IELTS 5.0 to PTE score
IELTS 5.0 overall is PTE Academic 31–38 overall in Pearson's July 2025 concordance, which Pearson's CEFR scale puts at A2. Skill by skill the same band asks for different PTE scores: Reading needs 36 at the floor, while Speaking needs only 24.
Checked 10 Oct 2026 against Pearson's concordance summary (PDF).
PTE Academic overall
31–38
For IELTS 5.0 overall
Hardest skill to match
Reading 36
Floor of the 5.0 band
Pearson CEFR
A2
PTE 31–38
Step from the band below
7 points
IELTS 4.5 starts at PTE 24
IELTS 5.0 in each PTE skill
The overall range for IELTS 5.0 is 8 PTE scores wide. The widest skill range is Speaking (15 scores) and the narrowest is Reading (6), so a Speaking score has more room to land inside the band than a Reading score.
| Skill | PTE range for the band | Scores in range | Floor vs overall floor (31) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 31–38 | 8 | reference |
| Listening | 33–39 | 7 | 2 higher |
| Reading | 36–41 | 6 | 5 higher |
| Speaking | 24–38 | 15 | 7 lower |
| Writing | 29–40 | 12 | 2 lower |
What PTE 31–38 clears
The band straddles 3 sourced thresholds: AU Vocational (new) at 36, AU Vocational (old) at 36 and NZ partner at 36. A score at the floor, 31, misses them, while the top of the band, 38, clears them. The table reads each threshold as 31 or 38 in every skill and overall.
| Threshold | Stated requirement | At PTE 31 | At PTE 38 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Functional English, test from 7 Aug 2025 | overall 24 | Clears | Clears |
| New Zealand: Accredited Employer Work Visa, job at skill level 3 to 5 | overall 29 | Clears | Clears |
| Australia Functional English, test before 7 Aug 2025 | overall 30 | Clears | Clears |
| Australia Vocational English, test from 7 Aug 2025 | L 33, R 36, W 29, S 24 | Short by 5 | Clears |
| Australia Vocational English, test before 7 Aug 2025 | L 36, R 36, W 36, S 36 | Short by 5 | Clears |
| New Zealand: Skilled residence visa, partner or dependent child aged 16 or older | overall 36 | Short by 5 | Clears |
| University of Waikato: foundation certificate and International Diploma | overall 42, no section below 36 | Short by 11 | Short by 4 |
| UK visa CEFR B1: Student visa for a course below degree level, such as a pre-sessional course | 43 in each skill | Short by 12 | Short by 5 |
| Australia Competent English, test before 7 Aug 2025 | L 50, R 50, W 50, S 50 | Short by 19 | Short by 12 |
Sources: Home Affairs (checked 9 Oct 2026), Pearson UK visa table, Immigration New Zealand and the university pages listed on each PTE score page.
Pearson's per-skill floors for IELTS 5.0 against Australia
Take the lowest PTE score Pearson lists for each skill at IELTS 5.0: Listening 33, Reading 36, Speaking 24 and Writing 29. Those four figures are exactly the new-test minimums for Vocational English, so Pearson's band floors and Home Affairs's per-skill minimums line up one to one at this band. As a profile, they meet Vocational English on the new test and Functional English on the old test.
| Level | New-test minimums | Floors profile, new test | Old-test minimum | Floors profile, old test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Functional English | Overall 24 | Meets | Overall 30 | Meets |
| Vocational English | L 33, R 36, W 29, S 24 | Meets | 36 each skill | Short: Listening +3, Speaking +12, Writing +7 |
| Competent English | L 47, R 48, W 51, S 54 | Short: Listening +14, Reading +12, Speaking +30, Writing +22 | 50 each skill | Short: Listening +17, Reading +14, Speaking +26, Writing +21 |
| Proficient English | L 58, R 59, W 69, S 76 | Short: Listening +25, Reading +23, Speaking +52, Writing +40 | 65 each skill | Short: Listening +32, Reading +29, Speaking +41, Writing +36 |
| Superior English | L 69, R 70, W 85, S 88 | Short: Listening +36, Reading +34, Speaking +64, Writing +56 | 79 each skill | Short: Listening +46, Reading +43, Speaking +55, Writing +50 |
Four section bands that add up to IELTS 5.0
IELTS averages the Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking bands and rounds to the nearest half band, with .25 rounding up to the half band and .75 up to the whole band. These mixes show where IELTS 5.0 starts and stops, and the last column converts the overall result to PTE with Pearson's table.
| Mix | Section bands | Average | IELTS overall | PTE overall range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All four equal | 5.0 + 5.0 + 5.0 + 5.0 | 5.00 | 5.0 | 31–38 |
| Two half-bands up, two down | 5.5 + 5.5 + 4.5 + 4.5 | 5.00 | 5.0 | 31–38 |
| Lowest mix that still rounds up | 5.0 + 5.0 + 4.5 + 4.5 | 4.75 | 5.0 | 31–38 |
| One skill short of that mix | 5.0 + 4.5 + 4.5 + 4.5 | 4.625 | 4.5 | 24–30 |
| Two skills up: tips into the next band | 5.0 + 5.0 + 5.5 + 5.5 | 5.25 | 5.5 | 39–46 |
IELTS 5.0 next to its neighbours
| IELTS band | PTE overall | Starts at | Step from the band below | Hardest skill floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS 4.5 | 24–30 | PTE 24 | lowest published | Reading 29 |
| IELTS 5.0 | 31–38 | PTE 31 | 7 points | Reading 36 |
| IELTS 5.5 | 39–46 | PTE 39 | 8 points | Reading 42 |
The PTE scores inside IELTS 5.0
Each score has its own page with the per-skill conversion, the Australian, UK and NZ checks and a practice plan. Pearson's CEFR scale puts this band at A2:
| PTE score | Pearson CEFR | IELTS by skill if you score it in every skill (L / R / S / W) | Australia, new test |
|---|---|---|---|
| PTE 31 | A2 | 4.5 / 4.5 / 5.0 / 5.0 | Functional English |
| PTE 32 | A2 | 4.5 / 4.5 / 5.0 / 5.0 | Functional English |
| PTE 33 | A2 | 5.0 / 4.5 / 5.0 / 5.0 | Functional English |
| PTE 34 | A2 | 5.0 / 4.5 / 5.0 / 5.0 | Functional English |
| PTE 35 | A2 | 5.0 / 4.5 / 5.0 / 5.0 | Functional English |
| PTE 36 | A2 | 5.0 / 5.0 / 5.0 / 5.0 | Vocational English |
| PTE 37 | A2 | 5.0 / 5.0 / 5.0 / 5.0 | Vocational English |
| PTE 38 | A2 | 5.0 / 5.0 / 5.0 / 5.0 | Vocational English |
Study plan for IELTS 5.0 equivalents
- Know the hardest floor: for IELTS 5.0, Reading starts at PTE 36, 5 above the overall floor of 31.
- Train Reading first: Re-order Paragraphs and Reading Fill in the Blanks. All reading practice.
- Next, Listening (floor 33): Write from Dictation and Listening Fill in the Blanks. Give the easiest skill, Speaking (floor 24), one short set per session so it stays above its floor.
- Estimate, then verify: use the score calculator and PTE to IELTS converter. They are estimates, so confirm any requirement with the university or immigration page.
Frequently asked questions
What PTE score is IELTS 5.0?
In Pearson's July 2025 concordance, IELTS Academic 5.0 overall corresponds to a PTE Academic overall score of 31–38. Per skill: Listening 33–39, Reading 36–41, Speaking 24–38, Writing 29–40.
Is PTE 31 the same as IELTS 5.0?
PTE 31 is the bottom of the 31–38 range that Pearson lines up with IELTS 5.0, 7 points above where IELTS 4.5 starts. Scores at the top of the range, up to 38, convert to the same band.
IELTS 5.0 ka PTE score kitna hai?
IELTS 5.0 overall equals PTE Academic 31–38 overall in Pearson's 2025 table. The hardest skill to match is Reading, which starts at 36. These are estimates, and the university or visa body sets the final requirement.
What PTE Speaking score matches IELTS 5.0?
IELTS 5.0 Speaking corresponds to PTE Speaking 24–38, and Writing to 29–40.
Sources and last checked
Figures for IELTS 5.0 come from the Pearson July 2025 summary table, checked on 2026-10-10. The rule for combining section bands into an overall band is from IELTS's official scoring guide (2026-10-09).
- Pearson: PTE Academic and IELTS Academic concordance summary (July 2025)
- Pearson: understand your PTE Academic score (CEFR bands)
- IELTS: how IELTS is scored (overall band rounding)
Estimates only. PTE Academic and PTE Core are separate tests; this page covers PTE Academic. Not affiliated with Pearson.