What IELTS or PTE score do you need for each country and type of programme?
The short answer
As a pattern: undergraduate study usually needs IELTS 6.0 to 6.5 overall with no component below 5.5 to 6.0; postgraduate study 6.5 to 7.0 with no component below 6.0 to 6.5; competitive programmes such as law, medicine, teaching and journalism 7.0 to 7.5; skilled migration to Australia and Canada scores on a scale where 6.0 in every component is the minimum and 7.0 or 8.0 in every component earns the points that make an application competitive; and healthcare registration needs 7.0 in every component (or OET grade B) almost everywhere. The number that trips candidates is the per-component minimum: an overall 7.0 with a 6.0 in writing fails a requirement of 7.0 in each component, and most regulators and immigration systems set the requirement per component.
What scores do universities require?
| Programme type | IELTS overall (min. component) | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation and pathway | 5.0 to 5.5 (5.0) | 36 to 42 | 35 to 46 |
| Undergraduate, most subjects | 6.0 to 6.5 (5.5 to 6.0) | 50 to 58 | 60 to 79 |
| Undergraduate, competitive or writing-heavy | 6.5 to 7.0 (6.0 to 6.5) | 58 to 65 | 79 to 94 |
| Postgraduate taught, most subjects | 6.5 (6.0) | 58 to 64 | 79 to 90 |
| Postgraduate, competitive: business, law, humanities | 7.0 (6.5) | 65 to 72 | 94 to 100 |
| Medicine, dentistry, teaching, journalism | 7.0 to 7.5 (7.0) | 65 to 76 | 100 to 110 |
| Research degrees | 6.5 to 7.0 (6.0 to 6.5) | 58 to 72 | 79 to 100 |
- The bracket in the table is the per-component minimum, and it is the number to prepare for. Universities reject an overall 6.5 with a 5.5 in writing where the requirement says 6.0 in each.
- Conditional offers are common: the university offers a place subject to reaching the score by a deadline, which is what makes the timeline matter.
- Pre-sessional English is an alternative at many UK and Australian universities for candidates half a band short: a paid course of several weeks that replaces the missing half band. The visa for it may still need a UKVI test.
What scores do immigration systems require, and how do points scale?
| Level | IELTS (each component) | PTE Academic (each) | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competent | 6.0 | 50 | The minimum to lodge most skilled visas. No points. |
| Proficient | 7.0 | 65 | Points towards the skilled points test. |
| Superior | 8.0 | 79 | Maximum English points; often the difference between an invitation and none. |
| CLB level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | Minimum for the Federal Skilled Worker stream. |
| CLB 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | The step at which language points rise sharply. |
| CLB 10 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | Maximum language points. |
- Points are awarded per component and the lowest component sets the level. An 8.0 in listening with a 6.5 in writing is scored at the writing level.
- UK work visas set a lower bar, typically B1 on the European scale (about IELTS 4.0 in each component) for the Skilled Worker route, but the sponsoring employer and any regulator may require far more.
- New Zealand skilled migration requires 6.5 overall on IELTS or equivalent for the principal applicant, with lower requirements for partners.
- These scales are revised. Immigration points tables change with policy; confirm on the department's own page for the year you apply.
What scores do professional regulators require?
| Profession and country | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors: UK (GMC) | IELTS Academic 7.5 overall, 7.0 each; or OET B in each. | Strict on components. Sittings cannot be combined for IELTS. |
| Nurses: UK (NMC) | IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, 7.0 each (6.5 writing accepted); or OET B (C+ writing accepted). | Two sittings within six months may be combined under NMC rules. |
| Doctors and nurses: Australia (AHPRA) | IELTS Academic 7.0 each; OET B each; PTE 65 each; TOEFL 94 overall with component minimums. | Combining across two sittings within six months is allowed under conditions. |
| Doctors: Ireland (Medical Council) | IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, 6.5 each; or OET B. | |
| Nurses: Ireland (NMBI) | IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, 6.5 each (7.0 speaking/listening as advertised); or OET B. | Check the current NMBI page; it has changed. |
| Doctors: USA (ECFMG) | OET Medicine B in each sub-test, or a recognised alternative on the ECFMG list. | In addition to the USMLE steps; see USMLE for Pakistani graduates. |
| Engineers: Australia (Engineers Australia) | IELTS 6.0 each; PTE 50 each; TOEFL 64 with component minimums. | For the skills assessment; the visa may require more for points. |
| Accountants, IT and other skills assessments | Typically IELTS 6.0 to 7.0 each depending on the assessing body. | Set by each assessing authority. |
Per component, and the current page
Every regulator above sets the requirement per component, and every one of them has changed a figure in the last few years. Treat this table as the shape of the requirement and the regulator's page as the number.
How do you plan for a per-component target?
Write the four component targets, not the overall
"7.0 in each" is four separate goals. Your weakest skill is the one that decides the application.
Sit a full timed mock and score each component
The gap in the weakest component is the preparation time. A component half a band short needs four to six weeks; a full band needs three months.
Put most hours into the weakest component
For most Pakistani candidates that is writing. The band descriptors show exactly what moves 6.0 to 7.0.
Check whether combining sittings is allowed
Some regulators let you combine the best components from two sittings within a period; most universities and immigration systems do not.
Book with the validity window in mind
Scores are valid two years from the test date, and the application date is what counts. See the English test to application timeline.
Which tests each country accepts in the first place, and which version, is in which English test does each country accept.