Acceptance
How university acceptance of PTE works, the published minimums at major universities in Australia, Canada and the UK, and how to read a requirement written in IELTS or CEFR terms.
Institution-wide minimums where the university publishes one; “course-level” where each course sets its own. Checked September 2026 on the university pages; confirm on the course page before booking.
| University | PTE Academic requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| University of Queensland | PTE Academic requirement64 overall, 60 in each skillMinimum for admission to UQ programmes. | NotesSome programmes set higher requirements on their programme page. Accepts PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI. |
| UNSW Sydney | PTE Academic requirementUndergraduate 64 overall, 54 each; postgraduate 65 overall, 54 eachStandard requirement. | NotesBusiness, Law, Medicine and Health, and Science list higher thresholds by programme. |
| University of Melbourne | PTE Academic requirementCourse-levelEach course publishes its own PTE score. | NotesSome courses ask for 65 overall with 65 in each skill; check the course entry requirements. |
| University of Sydney | PTE Academic requirementCourse-levelConverted from each course’s IELTS requirement through the university’s concordance table. | NotesSome health programmes ask for 72 overall with 72 in each skill. |
Three things decide whether a PTE score works for a university: which test, which version, and which number. Almost every university accepts PTE Academic; PTE Core is the Canadian immigration test and is not usually on an admissions list. In the UK the version matters as well as the score: a Student visa needs a Secure English Language Test, so international students usually sit PTE Academic UKVI, and the university then applies its own academic minimum, which is often above the visa floor. The number is set by the institution, and frequently by the course: an engineering degree and a nursing degree at the same university can ask for different scores. The tables above give the figure the university publishes institution-wide where there is one. Where a university sets requirements course by course, the row says so, and the course page is the source.
Universities set requirements on the overall score and usually on each communicative skill as well, and the per-skill floor is where most applications fall short. A 66 overall with Writing at 58 does not meet a 65-with-60-each requirement. Requirements written in IELTS terms convert through Pearson’s July 2025 concordance: IELTS 6.5 corresponds to PTE 55–62 and 7.0 to 63–70, and the bottom of the range is the safe reading unless the university publishes its own PTE figure. Scores are valid for two years from the test date for most institutions, and some apply the two years to the start of the course rather than the application. Plan the test date so the score is valid at the last stage that checks it, including any visa lodgement.
Institutions receive PTE results through an official send from myPTE, which is free and unlimited, and verify them through Pearson; emailed copies are not accepted as official. Some ask for the score report code as well when you upload a copy to an application portal. Send as soon as the report is published, and allow about 48 hours for the institution to see it. If your target course asks for more than a mock currently shows, the 65 plan and 79 plan set out the order of work for the two most common university thresholds, and the score calculator converts a mock into the IELTS and CEFR terms many admissions pages use.
PTE Academic for study; PTE Core is the IRCC immigration test and is not what universities read. Checked September 2026.
| University | PTE Academic requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| University of Toronto | PTE Academic requirement65 overall, no part below 60Undergraduate admission. | NotesScores must be from a single sitting; PTE Academic UKVI sittings accepted. |
| McGill University | PTE Academic requirement65 overall, 60 in each componentUndergraduate admission. | NotesPTE is not accepted for McGill graduate programmes. |
| University of British Columbia | PTE Academic requirementGraduate (Vancouver): 65 overall, 60 in each skillSingle sitting. | NotesUndergraduate requirement is on the admissions page; individual graduate programmes may set higher scores. |
For a Student visa the university must see CEFR B2 as a minimum, and academic requirements are usually higher and set per course. Checked September 2026.
| University | PTE Academic UKVI requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| University of Manchester | PTE Academic UKVI requirementVisa floor: 59 overall, 59 in each componentFor Student visa purposes. | NotesAcademic entry requirements vary by course and can be above B2; check the course profile. |
| UCL | PTE Academic UKVI requirementGraduate levels: 75/67 (Level 1) up to 88/80 (Level 5)Overall / minimum in each communicative skill. | NotesLevel 2: 76/75; Level 3: 76/76; Level 4: 80/76. Each programme states its level. |
Most universities in Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, the US and Europe accept PTE Academic. Each publishes its own minimum, often per course. The tables on this page give institution-wide figures where they exist and say “course-level” where they do not.
Rarely. PTE Core is the test IRCC accepts for Canadian immigration and citizenship; universities generally list PTE Academic. Check the admissions page, and assume Academic unless Core is named.
Sixty-five overall with a per-skill floor around 58 to 60 is the most common requirement at major universities in Australia and Canada. Competitive postgraduate programmes and UK research universities often ask for 70 to 79 with higher per-skill minimums.
For a UK Student visa the university must see CEFR B2 through a Secure English Language Test, which for Pearson is PTE Academic UKVI. The university’s academic requirement is usually above the visa floor and set per course.
Yes, on the university’s own page or the course page. Requirements change, and the figures here were read in September 2026; the course page is the source that applies to your application.
