Study & University
Demonstrate the English ability needed to understand lectures, read academic texts and communicate your ideas.
One test, four essential academic English skills
PTE Academic measures how effectively you can use English in academic and real-world study situations. It is accepted by thousands of academic programs and is approved for Australian, New Zealand and UK student visa and migration applications.
Global Opportunities
PTE Academic results are used by universities and other organizations around the world for English-language evidence.
Know Your Strengths
Your Score Report gives an overall score plus separate Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening scores from 10–90.
What PTE Academic measures
PTE includes both single-skill and integrated tasks, so one question can contribute to more than one communicative skill score.
S
Speaking
Communicate ideas clearly and naturally in spoken English.
- Pronunciation and intelligibility
- Oral fluency, rhythm and phrasing
- Clear, relevant spoken responses
W
Writing
Organize and express ideas accurately in academic written English.
- Grammar and vocabulary
- Spelling and written form
- Development, structure and coherence
R
Reading
Understand, analyze and organize information from written texts.
- Main ideas and supporting details
- Vocabulary in context
- Text order and relationships
L
Listening
Understand spoken English and identify important information accurately.
- Main ideas and key details
- Following lectures and discussions
- Summarizing and reproducing information
SECTION 1
Speaking & Writing
Practice speaking fluency, pronunciation, written responses, summaries, and essays.
SECTION 2
Reading
Practice academic reading, vocabulary, comprehension, and text organization.
SECTION 3
Listening
Develop listening comprehension, note-taking, dictation, and academic listening skills.
Understand your PTE Academic score
PTE Academic reports an overall score from 10–90, plus individual communicative skill scores for Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening. A higher score indicates stronger English proficiency. The guide below groups the score scale into easy-to-understand proficiency bands.
| PTE Score | CEFR | Proficiency | What it generally shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85–90 | C2 | Expert | Highly precise and effective use of English for demanding academic communication. |
| 76–84 | C1 | Advanced | Strong command of complex academic language with effective, flexible communication. |
| 59–75 | B2 | Upper-Intermediate | Can understand complex texts and communicate clearly on a wide range of topics. |
| 43–58 | B1 | Intermediate | Can understand the main points of familiar material and communicate in common situations. |
| 30–42 | A2 | Elementary | Can understand and use common expressions and communicate simple information. |
| 10–29 | A1 / Foundation | Foundation | Developing basic English needed for simple everyday communication. |
Important: Admission, professional registration and visa score requirements vary. Always check the exact minimum overall and skill scores required by your institution or relevant authority. These practice levels are preparation guides and are not official PTE scores.