If you are taking PTE Academic for an Australian visa, the scores you need changed on 7 August 2025. The old rule that many students still repeat (65 in every skill for Proficient, 79 in every skill for Superior) only applies to tests taken on or before 6 August 2025. For any PTE Academic test taken from 7 August 2025, the Department of Home Affairs now sets a different minimum for each of the four skills.
This guide explains the new scores for Competent, Proficient and Superior English, what they mean for skilled visa points, and how to check where you stand before you book your test.
For PTE Academic tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, Home Affairs lists these minimum scores. You need to reach the minimum in each of the four skills, not just an overall score.
Pearson's published table also lists the two lower levels. Vocational English is Listening 33, Reading 36, Speaking 24 and Writing 29. Functional English now uses an overall score of 24 instead of a score in each skill.
For PTE Academic tests taken on or before 6 August 2025, the requirement was the same score in every skill:
If you sat your test before 7 August 2025, the old requirements still apply to that result, even if you lodge your application later. Pearson confirms this in its guidance on the change.
Comparing the two tables, Listening and Reading minimums went down at every level, while Writing and Speaking went up. Pearson says most requirements decreased, and that in its score concordance study of 1,522 participants, almost 90% would be placed in the same category or higher under the new requirements. In practice, Speaking and Writing are now the skills that decide most results.
For points-tested skilled visas such as the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), English is one of the biggest point factors:
The jump from Proficient to Superior is worth 10 extra points, which can make a real difference when invitation rounds are competitive. For points-tested skilled visas, Home Affairs requires the test to have been taken in the 3 years before your invitation date, so plan your test timing with that in mind.
Speaking has the highest minimum at Proficient and Superior. That means fluency and pronunciation in tasks like Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image and Retell Lecture carry more weight for visa purposes than before. A student who could previously reach 65 Proficient with a moderate Speaking score now needs 76.
Writing also went up. Essay and Summarize Written Text answers need clear structure, accurate grammar and good vocabulary range, and Writing scores are also fed by some integrated tasks in the test.
Listening and Reading now have lower minimums, but they are not free points. Many listening tasks also contribute to your Writing and Speaking scores, so weak listening can still pull down the skills that matter most.
You can start with a PTE mock test with AI scoring to see a skill-by-skill breakdown, then work on your weak areas with PTE practice questions and self-study. For targeted drills, see our PTE speaking practice and PTE writing practice pages. PTE Master mock tests give exam-style AI scores to guide your practice; they are not official Pearson results.
Visa requirements can change, and the score you need depends on your visa subclass and your own circumstances. Always confirm the current requirements on the Home Affairs pages for Competent English, Proficient English and Superior English, and read Pearson's article on the new DHA visa requirements for PTE Academic. For advice on your own case, speak to a registered migration agent.
Scores checked against Home Affairs and Pearson on 1 November 2026. Written by the PTE Master team.
