Where can I take IELTS or PTE in Penang?

Pearson's test centre finder listed one PTE centre in Penang on 10 October 2026: Disted College in George Town, a partner venue. It is the only PTE centre in northern Peninsular Malaysia; the others are in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor Bahru and Kuching.

Pearson's finder does not say which tests each centre runs on which day. When you book, choose PTE Academic, PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Core first and then your city; only centres with slots for that test appear.

Read on 10 October 2026 in the British Council's booking system, IDP's session listings for Penang, both providers' Malaysia fee pages and Pearson's price finder with Malaysia selected. IELTS costs the same at both providers, but the British Council adds 6% SST for non-Malaysian test takers. IDP Malaysia forfeits the whole fee if you cancel or transfer with less than five weeks' notice, so pick your IDP date carefully.

Refund, transfer and payment rules are in our IELTS fee in Malaysia and PTE fee in Malaysia guides.

The British Council also tests in Ipoh. For more IELTS for UKVI dates, or for a Pearson-run PTE centre, Kuala Lumpur is the nearest option. See our Kuala Lumpur guide, and the Malaysia test centre list for every city.

IELTS: book online with the British Council or IDP, choose Penang and pick a session; the venue address comes in your confirmation. At the British Council, Malaysians register with a MyKad or passport and everyone else, including permanent residents, with a passport; it takes cards, GrabPay and Alipay online, and you can also book at its Kuala Lumpur and Penang offices. It adds 6% SST for non-Malaysian test takers.

PTE: create a myPTE account with details that exactly match your ID, choose the test, then Penang, a centre and a slot at least 24 hours ahead (Pearson's booking guide). Pearson's ID policy asks for a valid passport. Malaysia is not on its list of countries where another ID is accepted, so a MyKad will not do for PTE.

Results: the British Council's booking system says 1 to 5 days for IELTS on computer, and Pearson sends PTE scores typically within 48 hours (PTE scoring). Before you pay, take a free IELTS mock test or a free PTE mock test to check you are ready.