Is PTE easier than IELTS?

The level required is aligned, so neither is easier in general. PTE is easier for clear, fast speakers who are comfortable with computers and want a quick result; IELTS is easier for candidates who do better with a human examiner or whose accent is strong. Sit a free sample of each and compare.

Is PTE accepted for Canada immigration?

Yes, PTE Core has been accepted for Canadian immigration programmes including Express Entry since 2023. PTE Academic is for study permits and universities, not for immigration. IELTS General Training remains accepted for immigration.

Is PTE accepted for UK visas?

Yes, PTE Academic UKVI taken at an approved centre is on the Home Office list, as is IELTS for UKVI. The standard versions of either test are accepted by most universities but not for the visa application itself in most categories.

What PTE score is equal to IELTS 7?

Approximately 65 to 72 on PTE Academic, depending on the institution's concordance. IELTS 6.5 corresponds to roughly 58 to 64 and IELTS 8.0 to roughly 79 to 82.

Do universities accept PTE?

The large majority of universities in Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, the US and Europe accept PTE Academic. A few programmes and some professional regulators list only IELTS; check the specific programme page.

Language testsUpdated 18 September 2026

IELTS or PTE: which should you take for Australia, the UK, Canada or study abroad?

The short answer

Start with where the score is going, because that removes most of the choice. UK visas require a test on the Home Office approved list, and both IELTS for UKVI and PTE Academic UKVI are on it. Australian visas and skilled migration accept both, and PTE is now the more common choice there. Canada accepts IELTS General Training and, since 2023, PTE Core for immigration, and IELTS Academic or PTE Academic for study. Universities overwhelmingly accept both; a few programmes and some professional regulators still list only IELTS. Once the destination allows both, choose by your own profile: PTE suits candidates who are comfortable with computers, speak clearly into a microphone and want a result in two days; IELTS suits candidates who do better with a human examiner, write by hand well, or whose speaking is fluent but not crisp. The level required is the same; the way it is measured is not.

Written by Zahid Hussain, editorLast updated 18 September 2026Report an error

Which test does each destination accept?

Purpose	IELTS	PTE	Notes
UK visa (work, study, settlement)	IELTS for UKVI, Academic or General Training as required.	PTE Academic UKVI.	Only the UKVI versions taken at approved centres count. The standard IELTS is accepted by universities but not for the visa itself in most categories.
Australia: skilled migration and most visas	IELTS Academic or General Training.	PTE Academic.	Both widely used; PTE has become the more common choice for points-tested visas.
Australia: university	IELTS Academic.	PTE Academic.	Both accepted almost universally.
Canada: immigration (Express Entry, PR)	IELTS General Training.	PTE Core.	PTE Core, not PTE Academic, for immigration. Accepted since 2023.
Canada: study permit and university	IELTS Academic.	PTE Academic.	Institution-dependent; most accept both.
New Zealand	Both modules as required.	PTE Academic.	Both accepted for immigration and study.
United States: university	IELTS Academic.	PTE Academic.	Both accepted by most universities; TOEFL remains the most common.
Professional registration (medicine, nursing, engineering)	IELTS Academic, or OET for healthcare.	Varies; some regulators accept PTE, some do not.	Check the regulator. For healthcare, see OET.

Acceptance by purpose, in broad terms; the visa or institution's current list is the authority

Check the list on the day you book

Acceptance lists change: Canada added PTE Core in 2023; the UK list is revised periodically; individual universities and regulators update their own pages. The tables here describe the pattern, not the rule for your application. The current list for every major destination is in which English test does each country accept.

How do the scores compare?

IELTS band	PTE Academic	What it is typically required for
5.5	42 to 49	Some vocational courses and lower-skilled visas.
6.0	50 to 57	Many undergraduate courses; some Australian visa categories at the minimum level.
6.5	58 to 64	Most undergraduate and many postgraduate courses.
7.0	65 to 72	Competitive postgraduate courses; professional registration; the proficient level for Australian points.
7.5	73 to 78	Some professional and medical requirements.
8.0	79 to 82	Superior level for Australian points; a few regulators.

Approximate score equivalence, as commonly used by institutions

Institutions publish their own concordance and the numbers above vary by a point or two between them. The important point is that the levels are aligned: PTE is not a shortcut to a higher band. A candidate at IELTS 6.0 will be at roughly PTE 50 to 57, not at 65.

What is actually different between the two tests?

	IELTS	PTE Academic
Delivery	Paper or computer; speaking face to face with an examiner.	Computer only; speaking into a microphone in a room of other candidates.
Marking	Human examiners for writing and speaking.	Automated scoring throughout.
Length	About 2 hours 45 minutes, with speaking possibly on a different day.	About 2 hours in one sitting.
Results	Three to five days (computer) or thirteen days (paper).	Typically within two days.
Speaking	Conversation, cue card, discussion. Rewards fluency and coherence; tolerant of accent.	Read aloud, repeat sentence, describe image, retell lecture. Rewards clear articulation and pace; a strong accent or mumbling costs.
Writing	Two tasks by hand or typed; essay of 250 words plus a report or letter.	Summarise a text in one sentence; an essay of 200 to 300 words. Typed.
Reading and listening	Separate sections; listening heard once.	Integrated with other skills; some tasks score two skills at once.
Retake	Any date; each sitting is a full test.	Any date; each sitting is a full test.

Format differences that decide which suits you

Which suits your own profile?

If you	Lean towards
Speak fluently but with a heavy accent, or tend to mumble	IELTS. A human examiner marks intelligibility generously; automated scoring is less forgiving.
Speak clearly and fast, but freeze in front of a person	PTE. The microphone does not react to nerves.
Write well by hand and think while writing	IELTS on paper.
Type fast and are comfortable with timed computer tasks	PTE, or IELTS on computer.
Need a result this week	PTE.
Are strong in one skill and weak in another	PTE, where integrated tasks let a strong skill lift a weaker one; IELTS scores each skill on its own and regulators often set a minimum per skill.
Are applying to a regulator or programme that lists only one	That one. Everything above is secondary.

Choose by strength and weakness

The honest test is a mock of each

Both tests publish free full-length samples. Sit one of each under time, and score them with the published concordance. Most candidates find the gap is a full band in one direction, and that settles the question better than any comparison table.

How does preparation differ?

IELTS preparation is skill-by-skill: the writing criteria, the essay types, speaking parts, reading question types and listening traps.
PTE preparation is task-by-task: twenty task types, each with a scoring pattern that rewards a specific technique (templates for describe image and essay, fluency over accuracy in repeat sentence). Knowing the tasks matters more in PTE than in IELTS.
Both reward the same underlying English: accurate grammar, precise vocabulary and clear speech. The English bank serves both.
Do not prepare for both. Choose within the first week and put every hour into one format.