IELTS or PTE in Pakistan: which should you book?

Pearson listed PTE centres only in Islamabad (3), Karachi (2), Lahore (2), Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Quetta. The British Council runs IELTS in 20 cities, including Peshawar, Abbottabad, Mardan, Swat, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sukkur, Hyderabad and Mirpur (British Council). For a UK visa the gap is wider: UKVI's approved list had 38 IELTS SELT centres in Pakistan against 4 Pearson centres.

UK: IELTS for UKVI and PTE Academic UKVI are both approved SELTs (GOV.UK). Australia: IELTS and PTE Academic are both on Home Affairs' list. New Zealand: IELTS 6.5 or PTE 58 for skilled residence (INZ). Canada PR: IELTS General Training, PTE Core or CELPIP-General (IRCC); CELPIP was USD 214 in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar (CELPIP). Nursing in the UK, Ireland or New Zealand: IELTS or OET, not PTE (NMC).

Choose PTE if you live in or near one of its eight cities, you want results in about two days, and the better refund matters to you. Pearson's rules are the same in every country: free rescheduling while more than 14 full calendar days remain, a 100% refund if you cancel more than 14 days ahead, 50% between 14 and more than 7 days, and nothing at 7 days or fewer (Pearson).

Choose IELTS if you are outside those cities, need a UK visa test with plenty of approved centres, are a nurse, or want to pay in rupees without card exchange-rate swings. Both IELTS providers refund 75% of a standard test cancelled 15 or more days ahead (British Council), and you can compare them in IDP vs British Council.