PTE to IELTS Conversion Chart 2026: Full Score Table
By Smriti Simkhada (90/90) · Updated
Need a PTE to IELTS conversion? The full official chart is below. Pearson published an updated PTE Academic to IELTS Academic concordance in July 2025 for the enhanced PTE Academic. It replaced every older table, including the widely shared "IELTS 6.5 is PTE 58 to 64" ranges, which are now out of date.
After the chart you will find two things a conversion table cannot tell you: why IELTS 7 in every skill does not mean PTE 63 in every skill for Australian visa points, and a worked method for turning a university's IELTS requirement into a PTE target. Concordance figures were checked against Pearson's score-comparison page; visa bands against the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) pages on 3 October 2026.
PTE to IELTS Conversion Chart 2026 (Official Pearson Concordance)
Pearson's July 2025 concordance maps each IELTS Academic overall band to one PTE Academic overall score on the 10 to 90 scale. Read across from the IELTS band you have been asked for:
| IELTS Academic overall | PTE Academic overall (Pearson concordance) |
|---|---|
| 4.5 | 24 |
| 5.0 | 31 |
| 5.5 | 39 |
| 6.0 | 47 |
| 6.5 | 55 |
| 7.0 | 63 |
| 7.5 | 71 |
| 8.0 | 79 |
| 8.5 | 86 |
| 9.0 | 90 |
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic score comparison (July 2025 concordance report, updated for the enhanced PTE Academic). Verified 3 October 2026.
Two limits to keep in mind. First, this is a statistical equivalence, not an acceptance rule: a university or visa authority can ask for a different PTE score, a per-skill floor, or a specific test. Second, Pearson's published comparison covers overall scores only and gives no per-skill conversion between the two tests, so a per-skill chart from a third-party site is not an official figure.
Want to see where your own practice scores land first? Run them through our free PTE score calculator.
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Australia Visa Points: IELTS Bands vs PTE Bands Side by Side
For Australian visa points, Home Affairs does not use the concordance. It publishes its own minimum for each skill in each accepted test, and the PTE minimums are uneven across skills. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025:
| DHA English level | IELTS Academic (each skill) | PTE Academic (L / R / W / S) | Points (189/190/491) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competent | 6 | 47 / 48 / 51 / 54 | 0 (visa minimum) |
| Proficient | 7 | 58 / 59 / 69 / 76 | 10 |
| Superior | 8 | 69 / 70 / 85 / 88 | 20 |
Source: Department of Home Affairs, Competent, Proficient and Superior English pages, Table 1 (tests on or after 7 August 2025). Points: subclass 189 points table. Verified 3 October 2026.
Worked example: "I have IELTS 7 in every skill. What PTE do I need?"
If you only used the concordance, you would aim for PTE 63 in each skill. For Australian visa points that is wrong. IELTS 7 in each skill is Proficient English, and the PTE Academic equivalent DHA lists for Proficient is Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 69 and Speaking 76. A PTE result of 63 in every skill would clear Listening and Reading but fall short on Writing (69) and Speaking (76), which leaves you at Competent and 0 points.
Worked example: "Is PTE 79 the same as IELTS 8 for PR?"
On the overall concordance, yes: PTE 79 matches IELTS 8.0. For Superior English points, no. DHA's Superior minimums for PTE Academic are Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85 and Speaking 88. So "79 in every skill" now overshoots Listening and Reading and falls short on Writing and Speaking. The flat 79 rule applies only to PTE tests taken before 7 August 2025. Our PTE score for Australia PR points guide works through full points totals.
How to Set a PTE Target From a University's IELTS Requirement
A PTE figure the institution publishes always beats a converted one; use the concordance only when no PTE figure exists. Many Australian universities list a PTE column on their admissions pages.
- Find the exact requirement on the course page: overall band and any per-skill floor (for example "IELTS 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0").
- Look for a published PTE equivalent on the same page. If there is one, that is your target. Stop here.
- If there is none, convert the overall band with the chart: 6.5 becomes PTE 55.
- Ask the admissions office for the per-skill PTE floor. There is no official per-skill conversion, so do not guess one.
- Add a margin of a few points above the line, so one weak task on test day does not cost you the offer.
- Check the visa requirement separately. A subclass 500 student visa has its own English floor from Home Affairs, and the university's figure is often higher; meet the higher of the two.
PTE Core to CLB Cross-Reference (Canada PR)
Canada uses PTE Core, not PTE Academic, and for IELTS it accepts General Training, not Academic, for immigration. If you already hold IELTS General Training scores, IRCC maps them to CLB directly. If you choose PTE Core, Pearson publishes these per-skill minimums:
| CLB level | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 7 | 60 | 60 | 68 | 69 |
| CLB 8 | 71 | 69 | 76 | 79 |
| CLB 9 | 82 | 78 | 84 | 88 |
| CLB 10 | 89 | 88 | 89 | 90 |
Source: Pearson PTE Core scoring page. Verified 10 June 2026.
For comparison, IRCC's IELTS General Training minimums are: CLB 7 = 6.0 in every skill; CLB 8 = Listening 7.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 6.5, Speaking 6.5; CLB 9 = Listening 8.0, Reading 7.0, Writing 7.0, Speaking 7.0; CLB 10 = Listening 8.5, Reading 8.0, Writing 7.5, Speaking 7.5 (IRCC language testing). Watch the Writing trap: PTE Core CLB 9 Writing is 88, so a Writing score of 79 is only CLB 8. The PTE Core to CLB guide and the CLB calculator cover CLB 4 to 10.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using a pre-2025 conversion table. IELTS 6.5 now maps to PTE 55 overall, not "58 to 64". Many consultancy sites still show the old numbers.
- Converting per-skill scores with an overall table. Pearson's concordance is overall only.
- Using the concordance for Australian visa points. DHA's own per-skill PTE table applies, and its Writing and Speaking minimums are higher than a straight conversion suggests.
- Mixing up PTE Academic and PTE Core. Australia lists PTE Academic; Canada's Express Entry uses PTE Core.
- Treating the concordance as an acceptance guarantee. Always confirm on the institution's or authority's own page.
Tips for Nepali Students
- Price: PTE Academic costs USD 248.60 (Pearson's listed Nepal price). The rupee amount your bank debits depends on the card rate that day, so check the final figure at checkout. Compare against the current IELTS fee on IDP Nepal's fee page before choosing on cost.
- Test centres: Pearson's centre list for Nepal shows 11 centres across Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Pokhara, Chitwan (Narayangarh), Tilottama and Itahari. The booking screen is the live list.
- Accent: In PTE Speaking, a clear Nepali accent is not what holds most of our students back. Hesitation, restarts and uneven pace are.
- Validity: Pearson score reports are valid for two years. For Australian visas, DHA accepts results from a test in the 3 years before your visa application, depending on the subclass. Our score validity guide explains the difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What PTE score is equal to IELTS 6.5?
On Pearson's official July 2025 concordance, IELTS 6.5 overall is equivalent to PTE Academic 55 overall. Older tables showing "PTE 58 to 64" for IELTS 6.5 are superseded. Universities can set their own PTE minimum, often higher, so meet whichever figure the institution publishes.
What PTE score is equal to IELTS 7?
IELTS 7.0 overall is equivalent to PTE Academic 63 overall on Pearson's concordance. For Australian visa points, though, IELTS 7 in each skill is Proficient English, and DHA's PTE Academic minimums for Proficient are Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 69 and Speaking 76.
Is PTE 79 the same as IELTS 8.0?
On the overall concordance, yes. For Australian Superior English points, DHA requires PTE Academic Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85 and Speaking 88 for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, so 79 in each skill does not qualify on its own.
Is there an official per-skill PTE to IELTS conversion?
No. Pearson's concordance covers overall scores only. Per-skill requirements come from each university or visa authority, and Home Affairs publishes its own per-skill PTE table for visa purposes.
Does Australia accept PTE instead of IELTS?
Home Affairs accepts PTE Academic for visas, and many Australian universities accept it for admission. One exception: AITSL, the teacher skills-assessment body, accepts only Academic IELTS. See English requirements for teachers in Australia.
Conclusion
The 2026 PTE to IELTS conversion is official and simple for overall scores: IELTS 6.0 is PTE 47, 6.5 is 55, 7.0 is 63, 7.5 is 71 and 8.0 is 79. Use it for university requirements when no PTE figure is published. For Australian visa points, use DHA's per-skill PTE table instead, because Writing and Speaking need more than a conversion suggests. If you are short in one of those skills, the team of Smriti Simkhada offers 1-on-1 PTE coaching built around your weakest skill, with class times for Nepal, Australia and the Gulf.
Last verified 3 October 2026 (DHA English pages, Pearson concordance); Pearson Nepal price and centre list verified 2 October 2026; CLB tables verified 10 June 2026. Thresholds and fees can change. Confirm on the official page before you book or apply, and for a visa decision speak to a MARA-registered migration agent.
About Smriti Simkhada
Smriti Simkhada is a PTE Academic perfect scorer (90/90) providing structured PTE coaching for Nepali students. She and her team have helped 1,500+ students prepare for Australia PR and Canada immigration through structured, criteria-aligned coaching.