Australia does not ask for an overall any more. Each level is four minimum scores, one per skill, and the test date decides which table applies.
Glossary term
Competent, Proficient and Superior English
Functional, Vocational, Competent, Proficient and Superior English are the five levels the Department of Home Affairs uses in Australian visa requirements. For PTE Academic tests taken from 7 August 2025 each level is a set of per-skill minimums with no overall requirement; tests taken before that date are read on the older single-score scale.
Not on the report. Home Affairs reads your four PTE Academic skill scores against its table for the level your visa needs. Results are accepted for three years for visa purposes.
What changed on 7 August 2025
Until August 2025 each level was one number applied to every skill: 50 for Competent, 65 for Proficient, 79 for Superior. The updated requirements, which Home Affairs published and Pearson reproduced, replace that with per-skill minimums that are uneven: Speaking and Writing thresholds are high and Listening and Reading are low. Superior now needs Speaking 88 and Writing 85 but only Listening 69 and Reading 70.
The test date governs. A test taken on or before 6 August 2025 is read on the old table and stays usable for visa purposes until 6 August 2028. A test taken on or after 7 August 2025 is read on the new table.
Which level which visa needs
Competent English is the baseline for most skilled visas. Proficient and Superior earn additional points in the points test for skilled migration, and Superior is the level for the maximum language points. Vocational and Functional apply to particular streams and to secondary applicants. Some professional registration bodies set their own scores separately from the visa.
Because Speaking and Writing carry the highest thresholds, Australian preparation is heavily weighted to the speaking tasks and the essay. A learner with a 79 overall and Speaking 82 does not meet Superior on the new table.
The numbers that matter
| Superior (from 7 Aug 2025) | Listening 69, Reading 70, Speaking 88, Writing 85 |
|---|---|
| Proficient (from 7 Aug 2025) | Listening 58, Reading 59, Speaking 76, Writing 69 |
| Competent (from 7 Aug 2025) | Listening 47, Reading 48, Speaking 54, Writing 51 |
| Vocational (from 7 Aug 2025) | Listening 33, Reading 36, Speaking 24, Writing 29 |
| Functional (from 7 Aug 2025) | Overall 24 |
| Tests taken up to 6 Aug 2025 | 30 / 36 / 50 / 65 / 79 in each skill; usable until 6 August 2028 |
Worked example
Listening 80, Reading 79, Speaking 81, Writing 79. Under the old rule, 79 in every skill, this is Superior. For a test taken from 7 August 2025 it is Proficient: Speaking is seven points short of 88 and Writing six short of 85, while Listening and Reading are far above their thresholds.
What it shows: Under the new table, the Speaking and Writing scores are the ones to plan around.
Frequently asked questions
What PTE score is Superior English for Australia?
For tests taken from 7 August 2025: Listening 69, Reading 70, Speaking 88 and Writing 85, with no overall requirement. For tests taken up to 6 August 2025: 79 in each of the four skills, usable until 6 August 2028.
What PTE score is Competent English?
For tests from 7 August 2025: Listening 47, Reading 48, Speaking 54 and Writing 51. Earlier tests use 50 in every skill.
Does Australia accept PTE Core or IELTS One Skill Retake?
PTE Core is not accepted for Australian visas; PTE Academic is. IELTS One Skill Retake results are accepted by the Department of Home Affairs for eligible visas; each visa page states whether it applies.
More PTE terms
AI ScoringAppropriacyCEFRCLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks)Concordance (PTE to IELTS)ContentDevelopment, Structure and CoherenceEmail ConventionsEnhanced PTE Academic (August 2025)Erasable NoteboardExpress EntryFormGeneral Linguistic RangeGrammarGSE (Global Scale of English)Human ReviewIntegrated TaskMock TestmyPTENegative MarkingOral FluencyPartial CreditPersonal IntroductionPronunciationPTE CorePTE HomeReschedule and Cancellation PolicyRescoreScore Report CodeScore ValidityScoring TraitsSELT (Secure English Language Test)Sending ScoresShared Clock (Reading and Listening)Skills ProfileSpellingThree-Second Silence RuleUKVIURN (Unique Reference Number)Vocabulary