PTE Academic UKVI is an English test approved by the UK Home Office for visa applications. It tests you on all four language skills: writing, speaking, reading, and listening.
You will attend an official test centre and take PTE Academic UKVI on a computer to sit the test. The entire test is computer-based and takes around two hours. After sitting the test, you will typically receive your results within 48 hours.
To meet the requirements of the Skilled Worker visa, you will need to score a minimum of 43 on your PTE Academic UKVI test. The best way to make sure you get the score you need is to prepare as thoroughly as possible for the test:
It’s crucial to know the test format well before you sit PTE Academic UKVI. The test content is precisely the same as PTE Academic. The test is split into three sections: Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening. There are 20 different types of questions across the three separate sections. Each question type follows a specific structure. It’s essential to learn about the different question types. Using specific techniques for each question to get the highest possible score.
In the test, different questions are scored in different ways. You’ll be marked on some questions whether you’ve given a correct answer. But in others, your score will be affected by how closely you followed the instructions (i.e., did you go over the word limit) and the quality of your response, which is affected by pronunciation and oral fluency. You can find out how we score each question in our test format guide.
There are lots of different preparation materials for PTE Academic UKVI. You can prepare using Scored Practice Tests, which will allow you to sit a mock test and see what score you would receive. This will tell you what questions and skills you need to work on.
There’s also the Official Guide to PTE Academic, a textbook that offers an in-depth test guide and detailed advice on the techniques and strategies you will need to get the correct score. The PTE Academic Question Bank has over 300 questions to practice with. Explore our preparation materials in our preparation guide.
Many people prepare for PTE Academic UKVI independently, but others find it helpful to do a preparation course. A free, one-hour online course gives you an excellent introduction to the test. You could also do the six-hour online speaking course by Pearson partner Macquarie University. Or, look for a preparation course near you.
With the proper preparation, you’ll surely get the score you need to apply for your UK Skilled Worker visa and achieve your dream of living and working in the UK!
You should choose PTE Academic UKVI if:
You can apply for the following Work visas:
The test covers 20 types of questions across three sections. These three sections evaluate your skills in listening, reading, writing, and speaking in English! Here’s a breakdown of the test and its different sections:
| Question Type | Description |
| 1. Personal Information (ungraded) | Record a short introduction of yourself |
| 2. Read Aloud | Read the text on the screen aloud |
| 3. Repeat Sentence | Listen to the audio and repeat what you hear |
| 4. Describe Image | Look at the image (diagram, chart, graph, etc.) and describe it out loud |
| 5. Re-tell Lecture | Listen to the lecture and summarize its main points |
| 6. Answer Short Question | Answer the question you’ll hear in one or more words |
| 7. Summarize Written Text | Read the text and summarize the key points in 75 words |
| 8. Essay | Based on the prompt, write a 200-300 words essay |
| Question Type | Description |
| 1. Personal Information (ungraded) | Record a short introduction of yourself |
| 2. Read Aloud | Read the text on the screen aloud |
| 3. Repeat Sentence | Listen to the audio and repeat what you hear |
| 4. Describe Image | Look at the image (diagram, chart, graph, etc.) and describe it out loud |
| 5. Re-tell Lecture | Listen to the lecture and summarize its main points |
| 6. Answer Short Question | Answer the question you’ll hear in one or more words |
| 7. Summarize Written Text | Read the text and summarize the key points in 75 words |
| 8. Essay | Based on the prompt, write a 200-300 words essay |
| Question Type | Description |
| 1. Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks | Select the appropriate words for the blank spaces of the passage from a drop-down menu |
| 2. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer | Choose more than one answer after reading the text |
| 3. Reorder Paragraphs | Organize the randomly shuffled paragraphs in the correct order |
| 4. Fill in the Blanks | Drag and drop the correct words into the blank spaces of the text |
| 5. Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Choose the appropriate answer after reading the text |
| Question Type | Description |
| 1. Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks | Select the appropriate words for the blank spaces of the passage from a drop-down menu |
| 2. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer | Choose more than one answer after reading the text |
| 3. Reorder Paragraphs | Organize the randomly shuffled paragraphs in the correct order |
| 4. Fill in the Blanks | Drag and drop the correct words into the blank spaces of the text |
| 5. Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Choose the appropriate answer after reading the text |
| Question Type | Description |
| 1. Summarise Spoken Test | Summarize the audio you hear in 50 to 70 words |
| 2. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer | Choose more than one answer based on the audio you’ll hear |
| 3. Fill in the Blanks | Listen to the audio as you read the text on screen and type in the missing words |
| 4. Highlight Correct Summary | Choose the summary that best describes the audio you’ll hear |
| 5. Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Choose a single answer after listening to the audio |
| 6. Select Missing Word | After hearing the audio with a word missing, choose the word that fits in the missing section |
| 7. Highlight Incorrect Words | Mark the words that are different on your screen compared to the audio |
| 8. Write from Dictation | Type what you hear in the audio recording |
| Question Type | Description |
| 1. Summarise Spoken Test | Summarize the audio you hear in 50 to 70 words |
| 2. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer | Choose more than one answer based on the audio you’ll hear |
| 3. Fill in the Blanks | Listen to the audio as you read the text on screen and type in the missing words |
| 4. Highlight Correct Summary | Choose the summary that best describes the audio you’ll hear |
| 5. Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Choose a single answer after listening to the audio |
| 6. Select Missing Word | After hearing the audio with a word missing, choose the word that fits in the missing section |
| 7. Highlight Incorrect Words | Mark the words that are different on your screen compared to the audio |
| 8. Write from Dictation | Type what you hear in the audio recording |
As you can see, the test integrates more than one skill for evaluation under each section. You’ll use your reading and writing skills for a specific question type, listening and speaking skills, and so on. This is because, of course, we use these four aspects of English language ability in everyday life and academic settings in conjunction.
To get a better idea of the look and feel of the test, we recommend checking out this PTE Academic Guide! The site includes a series of short clips demonstrating what the questions will look and sound like during a real test.
PTE Academic Score Comparison
The PTE Academic scores compare easily against other English proficiency test scores like the IELTS! You can see the relationship between these scores – known as concordance – below:
| PTE A | 23 | 29 | 36 | 46 | 56 | 66 | 76 | 84 | 89 | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 9.0 |
