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PTE Academic · Guides · October 30, 2026 · 8 min read

PTE score for Australia student visa 2026: subclass 500 and 485 requirements

A student with a backpack walking toward a university building, with a headset and a notebook in front and a map of Australia behind

For an Australian Student visa (subclass 500), the Department of Home Affairs asks for an overall PTE Academic score of at least 47 for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. If your main course is packaged with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS (or an approved Foundation or Pathway program), the minimum is 39; with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS it is 31. There is no separate minimum per skill for this visa. Your university sets its own PTE requirement, which is almost always higher, and you need to meet both. These figures are as of October 2026.

PTE score for the Student visa (subclass 500)

Home Affairs publishes two tables, one for tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 and one for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, when Pearson updated PTE Academic. Both use the overall score only.

Your situation PTE Academic, test on or after 7 Aug 2025 PTE Academic, test on or before 6 Aug 2025
Main course only 47 50
Main course with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or a Foundation (Standard/Extended) or eligible Pathway program 39 42
Main course with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS 31 36

Source: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, Student visa (subclass 500), “Student visa English language requirements”, checked on 30 October 2026.

ELICOS means English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students. The 10 and 20 weeks are minimums: if you have 39 under the new table, you need at least 10 weeks of ELICOS packaged with your course to use it.

Two things follow from the table:

When your test must be taken

The timing rule depends on your evidence level, which you can check with the Document Checklist tool on the Home Affairs site:

Plan the test date around your visa lodgement, not only around the university deadline. A score that was fine for your offer letter can become too old for the visa if you wait.

Online and at-home tests are not accepted

Home Affairs does not accept English tests delivered entirely online with remote proctoring. Take PTE Academic at a test centre. Pearson’s own pages state that PTE tests are taken at a test centre and cannot be taken at home, so a standard PTE Academic booking is the right one. See how to find a PTE test centre and book for the steps.

PTE Core is a different test, built for Canadian immigration. It is not on the Home Affairs list of approved tests, so do not book it for an Australian visa. The PTE Core vs PTE Academic guide explains the difference.

Who does not need a test

You may not need to give an English test score at all. Home Affairs lists exemptions, including:

If you fall into an exemption, you still provide evidence that you meet it. Most applicants from India, Pakistan, Nepal and the Philippines do not, so plan on a test.

PTE score for the 485 Temporary Graduate visa

After your studies, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) has a stricter rule: an overall score and a minimum in each skill, with the test taken in the 12 months immediately before you apply. On the Post-Higher Education Work stream page, the PTE Academic minimums are:

Test date Overall Listening Reading Writing Speaking
On or after 7 August 2025 55 40 42 41 39
On or before 6 August 2025 57 43 48 51 42

Source: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), Post-Higher Education Work stream, checked on 30 October 2026. Holders of British National (Overseas) or Hong Kong passports have a lower table on the same page.

The 12-month window is the trap. A PTE score from your student visa application, usually two or three years earlier, will not count. Book a new test in your final semester and leave time for a second attempt. Check the page for your exact stream before you book, since the 485 has several streams and each page states its own English rule.

Student visa vs PR: different rules

The student visa and the skilled PR visas measure English in different ways, which is why scores that work for one do not work for the other.

Student visa (500) Graduate visa (485) Skilled PR (189, 190 and others)
What is checked overall score overall and each skill each skill (no overall)
PTE level, test from 7 Aug 2025 47 (or 39 / 31 with ELICOS) 55 overall; 40 L, 42 R, 41 W, 39 S Competent, Proficient or Superior
Test age within 2 years within 12 months before you apply depends on the visa
Points none none 0, 10 or 20 points for English

The PR levels and points are explained in PTE score for Australia PR: Competent, Proficient and Superior. If you plan to stay after graduating, look at those numbers early: the Speaking and Writing scores needed for Proficient and Superior are far above the student visa minimum, and it is easier to build them during your degree than in a rush before applying.

Older tests have one more rule: Home Affairs says results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 may be used as evidence until 6 August 2028, depending on the visa. Each visa page decides whether and how.

How to plan your PTE for studying in Australia

  1. Find your university’s requirement first. It is higher than the visa minimum and often sets a minimum for each skill. Check the course page, not only the general English page.
  2. Check whether your offer includes ELICOS. A packaged offer can lower the visa minimum, but the university will still need its own score or a completed English course.
  3. Book a test-centre PTE Academic with enough time to retake. Results usually arrive within a few days; see how long PTE results take.
  4. Keep an eye on the 2-year window between your test and visa lodgement.
  5. If you plan to stay, plan a second test for the 485 in your final months of study.

Common questions

What is the minimum PTE score for an Australia student visa? For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025: 47 overall, or 39 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or 31 with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS. As of October 2026.

Is PTE 50 enough for an Australian student visa? For the visa, yes: 50 is above the 47 minimum. For admission, probably not: most universities ask for more and set skill minimums.

Do I need a minimum score in each skill for the student visa? No. The subclass 500 table uses the overall score. Your university and the 485 visa do set skill minimums.

What PTE score do I need for the 485 visa? For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the Post-Higher Education Work stream asks for 55 overall with at least 40 Listening, 42 Reading, 41 Writing and 39 Speaking, from a test in the 12 months before you apply.

Is PTE Core accepted for Australian student visas? No. PTE Core is not on the Home Affairs list of approved tests; book PTE Academic.

Practise for the score your course needs

The visa minimum is low; the university requirement and, later, the 485 and PR levels are where people fall short. In the Nomto trainer, all 22 PTE task types run in exam timing, with the tone and the 3-second microphone cut-off on spoken tasks. Spoken and written answers get AI feedback on content, fluency and pronunciation with an approximate 10–90 estimate, and Reading and Listening are marked by key with partial credit and negative marking where the test uses it. A full mock test gives a report on all four skills. If you are still learning the format, start with the PTE exam pattern.

Sources

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