Free practice test

Tests

Driving testsCitizenship testsSchool and university admissionsNursing, medicine and healthEnglish and French testsTeachingMoney, law and insuranceTrades and work licencesPilots, drones, boats and radio

Countries

United StatesCanadaUnited KingdomAustraliaNew Zealand

Australia · English test

PTE Core: the PTE test for Canada

Canada’s immigration department, IRCC, accepts PTE Core, not PTE Academic, for Express Entry and permanent residence. Pearson also lists PTE Core for citizenship and postgraduate work permits. You take it at a test centre in about 2 hours, and IRCC turns each skill score into a CLB level: CLB 7 needs at least 68 in speaking, 60 in listening, 60 in reading and 69 in writing.

Free practice test

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

PTE Core scores and CLB levels

This is IRCC’s chart, as of its page updated 16 October 2026. The lowest number in each range is the score you need for that CLB level.

CLBSpeakingListeningReadingWriting
10 and above89+89+88+90+
984-8882-8878-8788-89
876-8371-8169-7779-87
768-7560-7060-6869-78
659-6750-5951-5960-68
551-5839-4942-5051-59
442-5028-3833-4141-50

How is PTE Core different from PTE Academic?

PTE Core uses everyday workplace and community English, while PTE Academic is built for university study and Australian and New Zealand visas. The two new speaking tasks added in August 2025 are in PTE Academic only. PTE Core didn’t change.

PartPTE CorePTE Academic
Speaking and Writing7 question types, 50-65 minutes9 question types, about 76-84 minutes
Reading5 question types, 27-37 minutes5 question types, about 23-30 minutes
Listening7 question types, 22-37 minutes8 question types, about 31-39 minutes

Results, validity and booking

  • Pearson says most PTE Core results arrive within two business days.
  • A score is valid for two years from the test date. IRCC wants results less than two years old both when you create your Express Entry profile and when you submit your PR application.
  • You can’t take PTE Core at home. It’s at an authorised test centre.
  • The fee depends on the country you test in, and shows when you pick a centre.

PTE Academic for Canada

For study, your Canadian university sets the test and score it wants, and Pearson says PTE Academic is accepted by virtually all universities in Canada. For Express Entry, IRCC’s approved English tests are CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core, so a PTE Academic score won’t count there.

Every PTE test and what it’s for →Booking a PTE test →

Explore

Everything else, in one place

OverviewPTE AcademicScoringHow PTE Academic scoring worksBookingHow to book your PTE testCostPTE exam fee in AustraliaOnline testCan you take PTE Academic online?Test formatPTE Academic test format: three parts, 22 question typesSpeakingPTE speaking: the tasks and how they’re scoredWritingPTE writing: the essay, the summaries and the markingReadingPTE Academic reading: five question typesListeningPTE Academic listening: eight question typesResultsPTE results: when they come and how long they lastAustralian visasPTE Academic for Australian PR and other visasPTE vs IELTSPTE Academic equivalent to IELTS scoresTypes of PTEPTE General test vs PTE Academic, Core and HomeTest centresPTE test centres in AustraliaTest datesPTE Academic dates and test availabilityHandbookPTE Academic handbook and official guidesPractice testPTE mock test: 20 free practice questionsWhere to learnWhere to do your PTE preparationStudy plannerHow to prepare for PTE Academic: your study planner
Sources: IRCC, Pearson PTE and 2 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.