PTE Academic reports an overall score and four skill scores on a 10–90 scale. To interpret a result, keep three things separate: your official score, an approximate comparison with another test, and the exact requirement set by your university or visa route. They answer different questions.
Sources checked: 20 September 2026. The IELTS comparison below uses Pearson's July 2025 concordance, still linked from its current scoring guidance. This guide concerns PTE Academic, not a PTE Core-to-CLB conversion.
IELTS comparison · CEFR bands · Set your target · Try a score check
PTE Academic to IELTS Academic: overall score chart
The ranges below come from Pearson's July 2025 concordance summary. They describe an approximate relationship, not a replacement IELTS result or an admission decision.
| PTE overall | IELTS overall |
|---|---|
| 24–30 | 4.5 |
| 31–38 | 5.0 |
| 39–46 | 5.5 |
| 47–54 | 6.0 |
| 55–62 | 6.5 |
| 63–70 | 7.0 |
| 71–78 | 7.5 |
| 79–85 | 8.0 |
| 86–89 | 8.5 |
| 90 | 9.0 |
For example, an overall PTE score of 65 falls in the 63–70 range. That does not mean every individual skill corresponds to IELTS 7.0. Pearson publishes separate skill comparisons. Use our PTE-to-IELTS converter to inspect overall and skill values, and read the detailed conversion guide for the distinction.
Pearson's score-setting guidance explains that concordance is approximate and institutions consider other evidence when choosing their requirements. A course can publish its own PTE minimum instead of adopting the lower edge of a comparison range.
PTE Academic and CEFR: broad proficiency bands
Pearson's score-band descriptions group results as follows. These broad proficiency descriptions are different from the IELTS comparison table.
| PTE score | CEFR level |
|---|---|
| 10–29 | A1 |
| 30–42 | A2 |
| 43–58 | B1 |
| 59–75 | B2 |
| 76–84 | C1 |
| 85–90 | C2 |
Do not treat a CEFR label as a course offer, a visa permission or a description of every response you will produce. When a receiving organisation specifies a numeric PTE score, check that number directly rather than trying to replace it with a broad level.
What PTE score do you actually need?
Start with the receiving organisation's current requirement. Record the exact course or route, accepted test version, overall minimum, each skill minimum, result-age rule and evidence deadline. Keep the source link and the date you checked it beside those values.
For university examples with different skill thresholds, see our Canadian English-test alternatives guide. For Australian migration, use the date-specific English requirements guide and its government sources. Neither a national average nor a score popular on social media establishes your personal target.
Preparing for Canadian immigration using PTE Core? Use the separate PTE Core CLB calculator. The Academic-to-IELTS table above must not be used as a Core conversion.
Try it: does a strong overall result cover a Writing gap?
Original fictional exercise: a course requires PTE Academic 65 overall and 60 in every skill. A learner has overall 68, Listening 66, Reading 64, Speaking 74 and Writing 59. They argue that the overall result and its IELTS comparison should compensate for Writing. Do these numbers satisfy the stated score conditions?
Reveal the requirement check
No. Writing 59 is below the required 60. The overall score and the other skills meet the fictional thresholds, but none replaces the missing Writing point. The next preparation step is a Writing diagnostic, followed by focused work on the errors it reveals.
This checks only invented score conditions. It does not assess admission or predict a retest result. For your own application, confirm the actual published rule and accepted evidence.
Read the report, then choose your practice
Your overall PTE score is not the arithmetic average of the four skills. Pearson explains this in the official Score Guide. For a practical worked example and a way to use your Skills Profile, continue to our score-report reading guide.
If Writing is your gap, start PTE Academic Writing practice. If your verified target calls for Speaking work, start PTE Academic Speaking practice. Signup keeps the selected exam and skill ready for your next session.
BandLadder offers 25k+ PTE questions across Academic and Core, alongside 30k+ IELTS questions. Free allowances and paid plans determine access to questions, feedback, mocks and prediction resources. Practice scores help you prepare; Pearson and the receiving organisation determine official results and requirements.
