Guide · Last updated 30 September 2026
IELTS vs PTE
Both are accepted for every Australian and New Zealand visa and by thousands of universities. What should decide it for you is where you are going, whether you do better talking to a person or to a microphone, and the scores your destination actually asks for, which for PTE are not the same in every skill.
The two tests side by side
| IELTS | PTE Academic | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | British Council, IDP and Cambridge | Pearson |
| Length | About 2 hours 45 minutes, including an 11 to 14 minute Speaking test | About 2 hours |
| Speaking | A conversation with a trained examiner | Recorded answers to a microphone at a computer |
| Marking | Writing and Speaking by trained examiners against the band descriptors | All four skills by Pearson’s automated scoring |
| Scale | Bands 0 to 9, in half bands | 10 to 90 |
| Results | 1 to 5 days on computer | Usually 2 business days, up to 5 |
| Where | Test centre, on computer in most countries | Test centre only; not at home |
| Australia and New Zealand visas | Accepted, Academic or General Training | Accepted |
| UK visas that need a secure test | IELTS for UKVI | PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Home |
| Canada PR (Express Entry) | General Training only | PTE Core only, not PTE Academic |
The official score conversion
Pearson compared the two tests in 2024 using 1,522 people who sat both, an average of 18 days apart, and published the result in July 2025. It is the first version to give a separate conversion for each skill, and its overall figures agree with Pearson's two earlier studies.
| IELTS band | PTE overall | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 90 | 81–90 | 81–90 | n/a | n/a |
| 8.5 | 86–89 | 75–80 | 75–80 | 90 | 90 |
| 8.0 | 79–85 | 69–74 | 70–74 | 85–89 | 88–89 |
| 7.5 | 71–78 | 64–68 | 65–69 | 77–84 | 83–87 |
| 7.0 | 63–70 | 58–63 | 59–64 | 69–76 | 76–82 |
| 6.5 | 55–62 | 53–57 | 54–58 | 60–68 | 66–75 |
| 6.0 | 47–54 | 47–52 | 48–53 | 51–59 | 54–65 |
| 5.5 | 39–46 | 40–46 | 42–47 | 41–50 | 39–53 |
| 5.0 | 31–38 | 33–39 | 36–41 | 29–40 | 24–38 |
| 4.5 | 24–30 | 26–32 | 29–35 | 17–28 | 14–23 |
Pearson's own caution: a concordance is an approximate relationship, not a requirement. When a visa or a university names a PTE score, that number decides, whatever the table says.
Australia sets its own PTE scores, skill by skill
Since 7 August 2025 the Department of Home Affairs no longer asks for one PTE number across all four skills. IELTS still needs the same band in each, but the PTE scores now differ by skill, with Writing and Speaking set higher than Listening and Reading. Competent used to be 50 in every skill; it is now 47 in Listening, 48 in Reading, 51 in Writing and 54 in Speaking.
| Level | IELTS, each skill | PTE Academic (L / R / W / S) | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competent | 6 | 47 / 48 / 51 / 54 | The minimum for points-tested skilled visas; no points |
| Proficient | 7 | 58 / 59 / 69 / 76 | 10 points on the skilled points test |
| Superior | 8 | 69 / 70 / 85 / 88 | 20 points on the skilled points test |
The test has to be taken within the three years before your invitation or application. A test taken before 7 August 2025 is still judged on the old figures (PTE 50 in each skill for Competent, 65 for Proficient, 79 for Superior) for as long as it stays within those three years. Student and graduate visas have their own tables; the full Australia guide has every visa.
How to choose
Start with where you are going. For Canada PR, neither IELTS Academic nor PTE Academic counts: take IELTS General Training or PTE Core. For a UK visa that needs a Secure English Language Test, book the UKVI version of whichever you choose. For Australia and New Zealand, both are accepted for every visa. For a university, read its admissions page: most list both, and a few list only one.
Then think about how you perform. If you speak better when someone is listening and reacting, IELTS Speaking suits you. If a conversation makes you freeze but you can deliver a prepared answer under a timer, PTE may. Many PTE tasks count towards two skills at once, so a weakness in one skill can pull down another.
Check the numbers you need, not the conversion.An Australian Proficient score in PTE needs 76 in Speaking and 69 in Writing but only 58 in Listening, a very different target from “7 in each” on IELTS. Set your practice by the score your visa or university names.
Cost depends on the country. Pearson sets PTE fees through its booking tool at pearsonpte.com; for IELTS, our fee guides give the current price in eleven countries, checked against the test providers' own pages every month.
Frequently asked questions
Is PTE easier than IELTS?
Neither is easier for everyone. The two are linked by Pearson’s concordance, so the same level of English should land on matching scores. What differs is how it feels on the day: IELTS Speaking is a conversation with an examiner, while in PTE you record answers into a microphone against an on-screen timer, and many PTE tasks count towards two skills at once. Take a timed practice test in each format before you pay for either.
What PTE score is equal to IELTS 7?
On Pearson’s July 2025 concordance, IELTS 7.0 overall matches PTE 63 to 70 overall. By skill it is 58 to 63 in Listening, 59 to 64 in Reading, 69 to 76 in Writing and 76 to 82 in Speaking. For an Australian visa that asks for Proficient English (7 in each IELTS skill), the government’s own figures are PTE 58 Listening, 59 Reading, 69 Writing and 76 Speaking.
Does Canada accept PTE for PR?
Only PTE Core. For Express Entry and other economic immigration, IRCC accepts IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada. PTE Academic is not on that list, however high the score. Canadian universities set their own rules for admission, and many accept PTE Academic there.
Does the UK accept PTE?
Yes, as PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Home when the visa needs a Secure English Language Test. When a degree-level university assesses your English itself, it may accept a standard PTE Academic, the same way it may accept a standard IELTS Academic. Check the university’s own page.
Can I take PTE at home?
No. Pearson states that PTE Academic cannot be taken at home; it is delivered on computer at a test centre. IELTS is also taken at a centre, on computer in most countries now that the paper test is being withdrawn.
Which test gives results faster?
They are close. Pearson says most PTE Academic results arrive within two business days and some take up to five. Computer-delivered IELTS results arrive in 1 to 5 days.
Does Australia accept PTE for a student visa?
Yes. Since 7 August 2025 a Subclass 500 student visa needs PTE Academic 47 overall, or IELTS 6.0 average. With at least 10 weeks of English classes before the main course it is PTE 39 or IELTS 5.5, and with at least 20 weeks, PTE 31 or IELTS 5.0. There is no minimum for each skill at visa level, though your university may set one.
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