PTE Score for Australia 485 Visa 2026: 55 Overall

Short answer: the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) needs a PTE Academic overall score of 55, with at least 40 in listening, 42 in reading, 41 in writing and 39 in speaking, for a test taken on or after 7 August 2025. The test must fall in the 12 months immediately before the day you lodge the application. Checked 2026-10-13 against the Home Affairs Post-Higher Education Work stream page.

The official PTE Academic minimums for the 485

Both streams (Post-Higher Education Work and Post-Vocational Education Work) show the same standard PTE Academic table. Checked 2026-10-13.

Every row is a minimum, so you must meet the overall score and all four component scores. A strong overall number does not rescue one weak skill.

Source for the table: Home Affairs, Post-Higher Education Work stream, checked 2026-10-13.

Special case: Hong Kong and BNO passport holders

Home Affairs lists a separate, lower table for holders of British National (Overseas) or Hong Kong passports. For tests from 7 August 2025 it is 47 overall with 33 listening, 36 reading, 29 writing and 24 speaking; for tests on or before 6 August 2025 it is 50 overall with 36 in each component. Checked 2026-10-13 at the same official page. Everyone else uses the standard table above.

Which test counts, and when

The window is the part most applicants get wrong. Home Affairs says that in the 12 months immediately before the day you apply, you must have scored one of the listed results. Checked 2026-10-13, same source.

Do not confuse this with the 3-year window on the general Competent English page, which says validity depends on the visa subclass. For the 485, the visa page itself governs. Our PTE score validity guide covers Pearson's own score-reporting period, which is a separate question from the visa rule.

Two further points, checked 2026-10-13:

• The Competent English page says the department does not accept tests delivered completely online (remote-proctored or at-home), so book a test centre sitting.
• The 485 stream pages let citizens who hold a valid passport from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland prove English by citizenship and passport instead of a test.

Because the old-format scores come from tests on or before 6 August 2025, and that is now more than a year ago, an old result cannot satisfy the 12-month rule for a lodgement today. Plan on a test taken under the current format.

Worked example: a 485 pass and a near miss

A graduate finishes a Master's and sits PTE Academic on 20 September 2026. Lodging on 5 March 2027 is inside the 12-month window; lodging after 20 September 2027 would not be.

Candidate B has the higher overall score and still fails, by one point in one skill. This is why you should treat the weakest component as your target, not the overall. The scores here are illustrative inputs for the check, not real results.

Checklist before you book

1. Confirm your stream and your course completion date, because the visa needs a degree awarded in the 6 months before you apply (Post-Higher Education Work), as listed on the official page. The Post-Vocational Education Work stream has its own qualification rule: a qualification awarded in the 6 months before you apply, as listed on that stream page.
2. Decide your likely lodgement day, then count back 12 months to find the earliest test date that works.
3. Aim for each component minimum plus a margin, not just the overall 55.
4. Book a test centre appointment (see how to book PTE) rather than an at-home option.
5. If you hold a BNO or Hong Kong passport, use the separate table above.
6. Re-read the official table on the day you lodge, since Home Affairs updates it. Both 485 stream pages were marked last updated 12 October 2026 when we checked.

How this differs from your other Australian visas

The student visa uses an overall score only (see the student visa guide), and PR points work on different per-skill thresholds (see the PR guide). If you are choosing a Master's first, your university's entry score is a separate number; browse universities for institution requirements. To compare your own section scores with the 485 table, use the PTE eligibility checker.