By Thanh Tran, PTE and IELTS coach
Updated
Key facts
- Superior English
- Listening 69, reading 70, writing 85, speaking 88
- Proficient English
- Listening 58, reading 59, writing 69, speaking 76
- Competent English
- Listening 47, reading 48, writing 51, speaking 54
- Tests before 7 August 2025
- Competent 50, Proficient 65, Superior 79, in each skill
On this page
How the 10 to 90 scale works
Every PTE score is on one scale from 10 to 90. You get an overall score and a score for each skill: listening, reading, speaking and writing.
Pearson matches the scale to the CEFR, the common scale of language levels from A1 to C2. A score of 90 doesn't mean a perfect test. It means you're at the top of what PTE measures.
PTE Academic scores and CEFR levels, from Pearson's Score Guide, July 2025
85 to 90
- CEFR level
- C2
- What Pearson says it means
- Comfortable with academic work at every level
76 to 84
- CEFR level
- C1
- What Pearson says it means
- Ready for any postgraduate study
59 to 75
- CEFR level
- B2
- What Pearson says it means
- Ready for university teaching and student life
43 to 58
- CEFR level
- B1
- What Pearson says it means
- Can manage in daily life, but needs more English classes for university
30 to 42
- CEFR level
- A2
- What Pearson says it means
- Not enough for academic study
10 to 29
- CEFR level
- A1 or below
- What Pearson says it means
- Not enough for academic study
| PTE score | CEFR level | What Pearson says it means |
|---|---|---|
| 85 to 90 | C2 | Comfortable with academic work at every level |
| 76 to 84 | C1 | Ready for any postgraduate study |
| 59 to 75 | B2 | Ready for university teaching and student life |
| 43 to 58 | B1 | Can manage in daily life, but needs more English classes for university |
| 30 to 42 | A2 | Not enough for academic study |
| 10 to 29 | A1 or below | Not enough for academic study |
Scores for Australian visas, skill by skill
For a skilled visa, Home Affairs checks each of your four skill scores separately. Your overall score doesn't count, so your lowest skill decides your English level.
PTE scores for Australian visas
The lowest score for each level, for tests taken from 7 August 2025.
- Listening
- Competent from 47, Proficient from 58, Superior from 69
- Reading
- Competent from 48, Proficient from 59, Superior from 70
- Writing
- Competent from 51, Proficient from 69, Superior from 85
- Speaking
- Competent from 54, Proficient from 76, Superior from 88
For tests taken from 7 August 2025, speaking and writing need higher scores than listening and reading from Competent English up. The points you get for each level did not change.
If you took PTE before 7 August 2025, the old scores apply to that result, even if you apply after that date. You can use it until 6 August 2028 at the latest, depending on the visa.
PTE score needed in each skill for each Australian visa English level, for tests taken from 7 August 2025, with the older scores, the IELTS bands and the points
Listening
- Vocational
- 33
- Competent
- 47
- Proficient
- 58
- Superior
- 69
Reading
- Vocational
- 36
- Competent
- 48
- Proficient
- 59
- Superior
- 70
Writing
- Vocational
- 29
- Competent
- 51
- Proficient
- 69
- Superior
- 85
Speaking
- Vocational
- 24
- Competent
- 54
- Proficient
- 76
- Superior
- 88
Each skill, tests before 7 August 2025
- Vocational
- 36
- Competent
- 50
- Proficient
- 65
- Superior
- 79
IELTS, each skill
- Vocational
- 5
- Competent
- 6
- Proficient
- 7
- Superior
- 8
Points on the points test
- Vocational
- 0
- Competent
- 0
- Proficient
- 10
- Superior
- 20
| Skill | Vocational | Competent | Proficient | Superior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 33 | 47 | 58 | 69 |
| Reading | 36 | 48 | 59 | 70 |
| Writing | 29 | 51 | 69 | 85 |
| Speaking | 24 | 54 | 76 | 88 |
| Each skill, tests before 7 August 2025 | 36 | 50 | 65 | 79 |
| IELTS, each skill | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Points on the points test | 0 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
Scores for university
Each university sets its own PTE score, and some also set a minimum for each skill. Pearson gives these typical ranges, but always check your course page.
Typical minimum PTE Academic scores for university study, from Pearson
Foundation course
- Typical minimum score
- 36 to 50
Undergraduate degree
- Typical minimum score
- 51 to 60
Postgraduate degree
- Typical minimum score
- 57 to 67
| Course | Typical minimum score |
|---|---|
| Foundation course | 36 to 50 |
| Undergraduate degree | 51 to 60 |
| Postgraduate degree | 57 to 67 |
Where your points come from
Some question types carry far more of your score than others. On an average test, Describe Image is 15 per cent of your overall score. The first part, speaking and writing, carries about 63 per cent.
Many question types count towards two skills. For example, Write from Dictation counts towards both writing and listening.
The question types with their own practice page are listed under the table.
How much each PTE question type adds to each score on an average test, from Pearson's question weighting table, July 2025
Describe Image
- Part
- Speaking and writing
- Overall score
- 15%
- Skill scores
- Speaking 31%
Summarize Group Discussion
- Part
- Speaking and writing
- Overall score
- 9%
- Skill scores
- Speaking 19%, listening 20%
Repeat Sentence
- Part
- Speaking and writing
- Overall score
- 7%
- Skill scores
- Speaking 16%, listening 17%
Summarize Written Text
- Part
- Speaking and writing
- Overall score
- 7%
- Skill scores
- Writing 28%, reading 23%
Write Essay
- Part
- Speaking and writing
- Overall score
- 7%
- Skill scores
- Writing 31%
Re-tell Lecture
- Part
- Speaking and writing
- Overall score
- 6%
- Skill scores
- Speaking 13%, listening 13%
Respond to a Situation
- Part
- Speaking and writing
- Overall score
- 6%
- Skill scores
- Speaking 13%
Read Aloud
- Part
- Speaking and writing
- Overall score
- 4%
- Skill scores
- Speaking 9%
Answer Short Question
- Part
- Speaking and writing
- Overall score
- 2%
- Skill scores
- Listening 4%
Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks
- Part
- Reading
- Overall score
- 7%
- Skill scores
- Reading 25%
Reading: Fill in the Blanks
- Part
- Reading
- Overall score
- 6%
- Skill scores
- Reading 20%
Re-order Paragraphs
- Part
- Reading
- Overall score
- 3%
- Skill scores
- Reading 9%
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
- Part
- Reading
- Overall score
- 1%
- Skill scores
- Reading 5%
Multiple Choice, Single Answer
- Part
- Reading
- Overall score
- Under 1%
- Skill scores
- Reading 3%
Write from Dictation
- Part
- Listening
- Overall score
- 5%
- Skill scores
- Writing 23%, listening 13%
Summarize Spoken Text
- Part
- Listening
- Overall score
- 4%
- Skill scores
- Writing 18%, listening 10%
Highlight Incorrect Words
- Part
- Listening
- Overall score
- 4%
- Skill scores
- Reading 13%, listening 8%
Listening: Fill in the Blanks
- Part
- Listening
- Overall score
- 3%
- Skill scores
- Listening 8%
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
- Part
- Listening
- Overall score
- 1%
- Skill scores
- Listening 3%
Select Missing Word
- Part
- Listening
- Overall score
- 1%
- Skill scores
- Listening 1%
Multiple Choice, Single Answer
- Part
- Listening
- Overall score
- Under 1%
- Skill scores
- Listening 2%
Highlight Correct Summary
- Part
- Listening
- Overall score
- Under 1%
- Skill scores
- Reading 3%, listening 2%
| Question type | Part | Overall score | Skill scores |
|---|---|---|---|
| Describe Image | Speaking and writing | 15% | Speaking 31% |
| Summarize Group Discussion | Speaking and writing | 9% | Speaking 19%, listening 20% |
| Repeat Sentence | Speaking and writing | 7% | Speaking 16%, listening 17% |
| Summarize Written Text | Speaking and writing | 7% | Writing 28%, reading 23% |
| Write Essay | Speaking and writing | 7% | Writing 31% |
| Re-tell Lecture | Speaking and writing | 6% | Speaking 13%, listening 13% |
| Respond to a Situation | Speaking and writing | 6% | Speaking 13% |
| Read Aloud | Speaking and writing | 4% | Speaking 9% |
| Answer Short Question | Speaking and writing | 2% | Listening 4% |
| Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks | Reading | 7% | Reading 25% |
| Reading: Fill in the Blanks | Reading | 6% | Reading 20% |
| Re-order Paragraphs | Reading | 3% | Reading 9% |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | Reading | 1% | Reading 5% |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Reading | Under 1% | Reading 3% |
| Write from Dictation | Listening | 5% | Writing 23%, listening 13% |
| Summarize Spoken Text | Listening | 4% | Writing 18%, listening 10% |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | Listening | 4% | Reading 13%, listening 8% |
| Listening: Fill in the Blanks | Listening | 3% | Listening 8% |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | Listening | 1% | Listening 3% |
| Select Missing Word | Listening | 1% | Listening 1% |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Listening | Under 1% | Listening 2% |
| Highlight Correct Summary | Listening | Under 1% | Reading 3%, listening 2% |
- PTE Describe Image
Describe an image in 40 seconds. It's worth more than any other question type.
- PTE Read Aloud
Read a short text aloud, marked on every word, pronunciation and fluency.
- PTE Repeat Sentence
Hear a sentence once and say it back. It counts for speaking and listening.
- PTE Write Essay
One essay of 200 to 300 words in 20 minutes, marked on seven traits.
- PTE Summarize Written Text
Sum up a passage in one sentence of 5 to 75 words.
- PTE Write from Dictation
Type a sentence you hear once. Every correct word scores.
Why no calculator can work out your overall score
Your overall score is not the average of your four skill scores, so no calculator can work it out from them. Pearson builds the overall from every question in the test, each with its own weight.
Pearson also takes the difficulty of each question into account, and it doesn't publish those figures. It says you can't use its weighting table to predict an exact score either.
Pearson's own example in the table below shows how far apart the two can be. You can still check your visa level. Home Affairs looks only at your four skill scores, so compare each one with the visa table above.
Pearson's example of a score report whose overall is not the average of its four skills
Listening
- PTE
- 69
Reading
- PTE
- 63
Speaking
- PTE
- 90
Writing
- PTE
- 64
Average of the four skills
- PTE
- 71.5
Overall on the score report
- PTE
- 81
| Score | PTE |
|---|---|
| Listening | 69 |
| Reading | 63 |
| Speaking | 90 |
| Writing | 64 |
| Average of the four skills | 71.5 |
| Overall on the score report | 81 |
PTE and IELTS side by side
Pearson's 2025 study of 1,522 people who took both tests matches every PTE score to an IELTS band, for the overall and for each skill.
The match is different for each skill. IELTS 7 in speaking matches PTE 76 to 82, but IELTS 7 in listening matches PTE 58 to 63. The new visa scores follow this study. That's why speaking and writing need the highest scores from Competent English up.
Convert your own scores
Change IELTS bands to PTE scores, or PTE scores to IELTS bands, for your overall score and each skill. It uses Pearson's full table.
Get your first score free
A full mock test is the quickest way to see where you are on this chart. Our mock tests are based on real exams and timed like the real test. You get an overall score and a score for each skill.
Compare each skill with the visa table, and start with the one furthest from your target.
PTE mock tests based on real exams
