Where can I take IELTS or PTE in Gold Coast?

Pearson's test centre finder lists two PTE centres on the Gold Coast, both partner venues: English Unlimited in Surfers Paradise and Griffith University (Griffith English Language Institute) in Southport.

IDP's fee article lists AUD 490 for IELTS Academic or General Training at most Australian centres and says there is no registration, card or late-booking fee, though some locations can charge more; every Gold Coast session we saw on 10 October 2026 was priced at AUD 490. Pearson's price finder with Australia selected showed AUD 499 for PTE Academic, PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Core. Neither page says how GST is treated, so check the total at checkout. For refunds and the full price list, see our IELTS fee in Australia and PTE fee in Australia guides.

If the Southport dates do not suit, Brisbane has IDP's largest Queensland venue (330 sessions on 10 October) and four PTE centres, including a Pearson Professional Center. If you would rather sit Speaking face to face, ask IDP which format your Gold Coast session uses before you book. For skilled visas, both tests earn the same points; our PTE vs IELTS for Australia PR guide has the Home Affairs score table, and IELTS for 189, 190 and 491 covers each visa. Check which PTE version your visa accepts before booking; our PTE Academic vs PTE Core guide explains the difference.

See our Brisbane and Sydney guides.

IELTS: pick Gold Coast on IDP's test-date finder, choose Academic or General Training, a venue and a session, then complete the online application and pay (IDP lists card, PayPal and Alipay). On test day bring your original, current passport, valid for at least 7 days after the test; copies are refused (IDP test-day page). Every Gold Coast IELTS session on computer we saw said "Results in 1 to 5 days".

IELTS changes: IDP lets you reschedule once for free, even up to test day. Cancel 14 or more days ahead for a full refund, 7–13 days ahead for 50%, and nothing after that. You cannot move a booking to a different test centre, because IDP says each centre is a separate organisation (IDP). If one skill let you down, One Skill Retake (AUD 310) must be taken within 60 days of a full IELTS on computer test. IDP says Home Affairs accepts it for all Australian visa subclasses. See our One Skill Retake guide.

PTE: book on pearsonpte.com, choose Gold Coast and a slot at least 24 hours ahead (Pearson). If you are testing outside your country of citizenship, a valid passport is the only ID Pearson accepts (ID policy). Pearson says results typically arrive in two days (PTE Academic). Rescheduling is free with more than 14 full days to go, up to six times; inside 14 days you must cancel (50% back from 14 to 7 days, nothing within 7) and rebook (policy). For a resit, you can book only after your previous scores arrive, and hold one booking at a time (retake policy).

Before you pay AUD 490 or AUD 499 again, take a free PTE mock test or a free IELTS mock test to see which skill is holding you back.