General information, not migration advice. We explain published test scores. We can't tell you which visa you're eligible for or what you personally need. Requirements change, so always check the Department of Home Affairs website, or speak to a registered migration agent.
What changed in the test
From 7 August 2025, Pearson updated PTE Academic:
- Two new speaking tasks: Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation.
- Longer test: up to about 2 hours 15 minutes.
- More human review: human experts now review some speaking and writing content before scores are confirmed.
What changed in the score tables
Home Affairs treats tests from before and after 7 August 2025 as different tests, even though both are called PTE Academic.
| Level | Old table (on or before 6 Aug 2025) | New table (on or after 7 Aug 2025): L / R / W / S |
|---|---|---|
| Competent | 50 in each skill | 47 / 48 / 51 / 54 |
| Proficient | 65 in each skill | 58 / 59 / 69 / 76 |
| Superior | 79 in each skill | 69 / 70 / 85 / 88 |
What this means in practice
- Don't compare old and new scores directly. A new speaking score of 79 doesn't reach the new Superior level (88).
- Speaking and writing targets are higher in the new table; listening and reading are lower.
- Old results can still count. Home Affairs says results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 may be used until 6 August 2028, depending on the visa.
- Old study materials may be out of date. Make sure your practice includes the two new speaking tasks.
Check your own numbers with our PTE score checker, which uses the right table for your test date.
Sources: Department of Home Affairs English language pages and Pearson's test format pages.