How to Get PTE 65 (Proficient English): Skill Plan

Find your level: All tests and target scores · PTE 50 · PTE 65 (this page) · PTE 79

First: what "PTE 65" means now

Proficient English used to mean PTE 65 in each skill, and it still does for tests taken on or before 6 August 2025. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, Home Affairs sets a different minimum for each skill:

Skill	Proficient English (new PTE, minimum)
Listening	58
Reading	59
Writing	69
Speaking	76

The pattern matters: Listening and Reading are below 65, but Writing and especially Speaking are well above it. Someone with 65 in every skill on the new test would not meet Proficient English, because their Speaking and Writing are too low. Full tables for every level: PTE score requirements for Australia.

Is this the right target for you?

Your skill scores are mostly below 50? Build the basics first with the PTE 50 plan.
You're in the high 50s to low 60s, or one skill is holding you back? This page is for you.
You're already close to these minimums in every skill? Look at the PTE 79 plan for Superior English.

Who needs Proficient English? Many skilled visa applicants aim for it because it gives 10 points on the points test (Competent gives 0, Superior gives 20), and some visas or registrations require it. We don't give migration advice: check your visa's page on the Home Affairs website, or talk to a registered migration agent.

What this level looks like

Pearson's CEFR chart places scores in the 60s in the B2 range (about 50 to 75), overlapping with the start of C1 (about 59 to 82). At this level you:

understand most of a lecture, including the speaker's opinion;
read academic texts quickly enough to finish every reading task;
write an essay with a clear argument, varied sentences and few errors;
speak fluently, with clear pronunciation, for the whole response time.

The gap from the level below

Moving from Competent to Proficient isn't about learning new tasks. It's about quality under time pressure. For the new PTE, the biggest jumps are in Speaking (54 → 76) and Writing (51 → 69). Listening and Reading only move up about ten points each.

Where to focus: skill by skill

Speaking: your main project

Fluency first. In Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence, aim for smooth phrases at a natural speed. Pausing to correct yourself costs more than a small slip.
Pronunciation you can hear. Record yourself with the speaking recorder. Check word stress and word endings (-s, -ed, -t).
Fill the time with content in Retell Lecture and Summarize Group Discussion: who said what, the main points, and the outcome. Summarize Group Discussion scores both listening and speaking.
Sound natural in Respond to a Situation: greet, explain, ask or suggest, and close, in about 40 seconds.

Writing

Write Essay: a clear position, two developed body paragraphs with examples, and a conclusion that answers the question. Vary your sentence types.
Summaries: one well-built sentence for Summarize Written Text; main point plus supporting points for Summarize Spoken Text.
Zero careless errors: spelling, capital letters, full stops and one spelling style. Run every practice essay through the essay checker.

Listening and Reading

Write from Dictation: aim for every word, spelled correctly.
Reading: Fill in the Blanks: learn collocations (play a role, take into account), not single words.
Multiple-answer tasks: only choose options you are sure of.

Common mistakes at this level

Treating "65" as the target in every skill on the new PTE, and under-preparing Speaking and Writing.
Over-correcting while speaking. Restarting a sentence breaks fluency.
Memorised essay phrases that don't fit the question. Templates help with structure, but the content must answer the prompt.
Small spelling and grammar slips in Write from Dictation and the summaries.
Not reviewing mock tests. The score shows where you lose marks; the review shows why.

Try 6 questions at this level

Loading questions…

A 6-week plan

Week	Focus	What to do
1	Baseline	One full mock test. Write down all four skill scores and compare them with the Proficient minimums using the score checker.
2	Speaking fluency	20 minutes a day: Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence with the recorder. Fix pauses first.
3	Speaking content	Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation, three of each a day.
4	Writing	Three essays and four summaries this week, each checked for structure, spelling and word count.
5	Listening and reading accuracy	Daily Write from Dictation and Fill in the Blanks. Build a list of collocations you missed.
6	Test conditions	Two full mock tests with a full review. Repeat the weakest task type every day.

Need a plan built around your own test date? Use the study planner.

Next step up

Close to the Proficient minimums in every skill? See the PTE 79 plan (Superior English). Need to strengthen the basics first? Go back to the PTE 50 plan. For every test and level, see target scores for all English tests.

We never promise a score. Requirements change: check the official Home Affairs and Pearson pages before you book or apply.

Answers, explanations and transcripts

Finish the test first, then open each section to check your answers. Every answer has an explanation.

Try 6 questions at this level

Text for question 8: Multiple Choice, Single Answer

Some supermarkets have introduced 'quiet hours', when music is turned off and lights are dimmed. The idea was first aimed at shoppers who feel overwhelmed by noise and bright lights, but many other customers have said that they also prefer the calmer atmosphere.

Text for question 9: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

Working from home can reduce commuting time and give employees more control over their day. Some studies have found that people working from home report fewer interruptions. On the other hand, remote workers may feel isolated, and it can be harder to separate work from personal life. Many organisations now use a hybrid model, where staff spend some days in the office and some at home.

Answer key (10 answers)

#	Question	Answer	Why
1	Researchers have ___	conducted	'Have conducted' is the present perfect. 'Play a role in' is a fixed collocation; 'roll' sounds the same but means something different.
2	…affects learning. The results suggest that sleep plays an important ___	role	'Have conducted' is the present perfect. 'Play a role in' is a fixed collocation; 'roll' sounds the same but means something different.
3	Cities that invest in cycling paths often see a ___	significant	An adjective is needed before 'increase': 'significant'. 'Have a positive impact on' is the collocation.
4	…of people who ride to work. These changes can also have a positive ___	impact	An adjective is needed before 'increase': 'significant'. 'Have a positive impact on' is the collocation.
5	Online learning gives students more ___	flexibility	'More flexibility' needs a noun; 'it also requires' needs a third-person verb; 'day-to-day contact with teachers'. 'Contract' is a look-alike trap.
6	to study at their own pace. However, it also ___	requires	'More flexibility' needs a noun; 'it also requires' needs a third-person verb; 'day-to-day contact with teachers'. 'Contract' is a look-alike trap.
7	strong time-management skills, because there is less day-to-day ___	contact	'More flexibility' needs a noun; 'it also requires' needs a third-person verb; 'day-to-day contact with teachers'. 'Contract' is a look-alike trap.
8	What does the passage suggest about quiet hours?	They have been popular with more people than first expected.	They were aimed at one group, but 'many other customers' also prefer them, so they appeal to more people than expected.
9	Which of the following are mentioned as possible disadvantages of working from home?	Feeling isolated · Difficulty separating work and personal life	Isolation and difficulty separating work from personal life are mentioned as disadvantages. Commuting is reduced, and studies report fewer interruptions.
10	Reorder Paragraph	(1) Many universities now record their lectures and post them on… → (2) This allows students to review difficult topics at their own… → (3) Some lecturers worry, however, that fewer students will atte… → (4) To address this concern, several courses now include activit…	Topic; 'This allows' explains a benefit; 'however' introduces a concern; 'To address this concern' responds to it.

Frequently asked questions

Is PTE 65 still Proficient English?

Only for tests taken on or before 6 August 2025, where Proficient English meant at least 65 in each skill. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, Home Affairs sets these minimums: Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 69 and Speaking 76. Check the current Home Affairs page.

Why is the Speaking minimum so high for Proficient English?

Home Affairs set separate minimums for each skill when Pearson updated PTE in August 2025, and the Speaking minimum (76) is the highest. In practice, this means most people aiming for Proficient English should spend the most time on speaking fluency and pronunciation.

How many points does Proficient English give?

Proficient English gives 10 points on the skilled visa points test, and Superior English gives 20. Competent English gives 0. Confirm the current points on the Home Affairs points table for your visa.

I keep getting 60–64. What should I change?

Look at your lowest skill. At this level, small habits usually hold people back: pauses in speaking, word-count or spelling slips in writing, and guessing in tasks where wrong answers lose marks. Fix one habit at a time and test again.

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