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PTE Academic · Guides · October 30, 2026 · 7 min read

PTE score for New Zealand 2026: skilled migrant, work visa and student visa requirements

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Immigration New Zealand (INZ) accepts PTE Academic and sets one overall score per visa, not a minimum for each skill. For skilled residence visas, including the Skilled Migrant Category, the principal applicant needs an overall PTE Academic score of 58 or more, and a partner or dependent child aged 16 or older needs 36. For an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) in a job at skill level 3 to 5, the minimum is 29. The test must be taken in person at a test centre and be no more than two years old when you apply. For a student visa, the score comes from your education provider, not from INZ. These figures are as of October 2026.

PTE scores for New Zealand visas at a glance

Visa Who Minimum PTE Academic
Skilled residence visas (Skilled Migrant Category, Work to Residence, Straight to Residence, Care Workforce and Transport Work to Residence) principal applicant 58 overall
Skilled residence visas partner or dependent child aged 16+ 36 overall, or pay for English lessons
Accredited Employer Work Visa, job at ANZSCO or NOL skill level 3 to 5 principal applicant 29 overall
Student visa student set by your education provider

Source: immigration.govt.nz, English language requirements pages, checked on 30 October 2026.

Compare this with Australia, where skilled visas set a minimum in every skill (see PTE score for Australia PR). New Zealand looks only at the overall score, so a weaker Writing or Speaking score can be balanced by the others.

Skilled Migrant Category and other skilled residence visas

INZ requires you, your partner and dependent children aged 16 or older to show you can speak and understand English when you apply for these visas:

Principal applicants can meet the requirement in one of two ways: through an English-speaking background (see below) or with a test. With PTE Academic, the minimum is an overall score of 58. Principal applicants cannot use the option of paying for English lessons.

Partners and dependent children aged 16 or older have three options: an English-speaking background, a test (PTE Academic overall 36 or more), or prepaid English lessons in New Zealand. INZ offers a discount on the lessons that depends on their test score, so a test is still worth taking. There is no English requirement for children under 16.

The full list of tests INZ accepts for these visas is IELTS (General or Academic, including One Skill Retake), TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, B2 First, B2 First for Schools and OET. PTE Core is not on the list, so book PTE Academic. If you are choosing between tests, PTE vs IELTS compares the two.

Using your background instead of a test

You may not need a test if one of these applies and you can provide evidence:

A degree taught in English in India, Pakistan, Nepal or the Philippines does not count under these rules, so most applicants from those countries take a test.

Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

For an AEWV in a job at ANZSCO or NOL skill level 3 to 5, you must show English ability. With PTE Academic, the minimum is an overall score of 29. INZ notes that this requirement now also covers skill level 3 jobs. You do not need to prove it again if you already did so for a previous AEWV. The same background options apply as for skilled residence, and the same test-centre and two-year rules.

This is a low bar, but if you plan to move from an AEWV to residence later, the target becomes 58. It is cheaper to prepare for 58 from the start than to sit the test twice.

Test rules: test centre, two years, and a 2026 change

INZ is specific about the test itself:

Booking steps and centres are in PTE test centres and booking; results usually take a few days, see how long PTE results take.

Student visas: your provider sets the score

For a Fee Paying Student Visa, INZ asks for an offer of place from an approved education provider. The English score you need is the entry requirement of that provider, which must follow the rules of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for international students. So “PTE score for New Zealand student visa” really means “PTE score for your course”.

For example, the University of Auckland asks postgraduate applicants for an overall PTE Academic score of 58 with no communicative skill below 50, and it also accepts PTE Academic UKVI (checked on 30 October 2026). Some programmes ask for more because of professional registration. Our guide to PTE scores for universities has more official examples from New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Canada and the USA.

Pearson says PTE is accepted by Immigration New Zealand and by every New Zealand university and college, but each course page has the final word.

If you need your score for professional registration, for example as a nurse or teacher, the registration body sets its own test rules and scores. Check with them separately; they may differ from INZ’s.

Planning your PTE for New Zealand

  1. Decide which visa you will need in two years, not only today. A student or AEWV applicant who plans to apply for residence later should aim for 58 or more.
  2. Book PTE Academic at a test centre, not PTE Core.
  3. Keep the date in mind: the result must be no older than two years when you lodge, unless the 5-year registration rule applies to you.
  4. Include your partner early. A partner aged 16 or older needs 36 overall, or the family pays for English lessons.

Common questions

What PTE score do I need for New Zealand PR? For skilled residence visas such as the Skilled Migrant Category, the principal applicant needs an overall PTE Academic score of 58 or more.

Is PTE accepted in New Zealand? Yes. INZ lists PTE Academic among its approved tests, and Pearson says all New Zealand universities accept it.

What PTE score is needed for a New Zealand work visa? For an AEWV in a job at skill level 3 to 5, an overall score of 29 or more.

Does New Zealand require a minimum score in each PTE skill? Not for these visas: INZ sets an overall score. Universities often do set skill minimums.

What PTE score does my partner need? 36 overall for skilled residence visas, or they can prepay English lessons instead.

Practise for 58 and above

Moving from the 40s to 58 is mostly about the integrated tasks that count towards several skills at once. In the Nomto trainer, all 22 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 use key-based marking with partial credit and negative marking. A full mock test shows your overall score and all four skills. The PTE score chart explains how the overall score is built.

Sources

PTE Academic™ is a trademark of Pearson. Nomto is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson.