PTE 71 to 78 to IELTS: what band is it?
Quick answer
Pearson's concordance places an overall PTE Academic score of 71 to 78 in the IELTS 7.5 row. Seventy-one is the lowest score Pearson relates to 7.5, and 79 begins the band 8 row. It is a comparison of overall scores and Pearson's estimate, since IELTS has no PTE table of its own.
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Part of The IELTS test, answered
IELTS 7.5 is a half band, and PTE 71 is the first score Pearson relates to it. Below is the 71 to 78 row, from Pearson’s scoring page as read on 3 November 2026; the whole table is on the IELTS to PTE answer.
The row for PTE 71 to 78
The concordance lists, for each IELTS Academic band, the lowest PTE Academic score Pearson relates to it. For 7.5 that is 71, and because the next entry is 79 for band 8, eight PTE scores fall in the row. Only overall scores are compared. Pearson also states that the table is not a guide to which tests or scores universities or visa authorities accept.
At the edges of this range
Seventy-one is the doorway: a requirement of IELTS 7.5 first reads as met here, and 70 is a point short, in the IELTS 7 row. At the other end 78 is the last score before band 8, which opens one point later at 79. People checking a result such as 78 should note that it sits in the 7.5 row, not the 8 row, on this table.
What IELTS band 7.5 means
IELTS.org describes whole bands only, so 7.5 has no text of its own. It sits between band 7, the “good user” with operational command and occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings in some situations, and band 8, the “very good user” with fully operational command and only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies. IELTS places overall bands 7 to 8 at CEFR C1 on “IELTS and the CEFR”. The longer discussion is in is a 7.5 IELTS score easy.
A set of four sections that gives an overall 7.5
Listening 8.5, Reading 7.5, Writing 6.5 and Speaking 7.0 total 29.5, an average of 7.375. IELTS rounds the average to the nearest half band, counting .25 and .75 as up, so 7.375 becomes 7.5. A 6.5 in Writing does not stop it.
What decides whether it is enough
The receiving institution does, and if it quotes its own PTE requirement that number is the one to use. Neighbouring rows are PTE 79 to 85 above and PTE 63 to 70 below. The score converter shows any band at once.
What this means for your score
Someone asked for "IELTS 7.5" who takes PTE Academic starts from 71. A 78 still counts as 7.5 on this table, while a 70 drops into the IELTS 7 row.
Frequently asked questions
Does PTE 71 equal IELTS 7.5?
Pearson's concordance relates 71 to IELTS 7.5 as the minimum for that band, and scores through 78 stay in the row. It is Pearson's estimate of how overall scores compare, not an IELTS statement.
Do universities accept PTE Academic as well as IELTS?
Some may, but every institution decides for itself which tests and what scores. Pearson's own note says the table says nothing on accepted tests, so look at the institution's page.
Is IELTS harder than PTE?
Neither Pearson nor IELTS publishes a comparison of difficulty, and this table does not make one. It maps scores to scores.
How are section scores converted?
They are not converted here. The table works on overall scores only, and the sources give no section figures. IELTS reports four section bands and averages them for the overall, so a PTE overall cannot be broken into IELTS sections. A page that asks for section minimums will state its PTE figures.
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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