PTE Academic / UKVI
Prepare for PTE Academic and UKVI with 22 task types, section-aware practice, mock-test checkpoints, and official-source booking checks.
Full task coverage for Academic and UKVI learners, with practice status visible by task.
Prepare with the same task set, but confirm the route before booking because the UKVI version provides the reference needed for some UK visa applications.
| Feature | Use when | Typical routes | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| PTE Academic | Use whenYou need an English test for study or migration and the receiving body accepts PTE Academic. | Typical routesUniversity, college, Australia or New Zealand migration, and other accepting-body requirements. | What to checkInstitution score requirement, accepted test version, section minimums, and score validity. |
| PTE Academic UKVI | Use whenYour UK route requires a four-skills Secure English Language Test and names the UKVI version. | Typical routesUK Skilled Worker, Innovator Founder and Minister of Religion visas, and Student visas below degree level. | What to checkHome Office route, CEFR level per skill, SELT URN, ID rules, and booking product. |
One task set prepares you for both, because PTE Academic UKVI is the same test with a SELT URN.
Pearson says PTE Academic UKVI has the same test content, format and scoring as PTE Academic: the same 22 task types, the same 10 to 90 scale and about two hours in one sitting. EdKnot maps every one of those task types, so daily practice stays tied to the task families behind your score. The PTE exam pattern gives the timing.
UK visa levels are set per skill, so work to your lowest skill rather than the overall score: for B2, each of the four skills needs 59, and one strong skill cannot carry a weak one. Practise by task type each day, use a full mock as a checkpoint once task scores are stable, and choose the booking product last, by route.
Key points
B2 means 59 in every skill, which new Skilled Worker applicants need from 8 January 2026.
PTE Academic UKVI is a Home Office approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), taken at an approved centre. Gov.uk sets the level by route: Skilled Worker applicants need B2 from 8 January 2026, while someone who held the visa before that date and is extending it needs B1. Student visas need B1 below degree level and B2 at degree level.
If your route needs only speaking and listening, PTE Home is the separate pass or fail SELT. Pearson lists A1 for first-time family applications, such as partner and parent routes, and some work categories; A2 for family visa extensions; and B1 for settlement or citizenship. The PTE for UK visas page maps each route to its test.
Key points
These are the route facts learners usually need before choosing practice, mock tests, or booking timing.
Pearson says the test takes about 2 hours at a test centre and covers all four communicative skills.
PTE Academic / UKVI question types span speaking, writing, reading, and listening; Academic and UKVI use identical test content.
Official reports use an overall score and individual skill scores for listening, reading, speaking, and writing.
Academic and Academic UKVI cost the same: £230 in the UK, ₹18,900 in India (Pearson pricing service, checked 21 Oct 2026).
Do these checks before you pay so preparation time is aligned to the right score target.
The test itself is identical in content, format and scoring, and costs the same. PTE Academic UKVI is taken at a Home Office approved SELT centre, never at home, and the score report carries a SELT Unique Reference Number (URN), which you quote on the UK visa application.
From 8 January 2026, new Skilled Worker applicants need CEFR B2, which on PTE Academic UKVI means 59 in each skill. If you held the visa before that date and are extending or updating it, B1 (43 per skill) still applies. Student visas need B1 below degree level and B2 at degree level.
PTE Home is a pass or fail speaking and listening SELT offered at A1, A2 and B1. A1 covers first-time family applications, such as partner and parent routes, and some work categories; A2 covers family visa extensions; and B1 covers settlement and citizenship. PTE Academic UKVI, by contrast, assesses all four skills.
