced by a variety of external factors which lead to less consistent, less standardized scoring.
