What PTE score do I need for a UK Skilled Worker visa?

gov.uk asks for CEFR level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Pearson's UK visa table converts B2 to 59 or higher in each of the four sections on PTE Academic UKVI. A high overall score does not help if one skill is below 59.

Do I need PTE Academic UKVI or ordinary PTE Academic?

Pearson tells applicants to book PTE Academic UKVI if they need a SELT Unique Reference Number (URN) for the visa application, and its table lists PTE Academic UKVI for Skilled Worker. gov.uk says an application without the reference number may be refused. Pearson says the test content is the same, so the UKVI version is the one that matters for the reference number.

I already have a Skilled Worker visa. Do I need to retake the English test?

If you held the visa before 8 January 2026 and you are extending or updating it, gov.uk says the level is B1 and you do not need to provide proof again. If you are switching from another visa, B2 is needed, except when switching from a Health and Care Worker visa, where gov.uk says no proof is needed.

Can I skip the English test with an Indian degree?

Possibly. gov.uk accepts a non-UK degree taught in English if an Ecctis assessment code confirms it is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher. A degree that is only recognised, without that Ecctis confirmation, is not enough. Check the current rules on the gov.uk page before deciding not to test.

How long is a PTE UKVI result valid for the visa?

gov.uk says SELT results are valid for 2 years from the date the test is awarded, and the test must also have been awarded in the two years before your application date. Apply while your result is still in date.

What English level does the Health and Care Worker visa need?

gov.uk asks for B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening, the same level as Skilled Worker. People extending or updating a visa held before 8 January 2026 need B1 and no new proof. Pearson's UK visa table had no Health and Care row when checked on 13 Oct 2026, so confirm the PTE score line with your provider.

Do nurses need a SELT for the Health and Care Worker visa?

gov.uk says doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives need no proof if they already passed an English assessment accepted by their professional body. Check which assessment and score that regulator accepts before deciding to skip a SELT.

Which nationalities do not need to prove English?

gov.uk lists nationals of countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, Jamaica and Malta, among others. India is not on the list, so Indian citizens need one of the other routes to proof. Read the full list on the gov.uk page.

PTE Requirement for UK Skilled Worker Visa (B2)

For a new UK Skilled Worker visa you need English at CEFR level B2 in all four skills. Pearson's UK visa table converts that to 59 or higher in each section of PTE Academic UKVI. If you are extending a Skilled Worker visa you already held before 8 January 2026, the level is B1 and you do not need to prove English again.

Checked 10 Oct 2026. Sources: gov.uk Skilled Worker knowledge of English, Pearson UK visa table, gov.uk SELT guidance.

This page covers the work visa only. For student visa levels and the full route table, see PTE score for UK. Heading to the UK to study instead? Read PTE requirement for a UK student visa.

The requirement in one table

Item	What the source says	Source
Level, new application	B2 on the CEFR scale	gov.uk
PTE equivalent	59+ in each of four sections	Pearson
Test to book	PTE Academic UKVI	Pearson
Skills tested	Reading, writing, speaking, listening	gov.uk
Result validity	2 years from the date the test is awarded	gov.uk SELT
Reference number	Include the SELT URN, or the application may be refused	gov.uk SELT

"59 in each section" means a skill-by-skill pass. An overall 65 with speaking at 55 does not meet B2. Check where 59 sits on the PTE score chart.

Which situation are you in?

Use this table to find your route before you spend money on a test. It is our own summary of the gov.uk and Pearson pages above.

Your situation	What to do	Test needed?
First Skilled Worker application from India, no UK degree	Prove B2 with an approved test or an Ecctis-assessed degree	Usually yes: PTE Academic UKVI 59+ each
Degree taught in English, with an Ecctis assessment code showing UK bachelor's equivalence	Use the degree as proof	No, if the code confirms it
UK GCSE, A Level or Scottish equivalent in English begun under age 18, or a UK-awarded degree-level qualification taught in English	Use it as proof	No
Switching from a Student visa or another non-Health and Care visa	B2 is required	Yes, unless you already hold a qualifying proof
Switching from a Health and Care Worker visa	gov.uk says no proof is needed	No
Extending or updating a Skilled Worker visa held before 8 Jan 2026	Level is B1, no need to prove again	No
Doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or vet	No proof needed if you already passed an English assessment accepted by your professional body (vets may need the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons assessment)	Depends on the regulator
National of a country on gov.uk's exempt list	Exempt	No

The qualifications list and exemptions can change. Read the current gov.uk page before you decide to skip the test.

Worked example

Ananya is an engineer from Pune with a BE taught in English, and a UK employer has offered her a sponsored job. She has no Ecctis assessment. Her options are to apply to Ecctis for an assessment code, or to take PTE Academic UKVI.

If she tests and scores Reading 64, Writing 61, Speaking 57, Listening 66, she has met B2 in three skills but not in speaking. She has not passed, because each skill needs 59. She needs to work on speaking and retest. Her useful next steps are the speaking practice tasks and the task-by-task timings there.

Original schematic of a PTE score report, labelled as an illustration and not a real report, with five numbered parts: Score Report Code, overall score, four communicative skills, skills breakdown, and test centre and dates. — Where to look on a PTE score report: the four skill scores you compare with 59, and for a UKVI report the SELT URN you enter in the visa form. Source: Pearson PTE Academic Score Guide. Checked 10 Oct 2026.

Why UKVI and not the standard test

Pearson's table lists PTE Academic UKVI for Skilled Worker. Pearson also says to book it if you need a SELT URN. gov.uk requires you to use an approved provider and approved test location, and Pearson is one of the approved providers outside the UK, alongside PSI Services (UK) Ltd, the IELTS SELT Consortium and LANGUAGECERT. For the difference between the PTE versions, see PTE Academic vs Core vs UKVI.

Booking checklist

Confirm your route in the table above and on gov.uk.
Book PTE Academic UKVI at an approved test centre. Fees and centres in India are on PTE exam fee and PTE exam centres in India.
Aim above 59 in each skill, not just on average. Leave a buffer.
Keep your SELT URN from the score report, and enter it in the visa application.
Apply while the result is within 2 years of the test date.

Health and Care Worker visa: same B2 rule

Health and Care Worker applicants face the same English level as Skilled Worker applicants: B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Checked 13 Oct 2026, gov.uk Health and Care Worker knowledge of English.

Pearson's UK visa table, which we use for the PTE Academic UKVI scores above, did not list a Health and Care Worker row when we checked (Pearson). Its Skilled Worker row shows B2 as 59+ in each section. gov.uk sets the same CEFR level for both visas, and Pearson's B2 band on the 10-90 scale starts at 59, so 59 per section is a reasonable target. Pearson has not published a Health and Care Worker line there, so confirm the score line with your test provider before booking.

Your Health and Care situation	What gov.uk says	PTE action
New application, no qualifying degree	B2 in all four skills, shown with an approved SELT	Book PTE Academic UKVI; aim for 59+ each section (Skilled Worker figure, see note above)
Degree taught in English	Ecctis code confirming UK bachelor's equivalence or higher	No test if the code is issued
UK-awarded degree taught in English, or a UK GCSE or A Level in English started before 18	Accepted as proof	No test
Doctor, dentist, nurse or midwife	No proof needed if you passed an English assessment accepted by your professional body	Check your regulator's own score first
Extending or updating a visa held before 8 Jan 2026	B1, no need to prove again	No test
Switching from Skilled Worker	No new proof needed	No test
Switching from any other visa	B2	Test unless another proof applies

Checked 13 Oct 2026, gov.uk.

Two points trip up nurses and carers. First, the visa rule and the regulator rule are separate: the Nursing and Midwifery Council sets its own English requirement for registration, which is covered on PTE score for nursing and health registration. Passing one does not automatically satisfy the other. Second, gov.uk lists B1 only for people extending or updating a visa they held before 8 January 2026. Its page does not say what applies to visas granted after that date, so a first-time applicant should plan for B2.

Worked example: Rohit, a nurse from Kochi, has a B.Sc. Nursing taught in English but no Ecctis code, and he wants a Health and Care Worker visa. His choices are an Ecctis assessment or a SELT. If he books PTE Academic UKVI and scores Reading 62, Writing 60, Speaking 59, Listening 63, every section is at or above 59, so he meets the Skilled Worker figure Pearson lists for B2 (confirm it for this visa as noted above). A 58 in any one section would mean a retest, whatever the overall score. Estimate where you stand with the PTE eligibility checker.

B1 handling: Pearson's table lists 43+ in each section for B1 on the UK Student visa below-degree row, checked 13 Oct 2026 (Pearson). It does not give a Health and Care Worker B1 row, and gov.uk says B1 extension applicants need no new proof, so most people will never need a B1 score. The full B1 and B2 comparison lives on PTE score for UK.

Studying in the UK first and then moving to a care role? Compare course entry scores on universities.

Using IELTS instead

gov.uk lists the IELTS SELT Consortium as an approved provider, so IELTS is another way to reach B2. Do not convert a PTE score into an IELTS band by guesswork. Compare the two on PTE vs IELTS, and use the PTE to IELTS converter only as a rough estimate. The visa uses CEFR levels, not our estimate.

What we could not confirm

Neither gov.uk page nor Pearson's table gave a PTE-specific validity period beyond the 2-year SELT rule, so we state only that. Salary, sponsorship and job-code rules are separate from the English requirement and are not covered here.