PTE score chart 2024
The Pearson Test of English (PTE) is a computer-based test that assesses the English language skills of non-native speakers. It’s taken by those who want to apply for university courses in English-speaking countries like the USA, UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
While you prepare for PTE, get started with your application to your dream university!
There are three types of PTE exams:
- PTE Academic - for when you want to study at a university overseas.
- PTE General - for when you are seeking to move to another country to work.
- PTE Young Learner - this is for children between the ages of 12 and 16 who will be resuming their education after moving to another country with their families.
The PTE Score Chart helps determine whether or not a candidate has passed and achieved the necessary qualification to proceed.
But what is the PTE Score Chart, and how does it work? Here’s everything you need to know.
Table of Contents
- PTE score chart 2024
- What is the PTE Score Chart?
- How PTE score is calculated
- Breakdown of PTE scores
- PTE score chart
- PTE score to IELTS conversion
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PTE Score Chart?
The purpose of the Score Chart is to give a fair and consistent approach to assessing all of the skills tested in the PTE exams. These cover grammar, oral fluency, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, written skills, and PTE communications skills.
Whatever score a candidate gets is an accurate reflection of their English skills and is scored against the Global Scale of English – a granular score scale from 10–90. Having this consistent approach to scoring means that universities and visa requirements can be based on them with confidence.
It’s also why it’s important to have a good understanding of how the scores and score chart work.
Also read PTE score calculator
How PTE score is calculated
The PTE Score Report that all candidates receive after their test (usually within 72 hours) used to be divided between communicative and enabling skills.
The communicative skills include:
- Reading
- Writing
- Listening
- Speaking
The enabling skills are:
- Grammar
- Oral fluency
- Pronunciation
- Spelling
- Vocabulary
- Written discourse
The 6 enabling skills scores were then added up and then divided by 6 to find the average. This was then added to the 4 communicative skills scores to calculate the overall score.
However, from November 2021 onwards, the scoring was changed to remove these enabling skills and they no longer feature on PTE score charts or the score reports that candidates receive.
The PTE score is now calculated as an overall score between 10 and 90, based on the performance in all of the tasks in the test, not as an average calculation of the scores for each of the communicative skills.
The report now features a new personalised Skills Profile which uses the test performance to provide specific feedback to guide future learning English. It can be useful in the event of a candidate not achieving their required score and to try again.
This is only visible to the candidate, not any institutions they apply to.
It offers performance bars for each of the following:
- Open Response Speaking and Writing
- Reproducing Spoken and Written Language
- Extended Writing
- Short Writing
- Extended Speaking
- Short Speaking
- Multiple-skills Comprehension
- Single-skill Comprehension
An important distinction for PTE scoring is that it’s all done automatically, with no instructors present. This helps to make it less stressful, speeds up the process, and makes it more consistent and fair.
The automation is based on thousands of sample questions that have been scored by examiners and fed into an algorithm, all to create a fair, accurate, objective and consistent scoring process.
Also read: PTE registration
Breakdown of PTE scores
From November 2021 onwards, the scores in the PTE score card are based on the communicative skills only:
- Speaking & Writing - This features seven question types testing candidates on speaking and writing skills and should last around an hour of the test.
- Reading - There are five different question types in this section testing the ability to read English.
- Listening - There are eight question types here testing listening skills through a variety of video and audio clips.
There are some integrated tasks that assess more than one skill at a time (for example reading and writing, listening and speaking, etc) and these tasks contribute to the score of both of the communicative skills involved.
There are between 52 and 64 tasks in each test across a range of 20 task types. The communicative skills each have a score range of between 10-90 points and while these aren’t used to create the overall score, they still have an important role to play in highlighting strengths and room for improvement in key areas.
PTE score chart
The PTE score chart are as follows:
| PTE band score | Required for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 85-90 | Not usually required for universities or visa applications. | The highest banding you can get for an overall score. This indicates that the candidate is highly proficient in English and could effectively communicate at any level of education or work in an English-speaking country. |
| 76-84 | Australian Skilled Migration visas require this level. Not usually required for university applications. | A very high level of proficiency. The candidate can understand a wide range of complicated long texts and express themselves fluently and spontaneously. |
| 59-75 | Professional registration and employment and typically the level for academic level education. | The candidate is able to understand the main ideas of complex texts, interact with a degree of oral fluency and produce clear, detailed writings on a wide range of subjects. |
| 43-58 | Can be required for undergraduate level study | Candidates can understand the main points of familiar subjects and deal with most situations where English is being spoken to them as well as describe experiences, events, dreams, hope and ambitions. |
| 30-42 | Can be required for foundation level courses | At this level candidates can understand sentences and expressions related to basic information and can communicate in simple and routine tasks. |
| 10-29 | Typically too low for academic or foundation courses | This PTE band score demonstrates that candidates can use familiar everyday expressions, introduce themselves and interact in a simple way in English. |
While you prepare for PTE, get started with your application to your dream university!
PTE score to IELTS conversion
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an international standardised test of English language proficiency that is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English.
This means that IELTS is another option for non-native English speakers who need to provide proof of their ability to speak the language for professional, academic or visa-related purposes.
There are many similarities between the two tests but also key differences. For example, when it comes to the assessment of the speaking sections the IELTS tests involve a face-to-face process with an examiner, while the PTE test is fully automated. This can be preferable for candidates who might feel anxious about the face-to-face test and it also means that the PTE test can be completed in one day, which isn’t possible with IELTS.
When it comes to comparing the scoring, this is how the PTE score card matches up with IELTS
PTE to IELTS conversion
| PTE score | IELTS band equivalent |
|---|---|
| 89 | 8.5 |
| 84 | 8.0 |
| 76 | 7.5 |
| 66 | 7.0 |
| 56 | 6.5 |
| 46 | 6.0 |
| 36 | 5.5 |
| 29 | 5.0 |
| 23 | 4.5 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good PTE score range?
This very much depends on your needs when you take the test. Clearly, a score in the top band would indicate that you are highly proficient in English and comfortable listening, speaking and writing it at any academic level. But this score isn’t required for most purposes that lead someone to take a PTE test.
For someone looking to study at an undergraduate level, a score within the 43-58 band may well be a good one as it demonstrates an ability to understand the main points on key subjects and produce simple connected text on these topics.
PTE suggests that the following score bands are generally required for these types of university courses:
| Degree type | Recommended scores |
|---|---|
| Foundation courses | Between 36–50 |
| Undergraduate degrees | Between 51–60 |
| Postgraduate degrees | Between 57–67 |
A score between 59-75 would be a good score range if you are aiming to meet postgraduate entry requirements. If you are looking to get a visa, you will be able to find out what PTE score is required for that country.
It’s important to understand what score range you need to achieve and to be able to work towards that realistic target. This gives you a better chance of achieving your goal instead of pushing for a score that might be beyond your skills and isn’t necessary.
How is the PTE overall score calculated?
The overall PTE score is calculated based on the performance in all the tasks in the test. There are between 52 and 64 tasks in each test across a range of 20 task types and it is these that make up the overall score, rather than the average of the four communicative skills.
While you prepare for PTE, get started with your application to your dream university!
How can I improve my PTE score from 65-79?
If you have not managed to achieve the PTE score required the first time, you can retake the test, but what can you do to try and ensure that your score improves?
An important tool to take advantage of if you want to improve your performance is the Skills Profile that comes with your PTS score report. It details your performance across eight key language skill categories so you can see which areas might have let you down.
This can help you and your tutor to identify areas to focus on when you prepare to retake the test, so if your extended writing was an issue, this is where you can pay particular attention while practising.
The Skills Profile also has personalised recommendations with a description of each skill area and recommendations based on the GSE learning objective for test-related skills. These are specific and actionable tips to help you practice and improve your English.
It’s also possible to try scored practice tests through PTE to give you the chance to see how you would have scored ahead of the actual test. This should help give you an indication of whether you are ready to achieve the score you need.
What score is required in PTE for Australia PR?
If you want to gain permanent residency in Australia on a work-related visa, you will need a minimum score of 65 points on your PTE score chart. This means that you should be able to understand the main ideas of complex texts, interact with a degree of oral fluency and spontaneity, and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue.
How many days will it take to receive PTE results?
Because PTE tests are automated and don’t require human examiners to mark papers or write up reports, you should receive your results typically within 48-72 hours.
What is PTE full score?
The full score for the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic is 90. This means that the maximum score a test-taker can achieve on the PTE Academic exam is 90, and this score is considered an indication of their overall English language proficiency level.
