PTE 55 to 62 to IELTS: what band is it?
Quick answer
Pearson's concordance with IELTS Academic puts overall PTE Academic scores of 55 to 62 in the IELTS 6.5 row. Fifty-five is Pearson's minimum for band 6.5 and 63 opens the band 7 row. The table lines up overall scores, it is Pearson's estimate, and IELTS publishes no PTE table.
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Part of The IELTS test, answered
Searches such as “PTE 62 equal to IELTS” usually want to know whether 62 clears a 6.5 requirement. On Pearson’s table it does, and this page sets out the whole 55 to 62 row as read from Pearson’s scoring page on 3 November 2026. The full table is on the IELTS to PTE answer.
What the 55 to 62 row means
Pearson lists the least PTE Academic score it relates to each IELTS band: 55 for 6.5 and 63 for band 7. Every score from 55 to 62 therefore sits in the 6.5 row. Only overall scores are compared, and Pearson adds that nothing in the table says which tests or scores universities or visa authorities take.
Why the edges matter here
This range is the one most searched, and the edges explain why. Fifty-five is the entry point, and 54 falls into the 6 row. Sixty-two is the top, and 63 is the next score up, which Pearson relates to IELTS 7. So a 58 and a 62 read the same on the table, while 62 and 63 do not.
What IELTS band 6.5 means
IELTS.org gives descriptions for whole bands, so 6.5 lies between two of them: band 6, the “competent user” with effective command despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings, and band 7, the “good user” with operational command and occasional inaccuracies. In “IELTS and the CEFR”, overall bands 5.5 to 6.5 are B2, so 6.5 is the top overall band IELTS places at B2 and 7 is the first at C1. More in what level is IELTS 6.5.
Four sections that make a 6.5
Listening 7.0, Reading 6.5, Writing 6.0 and Speaking 6.0 sum to 25.5, which averages 6.375. IELTS takes the average to the nearest half band, with .25 and .75 rounding up, so 6.375 is reported as 6.5. A Writing of 6.0 can therefore sit under an overall 6.5.
Acceptance and neighbouring rows
The institution decides, and its own stated PTE requirement overrides this table. Above this row is PTE 63 to 70 for IELTS 7, and below it PTE 47 to 54 for IELTS 6. Any score can be tried in the score converter.
What this means for your score
A requirement of "IELTS 6.5 overall" with PTE Academic is read from 55. A 62 is still 6.5 on this table, a 63 belongs to IELTS 7, and a 54 is in the 6 row.
Frequently asked questions
Is PTE 62 equal to IELTS 6.5?
On Pearson's concordance, yes. The row for 6.5 starts at 55 and runs to 62, because 63 is the minimum Pearson relates to IELTS 7. It is Pearson's estimate for overall scores, not an IELTS figure.
Do universities take PTE Academic instead of IELTS?
Each university chooses its own accepted tests and scores. Pearson says the table shows nothing about acceptance or requirements, so the institution's page is the place to look.
Is PTE a simpler test than IELTS?
Pearson and IELTS publish no difficulty comparison between the tests, and the table does not offer one.
How do I convert section scores?
This table does not. It covers overall scores only and the pages it comes from give no section figures. IELTS reports four section bands and averages them for the overall, so a PTE overall does not split into IELTS sections. If a page wants section minimums, use the PTE ones it lists.
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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