PTE 47 to 54 to IELTS: what band is it?
Quick answer
Pearson's concordance matches overall PTE Academic scores from 47 to 54 with IELTS 6. The score 47 is the least Pearson relates to band 6, and 55 starts the 6.5 row. The table compares overall scores, reflects Pearson's own estimate, and has no IELTS-published equivalent.
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Part of The IELTS test, answered
Band 6 is where Pearson’s table puts a PTE Academic 47. The row covers 47 to 54, taken from Pearson’s scoring page on 3 November 2026; the full table is on the IELTS to PTE answer.
Reading the 47 to 54 row
The concordance is a list of minimums: 47 for IELTS 6 and 55 for 6.5. Eight PTE scores, 47 through 54, therefore read as IELTS 6. It sets overall scores beside each other and nothing more, and Pearson points out that it does not tell you which tests or scores a university or visa authority will accept.
The first and last scores of the row
A 47 only just reaches IELTS 6, and a 46 one point lower belongs to the 5.5 row. At the other end, 54 is the final score before the table moves up to 6.5 at 55, so a 54 and a 55 land half a band apart even though they differ by a single point.
What IELTS band 6 means
Band 6 is the “competent user” on IELTS.org’s scale: effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings, able to use and understand reasonably complex language, particularly in familiar situations. Band 5 is the “modest user” and band 7 the “good user”. IELTS places overall bands 5.5 to 6.5 at CEFR B2, so a 6 is B2 with no borderline note. Read what level is IELTS 6.0.
An example that lands on 6
Listening 6.0, Reading 6.5, Writing 5.5 and Speaking 5.0 add up to 23.0 and average 5.75. IELTS rounds the average to the nearest half band, with .25 and .75 counted upward, so 5.75 goes up to 6.0 instead of staying at 5.5.
Who sets the bar
The receiving institution does. If it names a PTE figure, that figure is the one to meet. Next to this row sit PTE 55 to 62 for IELTS 6.5 and PTE 39 to 46 for IELTS 5.5. The band score calculator checks an IELTS average.
What this means for your score
If an application says "IELTS 6 overall" and the candidate sat PTE Academic, 47 is where Pearson's table first reaches that band. A 54 is the last score before 6.5, and 46 falls to the 5.5 row.
Frequently asked questions
Is 47 on PTE Academic the same as IELTS 6?
Pearson relates 47 to IELTS 6 as its minimum for that band, and scores up to 54 stay in the same row. This is Pearson's estimate for overall scores, not something IELTS publishes.
Can PTE Academic replace IELTS for a university application?
Only where the institution says so. Which tests are taken and at what score is each institution's decision, and Pearson states the table shows nothing about it.
Does one test have the easier questions?
Neither Pearson nor IELTS publishes a difficulty comparison, so the sources cannot say.
What about converting each skill separately?
The table cannot do it. It deals with overall scores and gives no section figures. IELTS reports four section bands and averages them, so a PTE overall does not break into IELTS sections. When section minimums are required, the requirement page will list them in PTE terms.
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
- IELTS and the CEFR — IELTS.org
Last verified 3 Nov 2026
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