PTE 43 in IELTS Band

Where PTE 43 sits

Losing 5 points (to PTE 38) drops the overall conversion to IELTS 5.0; gaining 4 points (to PTE 47) lifts it to IELTS 6.0.

What is special about exactly 43

• PTE 43 is exactly the score needed for UK visa CEFR B1: Student visa for a course below degree level, such as a pre-sessional course (43 in each skill).
• 43 is the first PTE score on Pearson's B1 band.

PTE 43 as an IELTS band in each skill

Each skill has its own Pearson table. All four skills convert to IELTS 5.5 at PTE 43, 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 43

Each skill has its own minimum, and a strong skill cannot cover a weak one. With 43 in every skill the highest level is Vocational English (test from 7 August 2025) or Vocational English (earlier test). 43 lands on the same level whichever test version you sat. Next up is Competent English: short in Listening (needs 47, +4), Reading (needs 48, +5), Speaking (needs 54, +11) and Writing (needs 51, +8).

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 43

Pearson maps PTE 43 to CEFR B1 (PTE 43–58). B2 starts at 59, 16 points higher.

UK figures apply to each skill, so read them as 43 in every skill. New Zealand: 43 clears 29 and 36 and is 15 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 43

Three universities' published rows closest to 43; 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 43

The nearest sourced thresholds above 43, in order. The first is 4 points away.

1. PTE 47 (+4): IELTS 6.0 overall (Pearson concordance).
2. PTE 50 (+7): Australia Competent English, test before 7 Aug 2025 (L 50, R 50, W 50, S 50).
3. PTE 50 (+7): University of Waikato: undergraduate degrees (general row) (overall 50, no section below 42).
4. PTE 52 (+9): Victoria University (Australia): bachelor degrees (overall 52, no section below 52).
5. PTE 54 (+11): Australia Competent English, test from 7 Aug 2025 (L 47, R 48, W 51, S 54).

Scores around 43

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 43. The second makes Writing strong (51) and Reading weak (35), each 8 points from 43.

• Even profile (L 43, R 43, S 43, W 43): 5.5 + 5.5 + 5.5 + 5.5 = 22.0, divided by four is 5.50, which IELTS rounds to 5.5. That matches the direct overall conversion of 5.5.
• Uneven profile (L 43, R 35, S 43, W 51): 5.5 + 4.5 + 5.5 + 6.0 = 21.5, divided by four is 5.375, which IELTS rounds to 5.5. 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 43

1. Target Competent English: Speaking 54, 11 above 43. Moderate gap: take task types one at a time.
2. Start with Speaking: Retell Lecture and Respond to a Situation. All speaking practice.
3. Then Writing (51, +8): Summarize Written Text and Write Essay.
4. Check progress with the free mock test and the score calculator: estimates only, so confirm each threshold on the official page.