PTE in Turkmenistan — the USD 210 fee, the Ashgabat test centre and the scores your route needs

Pearson's price finder lists one test centre in Turkmenistan, Akylly Tilsimat, 15/1 Seyitnazar Seydi Street (2nd floor), Ashgabat (checked 11 October 2026).

Australia's thresholds are per skill for tests from 7 August 2025: Competent 47 listening, 48 reading, 51 writing, 54 speaking; Proficient 58 / 59 / 69 / 76 for 10 points; Superior 69 / 70 / 85 / 88 for 20. Canada does not accept PTE Academic for Express Entry: PTE Core CLB 7 is listening 60, reading 60, writing 69, speaking 68. UK visas need 59 in each skill for B2.

Many Central Asian students apply to Nazarbayev University in Astana, which asks for IELTS or TOEFL and does not accept PTE. Three universities we checked on their official pages:

Nazarbayev University lists IELTS or TOEFL only, accepts One Skill Retake and does not consider IELTS Online. Melbourne gives every course an English level on its course page; Level 1 is the lowest in its table, and it accepts IELTS One Skill Retake taken within 60 days. McGill does not accept PTE or IELTS Online for graduate admission.

PTE saves the trip: it runs in Ashgabat, while IELTS means travelling to Uzbekistan (UZS 2,800,000 in Urgench, Bukhara or Termez). But check your target first: Nazarbayev University and McGill's graduate programmes do not accept PTE, so for those you need IELTS. For UK and Australian visas and Canada's Express Entry (PTE Core), PTE works.