PTE Academic vs Core vs UKVI: Which Test Do You Need?

Pearson offers several PTE tests, and booking the wrong one is an expensive mistake. They're scored on the same 10–90 scale, but governments accept them for different purposes. Here's how to choose.

Quick answer

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• Is it a UK visa route that requires a Secure English Language Test (SELT)? Yes: take PTE Academic UKVI (GOV.UK lists it as an approved SELT; its report carries a SELT URN). No: next question.
• Is it Canada Express Entry? Yes: take PTE Core (IRCC says you must take the PTE Core option). No: next question.
• Is it an Australian visa application? Yes: take PTE Academic (listed by Australia's Department of Home Affairs). No: next step.
• Anything else: take the exact test your university or visa page names; Academic, UKVI and Core are different tests.

PTE Academic

The main PTE test, accepted by universities and by the Australian and New Zealand governments. It has 22 question types across Speaking & Writing, Reading and Listening, takes about 2 hours, and was updated on 7 August 2025. See the full PTE exam pattern.

For Australia, Home Affairs sets a PTE Academic minimum for each English level (Functional, Vocational, Competent, Proficient and Superior), and it lists different minimums for tests taken before and after 7 August 2025. Use our PTE score for Australia checker to see where you stand.

PTE Academic UKVI

Same test, same scoring, but taken at a UKVI-approved centre with extra security checks. That makes it a Secure English Language Test (SELT) for UK visa applications. gov.uk lists PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home as approved SELTs, and its approved-test list gives the CEFR level and minimum grade for each. Pearson converts the two levels most UK visa routes use to PTE scores per skill: B1 is 43 or higher and B2 is 59 or higher (see PTE score for UK). Check your route's required level on gov.uk.

PTE Core

A general English test built for migration, accepted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). It's the PTE you need for Express Entry, and IRCC's Express Entry language-test page lists PTE Core only, not PTE Academic (IRCC language tests).

PTE Core uses everyday rather than academic topics, and its format differs (Pearson lists the details on its PTE Core Speaking & Writing page). For Canada-specific score tables and a same-level IELTS comparison, read our PTE Core guide, or compare the tests on PTE or IELTS for Canada. To practise the task types Core shares with Academic, start with PTE Core practice:

Before you book

1. Check the exact test your visa or university names. "PTE" alone isn't enough; Academic, UKVI and Core aren't interchangeable.
2. Check how long your scores stay valid. Pearson reports scores for 2 years, and each government sets its own rules on how recent a test must be.
3. Work out your target score. Use the PTE to IELTS converter if your requirement is written in IELTS bands.

Related reading

• See which PTE changes apply to Academic and UKVI
• Canada PR uses PTE Core
• PTE Academic UKVI for UK visas
• PTE Core score chart for Canada