Proficient vs Superior English: Updated IELTS and PTE Scores for Australia (2026)

If you are preparing for an Australian visa and still aiming for PTE 79 in every skill, I want you to check your target before you plan your next test. For PTE Academic taken on or after August 7, 2025, four scores of 79 meet the Proficient English thresholds, but fall short of Superior English.

IELTS remains straightforward: Proficient English requires at least 7.0 in each of the four skills, while Superior English requires at least 8.0 in each. PTE Academic now has a different minimum for each skill.

I checked the Department of Home Affairs requirements on October 26, 2026. Here is how I would read them and turn them into a preparation target.

Proficient English: current IELTS and PTE requirements

For tests taken on or after August 7, 2025, these are the minimum scores:

IELTS Academic or General Training

• Listening: 7.0
• Reading: 7.0
• Writing: 7.0
• Speaking: 7.0

PTE Academic

• Listening: 58
• Reading: 59
• Writing: 69
• Speaking: 76

I would check all four component scores against these minimums. An overall score does not replace a missing component requirement. See the official Proficient English requirements.

Superior English: current IELTS and PTE requirements

For the same test-date period, Superior English requires:

IELTS Academic or General Training

• Listening: 8.0
• Reading: 8.0
• Writing: 8.0
• Speaking: 8.0

PTE Academic

• Listening: 69
• Reading: 70
• Writing: 85
• Speaking: 88

Again, each skill must reach its own minimum. I would read the complete score report before describing a result as Superior English. See the official Superior English requirements.

Did the PTE requirements increase?

For Writing and Speaking, yes. For Listening and Reading, the numerical minimums decreased.

Under the previous thresholds, Proficient English required 65 in every PTE skill. Writing has moved from 65 to 69, and Speaking from 65 to 76. Listening and Reading are now below the old target.

For Superior English, the previous requirement was 79 in each skill. Writing has moved from 79 to 85, and Speaking from 79 to 88. Listening and Reading are below their previous minimums.

That is why I would avoid saying simply that every PTE target has gone up. The practical change is more specific: your study plan needs to reflect four different targets. The numerical changes alone also do not tell us whether IELTS or PTE will be easier for a particular candidate.

Why your overall score can hide the problem

Consider an IELTS result with Listening 8.5, Reading 8.5, Writing 7.0, and Speaking 8.0. The overall band is 8.0. However, Writing is below the Superior English minimum.

For PTE, imagine a result with 79 in every component from a test taken today. That result clears the current Proficient English requirements. It does not clear Superior English because Writing and Speaking are below their respective minimums.

These examples show why I would start with the component scores. A strong overall result is useful information, but it cannot tell you on its own whether you have met the level you need.

Which requirements apply to an older PTE result?

Home Affairs separates tests taken on or before August 6, 2025, from tests taken on or after August 7, 2025. The date you sat the test matters when choosing the score table.

Older results may still be usable, subject to the relevant visa rules and validity period. I would check the test date and the official requirements for the particular visa together, rather than apply today's thresholds to every past result.

How I would turn these scores into a study plan

First, establish whether you are working toward Proficient or Superior English. Then write down your current result beside the minimum for each skill.

If your target is Superior English and your PTE Listening and Reading already meet the requirements, continuing to spend most of your practice time on those skills may leave the real gap untouched. I would examine your Writing and Speaking responses and identify what needs to change there, while maintaining the skills that are already on target.

I would also look at the type of difficulty. Are you missing information, struggling to develop an answer, losing control of grammar, or speaking unclearly under time pressure? Each problem calls for different practice. A target score tells you where you need to go; reviewing your actual work helps you decide how to get there.

The IELTS Success Package and PTE Success Package connect a Readiness Check, a study plan, masterclasses, and focused practice in the Practice Studio. I recommend using sample Writing and Speaking responses to understand how an answer is built, then applying that reasoning to your own work. Practice scores are estimates; your official test result is what you submit as evidence.

If your practice has stalled, I explain how to identify the next useful change in my guide to getting your IELTS, PTE, or MET score moving again.

Frequently asked questions

Is IELTS 7 in every skill Proficient English?

Yes. I checked both IELTS Academic and General Training: the minimum is 7.0 in each skill. Superior English requires 8.0 in each.

Is PTE 79 in every skill still Superior English?

For a test taken on or after August 7, 2025, no. I would check Writing and Speaking against the current Superior English minimums of 85 and 88. For an older result, use the table for its test date.

Should I switch from PTE to IELTS because of the changes?

I would compare your actual performance in both formats before deciding. A higher number on one scoring scale does not establish that the exam is harder. Your response quality, familiarity with the tasks, and remaining skill gaps give you a more useful basis for choosing.

Do these levels apply to every Australian visa?

I am comparing the named Proficient and Superior English levels here. I would check your specific visa, and any separate professional registration requirements, before choosing your final preparation target.

Cover photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.