Is PTE Core accepted for Canada PR?

Yes. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) lists PTE Core as an approved language test for Express Entry and other economic immigration programs. PTE Academic is not on that list, so book PTE Core if you are applying for Canadian permanent residence.

Is there an official PTE Core practice test PDF?

Pearson publishes a PTE Core Test Taker Handbook as a PDF. It explains the format and scoring. We do not provide PDFs of questions. Our practice pages let you work on the shared task types on screen.

Does IRCC use my overall PTE Core score?

No. IRCC uses the score for each skill (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and converts each one to a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level. Pearson states that the overall score cannot be converted to CLB.

How does PTE Core compare with IELTS General Training?

Both are accepted for Express Entry. Use the same-level table above: find the CLB level you need, then compare each skill column. Both tests are scored in different ways, so the same CLB level is the fairest comparison. This site does not publish a single overall score conversion for PTE Core.

Is PTE Core the same as PTE Academic?

No. PTE Core is a general English test built around everyday tasks. PTE Academic uses academic content, has an essay, and includes Retell Lecture and Summarize Group Discussion, which Core does not have. Pearson says Academic preparation material is not suitable for Core.

Is PTE Core accepted for a PGWP?

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) conditions are set by IRCC and can change. We have not confirmed a PGWP-specific PTE Core requirement on an official page, so check canada.ca before you book.

PTE Core ke CLB score kaise check karein? (How do I check my PTE Core CLB score?)

Look up each skill in the PTE Core CLB table above and note the level it falls in. IRCC uses the level for each ability, so a strong overall score does not guarantee the CLB you need in every skill.

PTE Core mein essay hota hai kya? (Is there an essay in PTE Core?)

No. PTE Core has a Write Email task (80 to 120 words in 9 minutes) instead of an essay.

PTE Core: Format, CLB Score Chart and IELTS Comparison

PTE Core is the general English version of the Pearson Test of English that Canada uses for immigration. It is not the same test as PTE Academic. Core covers everyday English, and IRCC scores it per skill, against Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels. This guide covers the format, the official CLB score chart, a same-level comparison with IELTS General Training, and how to practise.

Quick answer

Who needs PTE Core: people applying for Canadian permanent residence or citizenship through an economic program such as Express Entry. IRCC does not accept PTE Academic for these programs.
What IRCC checks: each of the four skills separately. Your overall PTE Core score is not used.
How long it takes: about 2 hours at a test centre. Most results arrive within 2 business days, and up to 5.
How long a score lasts: Pearson's Score Report is valid for 2 years from the test date. IRCC also needs your results to be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you apply.

What PTE Core tests

PTE Core is split into three parts, and the whole test takes no longer than 2 hours. Pearson's overview gives about 50 minutes for Speaking and Writing, about 30 for Reading and about 30 for Listening. Its detailed part pages give slightly wider ranges: 50 to 65, 27 to 37 and 22 to 37 minutes.

Part	Task types
Speaking and Writing	Personal Introduction, Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Respond to a Situation, Answer Short Question, Summarize Written Text (10 min, 25 to 50 words), Write Email (9 min, 80 to 120 words)
Reading	Reading and Writing Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Answers, Reorder Paragraphs, Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice Single Answer
Listening	Summarize Spoken Text (8 min, 20 to 30 words), Multiple Answers, Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice Single Answer, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words, Write from Dictation

The Personal Introduction is a warm-up. Pearson says it does not contribute to your score. Core does not include Essay, Retell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion or Highlight Correct Summary. The main difference from PTE Academic is that Core uses everyday topics such as a magazine article or an email, not lectures or academic reading. Write Email gives you a prompt of up to 100 words with three bullet points to cover. Pearson says to use a salutation, an introduction, a conclusion and a farewell, and your email is also judged on organisation and word count. Summarize Spoken Text is shorter than in Academic (20 to 30 words). For the full Academic list, see the PTE exam pattern. For help choosing between the three Pearson tests, see PTE Academic vs Core vs UKVI.

PTE Core score chart for Canada (CLB)

The table below uses the IRCC PTE Core to CLB conversion. Each cell is the range of PTE Core scores for that CLB level in that skill. Find the level you need in each column.

CLB level	Speaking	Listening	Reading	Writing
10 and above	89+	89+	88+	90+
9	84 to 88	82 to 88	78 to 87	88 to 89
8	76 to 83	71 to 81	69 to 77	79 to 87
7	68 to 75	60 to 70	60 to 68	69 to 78
6	59 to 67	50 to 59	51 to 59	60 to 68
5	51 to 58	39 to 49	42 to 50	51 to 59
4	42 to 50	28 to 38	33 to 41	41 to 50

Minimums that IRCC sets for each programme, from the official Express Entry language page:

Federal Skilled Worker, first official language: CLB 7 in all four abilities.
Federal Skilled Trades: CLB 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing.
Canadian Experience Class: CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs, and CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs, in all four abilities.

Points for each ability differ by programme, so this page does not list point totals. Check the official IRCC language test page for your current programme.

PTE Core vs IELTS General Training (same CLB level)

Canada accepts both PTE Core and IELTS General Training for Express Entry. The fairest way to compare them is to match the CLB level, because IRCC publishes both tables. The table below shows the IELTS General band that matches each CLB level in each skill.

CLB level	IELTS General Speaking	Listening	Reading	Writing
10 and above	7.5 to 9.0	8.5 to 9.0	8.0 to 9.0	7.5 to 9.0
9	7.0	8.0	7.0	7.0
8	6.5	7.5	6.5	6.5
7	6.0	6.0	6.0	6.0
6	5.5	5.5	5.0	5.5
5	5.0	5.0	4.0	5.0
4	4.0	4.5	3.5	4.0

How to use it: write down the CLB level you need in each skill, then read the same level in both tables. For example, CLB 7 needs PTE Core 68 to 75 for speaking, and IELTS General 6.0 for speaking.

What this table does not do: it does not give one overall PTE Core score that equals an overall IELTS band. Pearson has not published that conversion for Core, and this site will not invent one. The PTE to IELTS converter on this site uses the Pearson July 2025 table for PTE Academic and does not apply to Core scores. Use the PTE to IELTS converter only for Academic scores.

For a wider comparison of the tests, see PTE vs IELTS.

PTE Core practice test PDF and sample tests

You will see many "PTE Core practice test PDF" downloads online. Before you use one, check where its questions came from. Pearson's own resources are the official starting point:

The PTE Core Test Taker Handbook explains the test, ID rules and what happens on test day.
Pearson's PTE Core preparation page lists the official free course and practice options.

This site does not sell or host PDFs of PTE questions. Every practice item on this site is written from scratch. You can practise the shared task types on screen and check your answers against the rules for each task. For a list of the printable resources we do offer, see the PTE practice material PDF guide.

Practise the task types Core shares with Academic

Several Core tasks match the Academic versions. You can practise these on our site:

Reading: Reading fill in the blanks and reorder paragraphs. For the reading section overall, see the reading practice hub.
Listening: listening fill in the blanks, highlight incorrect words, write from dictation and summarize spoken text. For the listening section overall, see the listening practice hub.
Speaking: read aloud, repeat sentence, describe image, respond to a situation and answer short question. For the speaking section overall, see the speaking practice hub.
Writing: summarize written text. For writing overall, see the writing practice hub.

Write Email is a Core-only task. We do not yet have a dedicated practice page for it. Use the official Pearson resources above to see the format. Practise writing an 80 to 120 word email within the 9 minute limit, covering all three bullet points, with a greeting and a sign-off.

Validity, results and booking

Results: most within 2 business days, up to 5 (Pearson). See PTE result for how to read your Score Report.
Fee: Pearson shows the price for your country when you book. See PTE exam fee.
Validity: the Score Report is valid for 2 years from the test date. Canada also requires the results to be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you apply.
Where: Core is taken only at a Pearson test centre. There is no at-home option.
Score share: you share your score with IRCC using the Score Report Code printed on your Score Report.

The CLB ranges above come from IRCC's published tables. They are not a prediction of your result. Your official Score Report is the only result that counts.

Last updated: 9 October 2026.