PTE Academic Scoring Process and Mechanism
The PTE Academic exam is scored using the Global Scale of English, a granular scale ranging from 10–90. This provides a precise assessment of your English proficiency. The overall score reflects your performance across all test sections, with individual scores for communicative and enabling skills. For more on the Global Scale of English, visit this link.
Pearson PTE employs an AI-based automated scoring system, refined with data from over 10,000 test-takers across 120+ native languages. This system ensures consistency, with a standard error of measurement comparable to or better than human raters. Learn more in Pearson’s PTE Scoring White Paper.
Latest PTE Academic Exam Format (Updated November 2021)
Since November 2021, the PTE Academic exam has been shortened to a 2-hour test (previously 3 hours) to enhance efficiency while maintaining accuracy. The test still assesses four core skills—Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing—through 20 question types, but with fewer questions overall. This change ensures a streamlined experience without compromising the test’s reliability.
Understanding the PTE Score Report
The PTE Academic Score Report provides a comprehensive overview of your English proficiency, including an overall score and sub-scores for individual skills.
The score report includes:
- Overall Score (10–90): Reflects your overall English proficiency, not an average of communicative skills.
- Communicative Skills Scores: Individual scores for Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing.
- Enabling Skills Scores: Scores for grammar, oral fluency, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, and written discourse.
PTE Score Comparison with IELTS and TOEFL
Concordance tables align PTE Academic scores with IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT, helping you understand equivalent proficiency levels across these tests.
PTE Score Comparison with IELTS (Updated 2023)
In 2023, Pearson released an updated concordance study aligning PTE Academic scores with IELTS Academic bands, reflecting the latest test data. The PTE scoring system remains unchanged.
|
PTE Academic Score |
IELTS Bands |
|
10-29 |
No Data |
|
30-40 |
5.0 |
|
41-50 |
5.5 |
|
51-61 |
6.0 |
|
62-72 |
6.5 |
|
73-81 |
7.0 |
|
82-87 |
7.5 |
|
88-89 |
8.0 |
|
90 |
8.5 |
|
N/A |
9.0 |
PTE Academic Score Comparison with TOEFL iBT
TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language) measures English proficiency for non-native speakers, widely accepted for university admissions. The updated concordance table below aligns PTE Academic scores with TOEFL iBT scores.
The image below illustrates the comparison between PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT scores.
For a detailed comparison, view Pearson’s full concordance report.
Easily convert your scores using the PTE to IELTS Score Converter or PTE to TOEFL Score Converter on the PTE Guide App.
PTE Score Validity Period
PTE Academic scores are valid for two years from the test date. Some institutions may accept scores beyond this period for specific purposes—check with your target institution.For a comprehensive guide, download the PTE Score Guide.
Have questions about PTE scoring or the updated exam? Share them in the comments below.
Prepare with the PTE Guide App
The PTE Guide App offers a complete preparation solution, covering exam structure, scoring, booking, and practice tips for the updated 2-hour PTE Academic test.Thank you for reading! Share this updated PTE guide with friends on social media, WhatsApp, or Telegram.
