How to Get PTE 79+ (Superior English): Skill Plan

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

First: what "PTE 79" means now

Superior English used to mean PTE 79 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	Superior English (new PTE, minimum)
Listening	69
Reading	70
Writing	85
Speaking	88

On the new test, Listening and Reading are below 79, but Writing and Speaking are well above it, on a scale that ends at 90. So "PTE 79" is now a shorthand: the real challenge is near-top Writing and Speaking. Full tables: PTE score requirements for Australia.

Is this the right target for you?

Your skill scores are in the 50s? Start with the PTE 65 plan. Jumping straight to 79+ strategies usually wastes time.
You're in the high 60s or 70s in most skills? This page is for you.
Only one skill is below target? Use the skill sections below, and spend most of your time on that skill.

Who needs Superior English? Skilled visa applicants who want the maximum English points: Superior English gives 20 points (Proficient gives 10). For many people, those extra points make a real difference. 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 79 in the overlap of C1 (about 59 to 82) and C2 (about 76 to 90), and Pearson's concordance shows PTE 79 as about IELTS 8.0. At this level:

you understand fast, detailed speech, including implied opinions;
you read dense academic text quickly and accurately;
your writing is precise, well organised and almost error-free;
your speech is fluent and easy to understand from start to finish, with natural rhythm.

The gap from Proficient

For the new PTE, the jumps from Proficient to Superior are Speaking 76 → 88, Writing 69 → 85, and about 11 points each for Listening and Reading. At this level, you rarely gain by learning something new. You gain by removing every small loss: one hesitation, one misspelt word, one wrong click.

Where to focus: skill by skill

Speaking: near-perfect fluency

No restarts, no fillers. In Read Aloud, read the text silently first and plan your pauses at commas and full stops. In Repeat Sentence, repeat in meaningful chunks.
Natural rhythm. Stress the content words and link small words smoothly. Record and compare yourself with a fluent speaker using the speaking recorder.
Complete, organised content in Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion (it scores listening and speaking) and Describe Image: an overview, the key details, and a conclusion, spoken without hurry.
Respond to a Situation: sound like a real conversation. Clear purpose, polite tone, and a natural close.

Writing: precision

Write Essay: a nuanced position, well-developed paragraphs, accurate complex sentences and precise vocabulary (mitigate, a significant proportion, in the long term), with no repetition.
Summaries: complete main ideas, correct grammar in long sentences, exact word counts.
Proofread every response. At the top level, a missing article or a wrong word form can cost marks. Use the essay checker to find patterns in your errors.

Listening and Reading: accuracy

Write from Dictation: every word, every ending, every spelling.
Reading: Fill in the Blanks: academic collocations and word families (economy, economic, economical).
Highlight Incorrect Words and multiple-answer tasks: precision over speed; wrong clicks cost marks.

Common mistakes at the top level

Aiming for 79 in every skill on the new test, when Writing and Speaking need much more.
Speaking too fast to sound fluent. Clear and steady beats fast.
Overusing "advanced" words that don't fit. Precision matters more than difficulty.
Skipping the review. At 79+, the difference is in details you only find by checking every mock test answer.
Burning out. A tired brain makes careless errors. Plan rest days.

Try 6 questions at this level

Loading questions…

A 6-week plan

Week	Focus	What to do
1	Find every loss	A full mock test and a detailed review. Compare each skill with the Superior minimums using the score checker.
2	Speaking rhythm	30 minutes a day of Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence, recorded and compared.
3	Speaking content	Daily Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion, Describe Image and Respond to a Situation, recorded.
4	Writing precision	Four essays and six summaries, each proofread and checked for error patterns.
5	Accuracy drills	Daily Write from Dictation, Fill in the Blanks and Highlight Incorrect Words with a "no careless errors" rule.
6	Test conditions	Two full mock tests, a full review, and light practice in the last days before your test.

Build a schedule around your own test date with the study planner.

Not quite there yet?

If your skill scores are still in the 60s, the PTE 65 plan will get you there faster. For every test and level, see target scores for all English tests, and compare with IELTS band 8.

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

Historians have long debated whether major inventions are the work of individual geniuses or the inevitable result of their time. Supporters of the second view point out that several inventions, including the telephone, were developed by different people at almost the same moment. This, they argue, suggests that once the necessary knowledge and tools exist, an invention is likely to appear regardless of who creates it.

Text for question 9: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

Urban green spaces are often valued for their recreational use, but researchers increasingly highlight their environmental functions. Trees and parks can lower local temperatures during heatwaves, absorb rainwater that might otherwise cause flooding, and provide habitat for birds and insects. Their benefits, however, are not evenly distributed: wealthier neighbourhoods frequently have more green space than poorer ones, a pattern that some cities are now attempting to correct.

Answer key (10 answers)

#	Question	Answer	Why
1	Although the policy was intended to ___	mitigate	You 'mitigate' (reduce) negative effects; 'militate' means to act against. 'Underlying causes' is the standard collocation.
2	…of rising housing costs, critics argued that it failed to address the ___	underlying	You 'mitigate' (reduce) negative effects; 'militate' means to act against. 'Underlying causes' is the standard collocation.
3	The findings were considered ___	preliminary	Early, not yet final results are 'preliminary'. 'Draw conclusions' is the collocation, and the passive needs the past participle 'drawn'.
4	…Further research will be needed before any firm conclusions can be ___	drawn	Early, not yet final results are 'preliminary'. 'Draw conclusions' is the collocation, and the passive needs the past participle 'drawn'.
5	The rapid growth of renewable energy has been ___	attributed	Growth is 'attributed to' a cause; an adverb is needed after 'improve'; 'remain consistent' needs an adjective. 'Contributed' and 'consisted' are look-alike traps.
6	…Nevertheless, experts caution that storage technology must improve ___	substantially	Growth is 'attributed to' a cause; an adverb is needed after 'improve'; 'remain consistent' needs an adjective. 'Contributed' and 'consisted' are look-alike traps.
7	if supply is to remain ___	consistent	Growth is 'attributed to' a cause; an adverb is needed after 'improve'; 'remain consistent' needs an adjective. 'Contributed' and 'consisted' are look-alike traps.
8	What is the purpose of the example of the telephone?	To support the view that inventions reflect the conditions of their time	The telephone example (several people at almost the same moment) is given by supporters of the view that inventions are the result of their time.
9	According to the passage, which of the following are true?	Green spaces can help reduce local temperatures. · Access to green space is often unequal. · Green spaces provide habitat for wildlife.	A, C and E are stated. Green spaces absorb rainwater that might cause flooding (B is wrong), and only 'some cities are now attempting' to correct the pattern (D is wrong).
10	Reorder Paragraph	(1) The concept of a 'circular economy' challenges the tradition… → (2) Rather than discarding products at the end of their life, it… → (3) Achieving this, however, requires changes not only in how pr… → (4) Consequently, many governments are combining design standard…	The concept is introduced; 'Rather than' explains it; 'however' introduces the challenge; 'Consequently' gives the response.

Frequently asked questions

Is PTE 79 still Superior English?

Only for tests taken on or before 6 August 2025, where Superior English meant at least 79 in each skill. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, Home Affairs sets these minimums: Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85 and Speaking 88. Check the current Home Affairs page.

How many points does Superior English give?

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

Is Speaking 88 realistic?

It's a very high score on a scale that ends at 90, so it needs consistently fluent speech with clear, natural pronunciation in every speaking task. Some people reach it; many find it the hardest part. We never promise a score, so take a mock test and judge the gap from your own results.

What does PTE 79 equal in IELTS?

Pearson's concordance shows PTE 79 as about IELTS 8.0. Visa levels use their own tables for each test, so check the Home Affairs requirements rather than converting scores.

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