Reviewed by the finduni team · Last verified 15 September 2026 · Sources: Pearson: PTE Academic and IELTS concordance study, Home Affairs: Student visa (subclass 500), GOV.UK: Student visa, knowledge of English, GOV.UK: Secure English Language Tests, Home Affairs: English language requirements, IDP Nepal: IELTS on paper, IDP Nepal: IELTS Writing on Paper
What changed in this update: The conversion tables now follow only Pearson's current concordance, and the older table's figures are gone. The visa rows now use the Home Affairs minimums and the UK English level, and fixed IELTS result times were removed.
PTE to IELTS Overall Score Conversion (July 2025 concordance)
Pearson publishes an official concordance study linking PTE Academic scores to IELTS Academic bands. The July 2025 study replaced the earlier table and, for the first time, gives separate values for each skill. The overall concordance is below. Some universities still publish PTE figures taken from the older table, so check the PTE figure on your university's own page.
| IELTS Academic Band | PTE Academic Overall (Pearson, July 2025) |
|---|---|
| 9.0 | 90 |
| 8.5 | 86-89 |
| 8.0 | 79-85 |
| 7.5 | 71-78 |
| 7.0 | 63-70 |
| 6.5 | 55-62 |
| 6.0 | 47-54 |
| 5.5 | 39-46 |
| 5.0 | 31-38 |
| 4.5 | 24-30 |
Pearson's own guidance is that its sample is most robust in the middle of the table, so the middle bands are the most reliable part. A concordance is an approximate relationship between two different tests, and the university or visa office you apply to sets its own required score. When your score sits within one or two points of a band edge, check the exact requirement on the institution's page rather than relying on any conversion chart, including this one.
Source: Pearson, Establishing score concordance between the enhanced PTE Academic and IELTS Academic, July 2025, Table 8.
Common PTE Score Lookups
These are the most searched PTE to IELTS conversions from Nepali students, taken from the table above so they always agree with it:
| PTE Academic Score | IELTS Band (July 2025 concordance) |
|---|---|
| 30 | 4.5 |
| 36 | 5.0 |
| 42 | 5.5 |
| 43 | 5.5 |
| 47 | 6.0 |
| 50 | 6.0 |
| 55 | 6.5 |
| 58 | 6.5 |
| 63 | 7.0 |
| 64 | 7.0 |
| 67 | 7.0 |
| 71 | 7.5 |
| 79 | 8.0 |
| 83 | 8.0 |
| 86 | 8.5 |
| 90 | 9.0 |
Universities may set their own minimum scores, and some still publish PTE requirements taken from the older table. Always confirm with your institution.
Section-by-Section Score Conversion
Universities and visa authorities often require minimum scores in individual skills (Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing), not just overall. The 2025 study is the first to publish a concordance per skill, and the ranges differ noticeably from the overall column: PTE Speaking scores run high relative to IELTS Speaking bands, while PTE Listening and Reading run lower. Do not apply the overall conversion to a single skill.
| IELTS Band | PTE Listening | PTE Reading | PTE Speaking | PTE Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 81-90 | 81-90 | - | - |
| 8.5 | 75-80 | 75-80 | 90 | 90 |
| 8.0 | 69-74 | 70-74 | 88-89 | 85-89 |
| 7.5 | 64-68 | 65-69 | 83-87 | 77-84 |
| 7.0 | 58-63 | 59-64 | 76-82 | 69-76 |
| 6.5 | 53-57 | 54-58 | 66-75 | 60-68 |
| 6.0 | 47-52 | 48-53 | 54-65 | 51-59 |
| 5.5 | 40-46 | 42-47 | 39-53 | 41-50 |
| 5.0 | 33-39 | 36-41 | 24-38 | 29-40 |
| 4.5 | 26-32 | 29-35 | 14-23 | 17-28 |
A dash means Pearson's sample had too few test takers at that level to publish a range. Source: Pearson, July 2025 concordance study, Table 8.
PTE vs IELTS: Which Score is Easier to Achieve?
| Factor | PTE Academic | IELTS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Scored by | AI (fully automated) | Human examiners (Speaking & Writing) |
| Results | 2 to 5 days | IDP publishes result timing for each format when you book |
| Speaking | Recorded, AI-scored | Face-to-face with examiner |
| Writing | Summarise written text and essay | Describe a graph or chart, then an essay |
| Retake | Rebook as soon as a slot is open | No official waiting period |
| Score validity | 2 years | 2 years |
| Price in Nepal (finduni.ai) | NPR 33,000 | NPR 35,000 |
University Score Requirements: PTE vs IELTS Side by Side
Universities publish their own PTE minimum next to their IELTS requirement, and many have not yet moved their published PTE figure to the July 2025 concordance, so the PTE figure a university writes next to IELTS 6.5 may sit outside Pearson's current range of PTE 55-62. The figures below are what these institutions commonly publish; the university's own admissions page is authoritative.
| University | IELTS Requirement | Commonly published PTE equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| University of Melbourne | 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0 | 58 overall, no section below 50 |
| University of Sydney | 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0 | 58 overall, no section below 50 |
| UNSW | 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0 | 58 overall, no section below 50 |
| Monash University | 6.0 overall, no band below 6.0 | 50 overall, no section below 50 |
| RMIT University | 6.0 overall, no band below 5.5 | 50 overall, no section below 42 |
| University of Leeds | 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0 | 58 overall, no section below 50 |
| University of Manchester | 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0 | 58 overall, no section below 50 |
| Coventry University | 6.0 overall, no band below 5.5 | 50 overall, no section below 42 |
| University of East London | 6.0 overall, no band below 5.5 | 51 overall |
Visa Score Requirements: PTE vs IELTS
Visa authorities publish their own PTE figures and these do not always match Pearson's concordance either. Use the visa office's number, not a conversion.
| Visa | IELTS Minimum | PTE Minimum (as published by the visa authority) | Duolingo Accepted? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Subclass 500 (tests taken on or after 7 August 2025) | IELTS Academic 6.0 (5.5 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or a Foundation or eligible Pathway program; 5.0 with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS) | PTE Academic 47 (39 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or a Foundation or eligible Pathway program; 31 with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS) | No |
| UK Student Route (degree level, CEFR B2) | IELTS for UKVI at CEFR B2; the SELT provider sets the score that meets it | PTE Academic UKVI at CEFR B2; the SELT provider sets the score that meets it | Not a SELT (see below) |
| UK Student Route (below degree, CEFR B1) | IELTS for UKVI at CEFR B1; the SELT provider sets the score that meets it | PTE Academic UKVI at CEFR B1; the SELT provider sets the score that meets it | No |
For degree-level study, your university (a Higher Education Provider) can assess your English itself, at a level equivalent to CEFR B2. The Duolingo English Test is not accepted for the Australian Student visa (subclass 500). The Duolingo English Test is not a UK-approved Secure English Language Test (SELT). Some UK universities accept it for admission to degree-level study, where the university assesses your English itself at CEFR B2. That is each university's decision.
Sources: Home Affairs, Student visa (subclass 500); GOV.UK, Student visa knowledge of English.
Should Nepali Students Choose PTE or IELTS?
Both tests are accepted by Australian and UK universities and visa authorities (for the UK Student visa, in their UKVI versions). The right choice depends on your individual strengths:
- Choose PTE if: You are nervous about speaking face-to-face with an examiner, you type quickly, you want results in a few days, or you find the AI-scored format more predictable.
- Choose IELTS if: You prefer handwriting to typing (IDP offers IELTS on Computer with a Writing on Paper option), you are comfortable speaking to a human examiner, or your preparation materials are already IELTS-focused.
- Consider availability: IELTS through finduni.ai is booked in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and Biratnagar; PTE in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Itahari and Tilottama (Butwal). Current prices for both are on the IELTS price guide and on the booking page, fetched live.
- Ask Tankey: Our AI counselor can assess your profile and recommend whether PTE or IELTS is better suited to your situation and target university.
Book IELTS or PTE through finduni.ai
Through finduni.ai, IELTS Academic (computer-delivered) is NPR 35,000, NPR 1,000 below the official NPR 36,000, and PTE Academic is NPR 33,000, NPR 3,500 below the official NPR 36,500. Prices come live from our booking system. Select your test, choose a date and city, and receive confirmation on WhatsApp within 4 hours.