PTE 38 in IELTS Band

Where PTE 38 sits

Losing 8 points (to PTE 30) drops the overall conversion to IELTS 4.5; gaining 1 point (to PTE 39) lifts it to IELTS 5.5.

What is special about exactly 38

• 38 is the last PTE score that still reads as IELTS 5.0 in Speaking; 39 moves it to 5.5.

PTE 38 as an IELTS band in each skill

Each skill has its own Pearson table. All four skills convert to IELTS 5.0 at PTE 38, the same as the overall conversion, so no skill is the bottleneck in this table.

This is the PTE Academic scale only. PTE Core has its own requirements; see the PTE Core guide.

Australian English levels at PTE 38

Each skill has its own minimum, and a strong skill cannot cover a weak one. With 38 in every skill the highest level is Vocational English (test from 7 August 2025) or Vocational English (earlier test). 38 lands on the same level whichever test version you sat. Next up is Competent English: short in Listening (needs 47, +9), Reading (needs 48, +10), Speaking (needs 54, +16) and Writing (needs 51, +13).

Home Affairs levels, checked 9 Oct 2026. Detail: Australia PTE score guide, PR guide and student visa guide.

UK, New Zealand and Canada at PTE 38

Pearson maps PTE 38 to CEFR A2 (PTE 30–42). B1 starts at 43, 5 points higher.

UK figures apply to each skill, so read them as 38 in every skill. New Zealand: 38 clears 29 and 36 and is 20 points short of 58. Canada's tables convert PTE Core, not Academic, so none is applied: Canada guide. New Zealand guide and UK guide.

Sources: Pearson CEFR bands, Pearson UK visa table, GOV.UK student visa and Immigration New Zealand (checked 10 Oct 2026).

University examples near PTE 38

Three universities' published rows closest to 38; each university sets its own rule.

Sources: University of Waikato, UNSW and Victoria University (checked 10 Oct 2026). Masters in Australia guide.

What it takes to move up from PTE 38

The nearest sourced thresholds above 38, in order. The first is 1 point away.

1. PTE 39 (+1): IELTS 5.5 overall (Pearson concordance).
2. PTE 42 (+4): University of Waikato: foundation certificate and International Diploma (overall 42, no section below 36).
3. PTE 43 (+5): Pearson CEFR B1.
4. PTE 43 (+5): UK visa CEFR B1: Student visa for a course below degree level, such as a pre-sessional course (43 in each skill).
5. PTE 47 (+9): IELTS 6.0 overall (Pearson concordance).

Scores around 38

Worked example: how four skills turn into one IELTS band

IELTS averages four section bands and rounds to the nearest half band. Here is that arithmetic for two profiles built around 38. The second makes Speaking strong (46) and Listening weak (30), each 8 points from 38.

• Even profile (L 38, R 38, S 38, W 38): 5.0 + 5.0 + 5.0 + 5.0 = 20.0, divided by four is 5.00, which IELTS rounds to 5.0. That matches the direct overall conversion of 5.0.
• Uneven profile (L 30, R 38, S 46, W 38): 4.5 + 5.0 + 5.5 + 5.0 = 20.0, divided by four is 5.00, which IELTS rounds to 5.0. Same overall as the even profile: the strong and weak skills offset.

Illustration of the IELTS rounding rule only. Pearson works out your PTE overall score itself and prints it on your score report; this page does not model that calculation. Rounding rule: IELTS scoring guide.

A four-line plan from PTE 38

1. Target Competent English: Speaking 54, 16 above 38. Large gap: rebuild basics before timing yourself.
2. Start with Speaking: Retell Lecture and Respond to a Situation. All speaking practice.
3. Then Writing (51, +13): Write Essay and Summarize Written Text.
4. Check progress with the free mock test and the score calculator: estimates only, so confirm each threshold on the official page.