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

PTE for UK visa 2026: PTE Academic UKVI vs PTE Academic, scores per visa and booking

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For a UK visa that needs an English test, the Home Office accepts only a Secure English Language Test (SELT), and Pearson’s SELT for four skills is PTE Academic UKVI. It is the same test as PTE Academic, but it is booked as a UKVI test at an approved centre and comes with a SELT reference number for your application. For Skilled Worker and degree-level study the level is CEFR B2, which on PTE Academic UKVI means at least 59 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Family, settlement and citizenship routes test only speaking and listening, and Pearson’s test for those is PTE Home. These rules are as of October 2026.

PTE Academic UKVI vs PTE Academic

PTE Academic PTE Academic UKVI PTE Home (A1, A2, B1)
Content and scoring 22 task types, 10–90 scale identical to PTE Academic short speaking and listening test
On the Home Office SELT list no yes yes
Gives a SELT reference number no yes yes
Typical use in the UK degree-level study, if your university accepts it Skilled Worker, Health and Care, Student visa below degree level partner and parent visas, extensions, settlement, citizenship

Pearson describes PTE Academic UKVI as having the same content, format and scoring as PTE Academic; the only difference is the reference number the Home Office needs. So you prepare for both in exactly the same way: the PTE exam pattern is the same, task for task.

The practical difference is in booking. A plain PTE Academic result has no SELT reference number, so it cannot be used where the Home Office asks for a SELT. If you are not sure which one you need, book UKVI only when your visa route or your university tells you to.

The Home Office SELT list

The gov.uk page on SELTs sets the rules every test must meet. Your test must:

Outside the UK, you can take a SELT only with PSI Services (Skills for English UKVI), the IELTS SELT Consortium (IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills), LANGUAGECERT, or Pearson. For Pearson, the approved tests are PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home. Inside the UK, Trinity College London replaces PSI on the list.

The page also explains that routes need one of two types of test:

CEFR level per visa

The level is set on the CEFR scale (A1 to C2). The gov.uk guide for each visa names it:

Visa or application CEFR level Pearson test
Student, course at degree level or above B2 PTE Academic UKVI, or the test your university accepts (see below)
Student, course below degree level B1 PTE Academic UKVI
Skilled Worker (new applications and switches from most routes) B2 PTE Academic UKVI
Skilled Worker, extending a visa held before 8 January 2026 B1, usually already proved —
Health and Care Worker B2 (same extension rule) PTE Academic UKVI
High Potential Individual B2 PTE Academic UKVI
Partner or parent, first visa A1 speaking and listening PTE Home A1
Partner or parent, extension after 2.5 years A2 speaking and listening PTE Home A2
Settlement (ILR) and citizenship B1 speaking and listening PTE Home B1

Sources: gov.uk “Knowledge of English” pages for each visa and the SELT guidance; Pearson’s UK SELT guide, checked on 30 October 2026. Nationals of majority English-speaking countries, and people with a degree taught in English, may not need a test; each visa page lists the exemptions.

PTE Academic UKVI scores for each CEFR level

The Home Office’s list of approved tests taken outside the UK gives the minimum PTE Academic UKVI score for each level. The score applies to every skill, and there is no separate overall requirement:

CEFR level Listening Reading Writing Speaking
B1 43 43 43 43
B2 59 59 59 59
C1 76 76 76 76
C2 85 85 85 85

So for a Skilled Worker visa (B2), an overall 70 with 58 in Writing is not enough: one skill below 59 fails the level. Look at your weakest skill, not your overall score. The PTE score chart explains how integrated tasks feed several skills at once, which is the usual way to lift a weak one.

PTE Home tests are graded pass or fail at the level you book.

Studying at a UK university: which PTE?

For a course at degree level or above with a university (a Higher Education Provider), gov.uk says the university can assess your English itself and may ask for a different test, as long as it is equivalent to B2. In practice, most universities accept plain PTE Academic for degree courses, and many also accept PTE Academic UKVI. Pearson’s advice matches: choose PTE Academic for degree-level study at a university, and PTE Academic UKVI for courses below degree level or at a place that is not a university.

University scores are usually higher than B2 and vary by course. Imperial College London’s standard requirement is 62 overall with at least 56 in each skill, and King’s College London asks for 62 overall with at least 59 in each skill for its Band D programmes. Our guide to PTE scores for universities lists more, each from the university’s own page.

A common trap: a pre-sessional English course is below degree level, so it needs a SELT. If your offer includes one, check whether the university wants PTE Academic UKVI before you book.

Where to book PTE Academic UKVI

Book through your myPTE account on pearsonpte.com and choose PTE Academic UKVI, not PTE Academic. Only centres on the Home Office’s list can deliver it. The list of approved centres outside the UK (updated 23 October 2026) includes centres delivering Pearson tests in:

The list changes often, so check it on gov.uk the week you book. The Home Office says you should usually be able to sit a test within 28 days of booking, though not always at the nearest centre. Book in the exact name on the passport you will show on the day, and be wary of third-party agents: the Home Office recommends booking through official channels and checking that any agent charges no more than the provider. For the booking steps and fees, see PTE test centres and booking and the PTE exam fee guide.

Results usually arrive within two days, according to Pearson; see how long PTE results take. Your SELT reference number appears on the score report, and you enter it in your visa application. Pearson says a PTE Academic UKVI score is valid for two years from the test date.

Common questions

Is PTE accepted for a UK visa? Yes, as PTE Academic UKVI (four skills) or PTE Home (speaking and listening), both on the Home Office SELT list. A plain PTE Academic result is not a SELT.

What is the difference between PTE UKVI and PTE Academic? The test is the same. PTE Academic UKVI is booked at an approved centre and gives a SELT reference number that the Home Office needs.

What PTE score do I need for a UK Skilled Worker visa? CEFR B2, which is at least 59 in each of the four skills on PTE Academic UKVI.

What PTE score is needed for a UK student visa? For a course below degree level, B1: at least 43 in each skill on PTE Academic UKVI. For degree level, your university sets the score, usually 59 or more in each skill.

Can I use PTE for UK ILR or a spouse visa? Use PTE Home: B1 for settlement and citizenship, A1 for a first partner visa and A2 for the extension.

Prepare once, for either version

Since PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI are the same test, the preparation is the same. 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, AI feedback on content, fluency and pronunciation with an approximate 10–90 estimate, and key-based marking with partial credit and negative marking for Reading and Listening. Take a full mock test to see your four skill scores side by side: for a UK visa, the lowest one decides.

Sources

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