Fees, booking & eligibility
Plan PTE Core booking: how registration works, what the test costs, rescheduling windows, when Core results are available, and who is eligible to take it.
The numbers that decide when to book. Fees are Pearson’s listed prices on 21 October 2026, and PTE Core costs the same as PTE Academic in every country Pearson lists.
| Item | PTE Core | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Test fee, Canada | PTE CoreC$360Same as PTE Academic. | NotesPearson pricing service, checked 21 Oct 2026; any tax appears at checkout. |
| Test fee, India | PTE Core₹18,900Same as PTE Academic. | NotesPearson pricing service, checked 21 Oct 2026; any tax appears at checkout. |
| Booking window | PTE CoreUp to 6 months ahead, one booking at a time | NotesA new test can be booked only after the previous result is released. |
| Results | PTE CoreTypically 2 business daysPearson aims for 5 business days at most. | NotesIRCC reads the score through the Score Report Code on your application or a myPTE send. |
| Validity | PTE Core2 yearsFrom the test date. | NotesExpress Entry: under 2 years old at profile and at PR application. Citizenship accepts expired results. |
| Reschedule | PTE CoreFree more than 14 days outUp to 6 reschedules per appointment. | NotesInside 14 days you cannot reschedule; cancel and rebook instead. |
| Cancellation refund | PTE CoreFull refund more than 14 days out50% from 14 days to just over 7; none at 7 days or less. | NotesCounted back from the appointment start time. |
PTE Core costs the same as PTE Academic: C$360 in Canada and ₹18,900 in India.
You book PTE Core in your myPTE account: choose a test centre, date and time, then pay the full fee in the currency Pearson sets for that country. Pearson’s pricing service, checked 21 October 2026, lists PTE Core at exactly the PTE Academic price in every country it covers, and any local tax appears at checkout.
Pay with a credit or debit card, Google Pay or Apple Pay, or PayU in India; Pearson does not accept PayPal. Pearson’s handbook says your name, date of birth, citizenship and gender must match the booking exactly, so enter them from your passport. The PTE fees page lists every country and PTE Home prices.
Key points
Most PTE Core results arrive within two business days, but plan for up to five.
Pearson’s Core handbook says scores are typically ready within 48 hours and that Pearson aims to release them within five business days; a result flagged for extra review can take longer. Book with enough room before an Express Entry or permanent residence deadline that a slow result, or a retake, still fits.
IRCC reads your score through the Score Report Code (SRC) you enter on the application, or through a send from myPTE, and the Core score report carries an IRCC reference number. Sends are free, up to seven recipients at a time, and Pearson says a receiver may need about 48 hours to see a sent score.
Key points
PTE Core is for IRCC immigration and citizenship, not Canadian university admission.
Pearson sets no prerequisite for PTE Core other than an approved Parental Consent Form for anyone under 18; whether the score counts is up to the receiving route. IRCC accepts PTE Core, not PTE Academic, for Express Entry, the post-graduation work permit and citizenship, and Pearson says Core is accepted for all economic programmes that need an IRCC-approved English test.
For citizenship, IRCC asks applicants aged 18 to 54 for Listening 28 and Speaking 42 on PTE Core, and accepts the results even after they expire. Canadian universities and colleges ask for PTE Academic instead, so a PTE Academic score cannot be reused for permanent residence. PTE for Canada has the CLB level each programme needs.
Key points
Bring your original passport; in Canada a permanent resident card is also accepted for PTE Core.
Pearson requires an original, unexpired passport issued within the last 10 years. Photocopies, certified copies and digital IDs are refused, and the photo must look like you do now. Pearson’s identification policy adds one alternative for this test: a Canadian permanent resident card, accepted for PTE Core taken in Canada.
Test takers under 18 need a Parental Consent Form completed by a parent or guardian; once approved, it covers every test until the 18th birthday. Accommodations must be requested before you book, not after: Pearson’s Core handbook makes the request the first step, so allow time for a reply before you commit to a deadline.
Key points
A Core booking plan starts with the route requirement, not just a test date.
PTE Core costs C$360 in Canada and ₹18,900 in India, the same as PTE Academic (Pearson pricing service, checked 21 October 2026); any tax appears at checkout. You book in myPTE up to six months ahead, one booking at a time, and a new test only after the previous result arrives.
Most PTE Core results arrive within two business days, and Pearson aims to release them within five. Scores are valid for 2 years; Express Entry needs them under 2 years old at profile and at application, while citizenship applications accept expired results.
Rescheduling is free only with more than 14 full days left before the test start time, up to six times per appointment; inside 14 days you cancel and book again. Cancelling more than 14 days out returns the full fee, from 14 days to just over 7 returns 50%, and 7 days or less returns nothing. You can take up to 12 tests in any 12-month window; more needs Pearson’s exception form.
