What is my IELTS band in PTE Academic scores?
Quick answer
Pearson, which owns PTE Academic, relates its scale to IELTS Academic bands: PTE 47 to IELTS 6, 55 to 6.5, 63 to 7, 71 to 7.5, 79 to 8, 86 to 8.5 and 90 to 9. Each PTE figure is the minimum Pearson relates to that band; it is Pearson's estimate.
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The table below is Pearson’s, read from its PTE Academic scoring page on 7 October 2026. Pearson notes that the IELTS concordance was updated on research published in July 2025, after the PTE Academic test was updated. Try any band in the score converter, which also shows TOEFL iBT, the CEFR and the Duolingo English Test.
Pearson’s table: the minimum PTE Academic score related to each IELTS band
| IELTS Academic overall | PTE Academic overall (minimum) |
|---|---|
| 9 | 90 |
| 8.5 | 86 |
| 8 | 79 |
| 7.5 | 71 |
| 7 | 63 |
| 6.5 | 55 |
| 6 | 47 |
| 5.5 | 39 |
| 5 | 31 |
| 4.5 | 24 |
Read it as thresholds: the PTE figure is the lowest score Pearson relates to that band, so a PTE score belongs to the highest row whose threshold it reaches. 58 is in the IELTS 6.5 row, 62 still is, 63 moves to the 7 row. The steps are eight points wide from 5 to 8 (seven from 4.5 to 5) and narrow at the top, where 86 relates to 8.5 and 90, the maximum, to 9. Pearson’s table starts at IELTS 4.5; it gives no figure for lower bands.
The CEFR, which both tests publish
Pearson’s chart also places PTE Academic scores on the CEFR: roughly 30 to 42 for A2, 36 to 58 for B1, 50 to 75 for B2, 59 to 82 for C1 and 76 to 90 for C2, with the ranges overlapping because the chart shows the easiest and the most difficult tasks at each level. IELTS publishes its own CEFR alignment for overall bands, which is a second way to compare the two tests when a requirement is stated as a CEFR level.
What the comparison is, and is not
Pearson’s own words on the page: the table shows how PTE Academic and IELTS Academic scores compare to each other, and shows nothing about accepted tests or score requirements for universities or visa authorities. IELTS publishes no PTE table. So the concordance tells you which PTE score to aim for when a page quotes only an IELTS requirement; where the page quotes a PTE requirement, that figure is the one that counts.
What this means for your score
A candidate who needs "IELTS 7 or equivalent" and sits PTE Academic reads 63 as the PTE score Pearson relates to IELTS 7. A score of 60 relates to IELTS 6.5 on this table, not to 7, because 63 is the minimum for the 7 row; and a score of 70 is still in the 7 row, since 7.5 starts at 71.
Frequently asked questions
What PTE score is IELTS 6.5?
Pearson relates PTE Academic 55 to IELTS 6.5 and 63 to IELTS 7, so scores from 55 to 62 sit in the 6.5 row. The figure is the minimum PTE score related to that band on Pearson's concordance, updated in July 2025.
What PTE score is IELTS 7?
PTE Academic 63. Scores from 63 to 70 relate to IELTS 7; 71 starts the 7.5 row and 79 the 8 row.
Is PTE 65 the same as IELTS 7?
On Pearson's table 65 sits in the IELTS 7 row, which starts at 63. Many universities state their own PTE requirement directly, and that figure, not the concordance, is what counts for the application.
Is the IELTS to PTE conversion official?
It is Pearson's published concordance between the two tests, based on its own research. IELTS does not publish a PTE table. Pearson's own note says the table shows how the scores compare and nothing about which scores universities or visa authorities accept.
Sources
- PTE Academic scoring: how PTE Academic relates to the CEFR and to IELTS Academic — Pearson
- IELTS scoring in detail: band scores explained — IELTS.org
Last verified 7 Oct 2026
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