PTE score chart: how the 10 to 90 scale maps to IELTS, CEFR and your goal

Updated 27 June 2026 · about a 7-minute read

PTE Academic reports every result on a single 10 to 90 scale, but the number on its own does not tell you whether you have passed. What matters is how your score lines up with the level a university, employer or migration authority is asking for. This PTE score chart shows exactly that: how PTE ranges map to IELTS bands and CEFR levels, what specific scores like 50, 65 and 79 actually mean, the scores Australia awards migration points for, and how long your result stays valid.

The PTE score chart (PTE to IELTS to CEFR)

The table below is the quick reference most candidates are looking for. The IELTS column is an approximate concordance based on Pearson's published PTE-to-IELTS mapping, so treat it as a close guide rather than an official equivalence. Always confirm the exact number your institution or visa requires.

Need a precise two-way conversion for one number? Use our PTE to IELTS converter, or predict your overall from four sub-scores with the score calculator.

What the key PTE scores mean

A handful of numbers come up again and again because they are the thresholds institutions and visa rules are built around.

PTE 50

A PTE Academic 50 sits in the middle of CEFR B2 and is comparable to IELTS 6.0. It is the Competent English benchmark used in Australia's skilled-migration system, and it satisfies many student-visa minimums and pathway-programme entries. It does not, on its own, earn migration points.

PTE 65

A 65 is one of the most-targeted scores. It is comparable to IELTS 7.0, sits at C1, and is the Proficient English level that awards 10 points in Australia's points test when you hold 65 or above in all four skills. Many postgraduate and competitive courses also ask for 65.

PTE 79

A 79 is the high-value score. It is comparable to IELTS 8.0, and reaching 79 in every skill is the Superior English level that awards the maximum 20 points in Australia. For points-tested visas, the jump from 65 to 79 can be the difference that gets an invitation.

PTE scores and Australia migration points

Australia is where the PTE score chart matters most, because skilled migration is points-based and English is one of the biggest levers you control. The three English levels below are the ones the points test is built around. Points and thresholds are set by the Department of Home Affairs and can change, so always confirm against the current official rules before you rely on them.

The figures must be met in all four skills, not just the overall, so a single weak skill caps your points. That is why targeting your weakest skill first is usually the fastest way to move up a band. If you are weighing the two tests for an Australian application, our guide to PTE vs IELTS for Australia compares them side by side.

How the overall PTE score is built

Your overall figure is not an average of the four skills. PTE is integrated: a single task can feed several skills at once, and the overall is a weighted reflection of your performance across the whole test. Beneath the four communicative skills (Speaking, Writing, Reading, Listening) sit six enabling skills, Grammar, Oral Fluency, Pronunciation, Spelling, Vocabulary and Written Discourse, and a weak enabling skill quietly drags several task scores down at once. The two that surprise people most are Pronunciation and Oral Fluency, because you cannot judge your own delivery the way the test does. For the full mechanics, see how PTE is scored.

How long is a PTE score valid?

A PTE Academic result is valid for two years from your test date. After that, most universities and visa programmes will not accept it, so line up your test date with your application deadline rather than sitting the test too early. If your score is close to expiring and you still need it, re-book in good time.

Frequently asked questions