PTE Score Requirements for Australia & the UK in 2026 (Including the New UK B2 Rule)

Picking a target score is half the battle. Aim too low and your result is useless; aim blindly high and you burn months you didn't need to. Here's where the bar actually sits for Australia and the UK in 2026, corrected for a change that most guides online still miss.

Australia recalibrated every PTE score band on 7 August 2025, the same date Pearson refreshed the exam itself. If you've seen "Superior English needs PTE 79," that was the requirement for the old test. The current test uses different, per skill minimums. Verified directly against the Department of Home Affairs on 14 August 2026.

How PTE maps to CEFR

Most visa rules are written in CEFR levels (A1 up to C2), not PTE numbers, so the first job is translation. Approximate PTE Academic bands:

• B1 ≈ PTE 43-58
• B2 ≈ PTE 59-75
• C1 ≈ PTE 76-84
• C2 ≈ PTE 85+

These are approximate boundaries, treat them as planning targets, then confirm the exact number your visa stream names. Our PTE score converter covers CEFR, IELTS and TOEFL against any PTE score if you need the exact figure.

Australia: the three English bands, corrected for 2026

Australia's General Skilled Migration points test reads PTE Academic in three tiers, and Home Affairs updated the score for every tier on 7 August 2025, not just Superior. The old flat numbers (50, 65, 79 in each skill) are still valid as evidence for a test sat on or before 6 August 2025, for up to three years, but you cannot sit that version of the test anymore. Every test available today is measured against the table below.

• Competent English - at least Listening 47, Reading 48, Writing 51, Speaking 54. Usually the minimum to be eligible, 0 points.
• Proficient English - at least Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 69, Speaking 76. Worth 10 points.
• Superior English - at least Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85, Speaking 88. Worth 20 points.

For points-tested visas those 10 or 20 points are often the difference between an invitation and silence, so most serious applicants aim for Proficient or Superior rather than the bare minimum. Notice that Writing and Speaking now need a higher score than the old flat 79 or 65 did, while Listening and Reading need less, so a prep plan built around the old numbers has the wrong priorities. Our full Superior English breakdown covers why the gap is so uneven and what to practise first, and the PTE for Australia page tracks the current points table.

The UK: B1 became B2 in January 2026

This is the other major 2026 change. On 8 January 2026, the English requirement for the UK Skilled Worker route moved up from B1 to B2. In PTE terms, that's a jump from roughly 43-58 up to 59-75 across each skill.

What it means in practice:

• The old "just clear B1" plan no longer works for Skilled Worker, you now need a genuine B2.
• For the UK you sit PTE Academic UKVI, the Secure English Language Test (SELT) version, at an approved test centre. A standard PTE Academic booking won't satisfy a UK visa.
• If you tested before the change at B1, check whether your route and timing still qualify, don't assume an old result carries over.

If you're UK-bound in 2026, plan for B2 (PTE ~59-75 each skill) from day one. Preparing to the old B1 bar is the most common avoidable mistake we see. The PTE for the UK page tracks the current Skilled Worker and study thresholds.

A sensible target by goal

• Australia, want the points - aim for Superior (Listening 69 / Reading 70 / Writing 85 / Speaking 88); settle for Proficient (58 / 59 / 69 / 76) if Superior is out of reach.
• Australia, just need eligibility - Competent (47 / 48 / 51 / 54), but build a buffer above the line.
• UK Skilled Worker (2026) - B2 (≈59-75) on PTE Academic UKVI.
• University - whatever the course states, commonly 58 to 79 depending on the program.

Always verify before you book

Visa English rules move, the UK's own B1 to B2 shift and Australia's full score recalibration are both proof. Numbers in any guide, including this one, are planning aids, not gospel. Confirm the live requirement on the Department of Home Affairs (Australia) or UK Home Office / UKVI pages, and make sure you're booking the right PTE product (UKVI for the UK).

Practise PTE Academic on KoorooPTE, which tracks each skill separately against these bands, so you know exactly how far you are from Competent, Proficient, Superior, or a UK B2.