PTE and IELTS scores for the 485 visa

The 485 visa needs PTE Academic 55 overall or IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum in each skill, from a test taken in the last 12 months (Home Affairs, checked 16 October 2026).

By Thanh Tran, PTE and IELTS coach
Updated October 2026

Check your scores

Your test

Overall

Needs 55

Listening

Needs 40

Reading

Needs 42

Speaking

Needs 39

Writing

Needs 41

Enter your scores to check them against the 485 visa.

Your test must be from the 12 months before the day you apply. Home Affairs

Scores from Home Affairs, Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), Post-Higher Education Work stream, checked 16 October 2026.

Not immigration advice. This is general information. Visas, registration and skills assessments have other rules too, so check the official page before you apply. Only a registered migration agent or a lawyer can give you immigration advice.

What PTE and IELTS scores does the 485 visa need?

Home Affairs checks your overall score and each skill. Every test it accepts for the Post-Higher Education Work and Post-Vocational Education Work streams is below.

For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.

PTE Academic
Overall
55
Listening
40
Reading
42
Writing
41
Speaking
39
IELTS Academic
Overall
6.5
Listening
5.5
Reading
5.5
Writing
5.5
Speaking
5.5
IELTS General Training
Overall
6.5
Listening
5.5
Reading
5.5
Writing
5.5
Speaking
5.5

485 visa: minimum English test scores for a test taken on or after 7 August 2025
Test	Overall	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
PTE Academic	55	40	42	41	39
IELTS Academic	6.5	5.5	5.5	5.5	5.5
IELTS General Training	6.5	5.5	5.5	5.5	5.5

5 other tests: TOEFL iBT, OET, CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic and Michigan English Test

TOEFL iBT
Overall
81
Listening
12
Reading
12
Writing
14
Speaking
17
OET
Overall
1310
Listening
260
Reading
280
Writing
260
Speaking
310
CELPIP General
Overall
8
Listening
6
Reading
6
Writing
6
Speaking
6
LANGUAGECERT Academic
Overall
67
Listening
49
Reading
54
Writing
56
Speaking
62
Michigan English Test
Overall
58
Listening
53
Reading
51
Writing
51
Speaking
43

Test	Overall	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
TOEFL iBT	81	12	12	14	17
OET	1310	260	280	260	310
CELPIP General	8	6	6	6	6
LANGUAGECERT Academic	67	49	54	56	62
Michigan English Test	58	53	51	51	43

Cambridge C1 Advanced Not accepted

Source: Home Affairs, Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), Post-Higher Education Work stream. Checked 16 October 2026.

What if I hold a BNO or Hong Kong passport?

Holders of a British National (Overseas) or Hong Kong passport need lower scores, from a test in the same 12 months.

For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.

PTE Academic
Overall
47
Listening
33
Reading
36
Writing
29
Speaking
24
IELTS Academic
Overall
6
Listening
5
Reading
5
Writing
5
Speaking
5
IELTS General Training
Overall
6
Listening
5
Reading
5
Writing
5
Speaking
5

485 visa, British National (Overseas) or Hong Kong passport holders: minimum English test scores for a test taken on or after 7 August 2025
Test	Overall	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
PTE Academic	47	33	36	29	24
IELTS Academic	6	5	5	5	5
IELTS General Training	6	5	5	5	5

5 other tests: TOEFL iBT, OET, CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic and Michigan English Test

TOEFL iBT
Overall
67
Listening
8
Reading
8
Writing
9
Speaking
14
OET
Overall
1210
Listening
220
Reading
240
Writing
200
Speaking
270
CELPIP General
Overall
7
Listening
5
Reading
5
Writing
5
Speaking
5
LANGUAGECERT Academic
Overall
61
Listening
41
Reading
44
Writing
45
Speaking
54
Michigan English Test
Overall
53
Listening
49
Reading
47
Writing
45
Speaking
38

Test	Overall	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
TOEFL iBT	67	8	8	9	14
OET	1210	220	240	200	270
CELPIP General	7	5	5	5	5
LANGUAGECERT Academic	61	41	44	45	54
Michigan English Test	53	49	47	45	38

Cambridge C1 Advanced Not accepted

Source: Home Affairs, Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), Post-Higher Education Work stream. Checked 16 October 2026.

How old can my test be?

Your test must be from the 12 months before the day you apply. Every test taken before 7 August 2025 is now too old for the 485.

The last 12 months

Your test must be from the 12 months before the day you apply. Home Affairs

Retakes count

IELTS One Skill Retake and MET Single Section Retake are accepted, if you finish the retake before you apply. Home Affairs

Some passports need no test

No test if you hold a passport from the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland. Home Affairs

The second 485

The Second Post-Higher Education Work stream lists no English requirement on its page. Home Affairs

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常见问题

Do I need the overall score and the skill scores?

Yes, both. For the 485 visa, PTE needs 55 overall and the minimum in each skill. A high overall score does not make up for one low skill.

Is the 485 score lower than Competent English?

In each skill, yes: PTE 40, 42, 41 and 39, against 47, 48, 51 and 54 for Competent English. But the 485 also needs an overall score of 55, which Competent English does not.

Can I use an IELTS One Skill Retake?

Yes. Home Affairs accepts IELTS One Skill Retake and MET Single Section Retake for the 485, if you finish the retake before you apply.

Does Cambridge C1 Advanced count?

No. Home Affairs lists C1 Advanced as not accepted for the 485 visa.

I took PTE in 2025. Can I still use it?

Only if you took it in the 12 months before the day you apply. Every test taken before 7 August 2025 is now too old for the 485.

Is PTE Core accepted?

No. PTE Core is not on Home Affairs' list of tests for the 485 visa. The list names PTE Academic.

What if I hold a BNO or Hong Kong passport?

You need lower scores: PTE Academic 47 overall with 33, 36, 29 and 24, or IELTS 6 overall with 5 in each skill, from a test in the same 12 months.

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