How long do PTE results take?
Typically within 48 hours of the test, and never later than five business days. You receive an email when the report is ready in myPTE.
After the test
PTE results: timing, sending and rescoring
When PTE results arrive, how to check and send them, what every line of the score report means, how long the score is valid, and what to do if a result looks wrong.
PTE results: the timeline
What happens after you leave the test centre, in order, with the rule that applies at each step.
| Step | When | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Score report published | WhenTypically within 48 hoursNever later than 5 business days. | What to knowAn email tells you the report is ready in myPTE. There is no paper report. |
| Sending scores | WhenFrom publicationFree and unlimited. | What to knowChoose the institution in myPTE. Recipients verify through Pearson; screenshots and emailed PDFs are not official. |
| Institution can see the report | WhenAbout 48 hours after a send | What to knowAllow for this in application deadlines. |
| Rescore window | When14 calendar daysFrom the score being made available. | What to knowUS$160, by phone, whole test, once per registration; refunded if any score changes. |
| Booking the next test | WhenAfter the previous result is released | What to knowOne booking at a time; up to 12 tests in any 12-month window. |
| Validity | When2 years from the test dateFor most institutions and IRCC. | What to knowAustralian visas: achieved in the 3 years before application, depending on the subclass. Canadian citizenship: never expires. |
How to check your result
Sign in to myPTE. The score report appears under your results once it is published, usually within two days and never later than five business days; you also receive an email. The report shows the overall score, the four communicative skills, a Skills Breakdown chart, your identifiers and the test date. The Skills Profile sits alongside it, visible to you alone. If the result is later than five business days, contact Pearson customer support with your registration details. Delays are rare and usually involve an identity or integrity check rather than scoring.
- Results in myPTE, usually within 48 hours
- Email notification when the report is ready
- Skills Profile is private to you
How to send and verify a result
Institutions verify PTE results through Pearson, which is why an official send from myPTE is the standard route: pick the recipient, confirm, and the report reaches them through Pearson’s system in about 48 hours. Sends are free and unlimited, and each test has its own report, so you choose which result to send. Where an institution asks you to upload a copy instead, it verifies the copy using the score report code on the report. UK visa applications from a UKVI test use the URN printed on that report. IRCC receives PTE Core results through the official sharing process for immigration applications.
- Official send from myPTE: free, unlimited, verified
- Uploaded copies are checked by score report code
- UK visas quote the URN; IRCC uses the official share
If the result is wrong: rescore or re-sit
A rescore is a paid human re-marking of the whole test, requested by phone within 14 calendar days of the result. It costs US$160, can be requested once per registration and only for your most recent test, and the fee is refunded if any overall or communicative-skill score changes. Scores can move down as well as up, and because the long tasks already had a human review of Content before the result was issued, changes are uncommon. A rescore is for a result that is clearly anomalous against your practice record. For a near miss, a re-sit is usually the better use of the money: results arrive within days, a new booking can be made as soon as the previous result is out, and the next attempt has fresh items.
- US$160, 14 days, by phone, whole test
- Refunded only if a score changes; scores can fall
- Near miss: re-sit; anomaly: rescore
What is on the score report
| Item | What it is | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | What it isOne 10–90 number computed from every scored item; not the average of the four skills | Who uses itInstitutions that set an overall requirement |
| Communicative skills | What it isListening, Reading, Speaking and Writing, each 10–90 | Who uses itPer-skill minimums; IRCC and Home Affairs read these, not the overall |
| Score report code | What it isThe identifier institutions verify against Pearson’s records | Who uses itInstitutions checking an uploaded copy |
| URN | What it isUnique Reference Number, issued only with UKVI test reports | Who uses itUK Home Office, on the visa application |
| Skills Profile | What it isPrivate feedback that replaced enabling skills in November 2021 | Who uses itYou only; never shared with institutions |
| Personal Introduction recording | What it isThe unscored 30-second introduction | Who uses itSent with the report to institutions; no score attached |
Related
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my PTE score?
Sign in to myPTE and open your results. The report shows the overall score and the four communicative skills; the private Skills Profile is alongside it.
How do I send my PTE score to a university?
Send it from myPTE to the institution, free of charge and as many times as you need. The institution verifies the report through Pearson and can see it about 48 hours after the send. Copies and screenshots are not official.
How long is a PTE score valid?
Two years from the test date for most institutions and for IRCC immigration applications. Australian visa authorities require the score to have been achieved in the three years before the application, depending on the subclass, and Canadian citizenship results never expire.
Can I get my PTE test re-marked?
You can request a rescore within 14 calendar days for US$160, by phone. A human expert re-marks the whole test; the fee is refunded if any score changes, and scores can go down as well as up.
Why is my overall score different from the average of my four skills?
The overall score is computed from every scored item, including integrated items that feed two skills, so it is not the average of the four skill scores. Institutions and visa authorities set requirements on the overall, the skills, or both.