Which English Test Should I Take in 2026? A Guide by Purpose

Most students ask us "PTE or IELTS?" before they have answered a more useful question: what is the result for? An Australian skilled visa, a Canadian PR profile, a UK student visa, nursing registration in Australia and a teacher skills assessment all ask for English proof. They do not all accept the same tests. A score that is perfect for one of them can be worth nothing for another.

So this guide answers "which English test should I take?" by purpose, not by which test is easier. For each goal it lists the tests the deciding body accepts, says where PTE fits, and says plainly where it does not. Every acceptance rule here comes from the official page of the body that makes the decision. Rules change, so check that page again before you book.

Which English Test Should I Take? The Purpose Matrix

Find your row first. The detail for each row is further down.

Your goal	Who decides	Accepted tests	Where PTE fits
Australian visa or PR (189, 190, 491, 485, 500 and others)	Department of Home Affairs	PTE Academic, IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, TOEFL iBT, OET, Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic, Michigan English Test	PTE Academic is accepted
Study at an Australian university	The university, plus Home Affairs for the visa	Set by each university	Check your course page for PTE Academic
Study or skilled residence in New Zealand	The provider (study) or Immigration New Zealand (residence)	Provider's list for study; INZ's list for residence	PTE Academic is on INZ's skilled residence list
Nursing, midwifery or medical registration in Australia	Ahpra and the national boards	PTE Academic, OET, IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1/C2	PTE Academic at a test centre is accepted
Canada PR through Express Entry	IRCC	PTE Core, CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training	PTE Core only. PTE Academic is not accepted
Study in Canada and the PGWP afterwards	The college or university, then IRCC for the PGWP	School's list for admission; CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training or PTE Core for the PGWP	PTE Core for the PGWP
UK visas (student, skilled worker, family, settlement)	UK Home Office	A Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider	PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Home only
Nursing registration in the UK	Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)	IELTS Academic, OET	Not accepted
US universities	Each university	Varies by school	Only where the school lists it
Teacher skills assessment in Australia	AITSL	IELTS Academic only	Not accepted

Australia: Visas, PR and University Study

Australia is where PTE Academic fits most cleanly, and it is where most of our students are headed or already living.

Visas and PR

Home Affairs publishes one list of approved tests for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025: Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, Michigan English Test, OET, LANGUAGECERT Academic, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT. Two conditions catch people out:

• If you book TOEFL iBT for an Australian visa, choose "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when you register. Home Affairs says a result not registered under that pathway is not eligible for Australian visa purposes.
• At-home tests are refused. Home Affairs does not accept fully online, remote-proctored tests. Its examples include IELTS Online, OET@Home and TOEFL iBT Home Edition.

For PR, the test matters for points as much as for eligibility. Competent English earns 0 points, Proficient earns 10 and Superior earns 20. On PTE Academic, Competent is L47, R48, W51 and S54, and all four scores must come from one score report. Our Australia PR English guide has the Proficient and Superior bands.

University study

Two separate bars apply. Home Affairs sets the student visa floor, which is PTE Academic 47 overall for higher education. Your university sets its own entry score, and it is usually the higher of the two. Meet the higher one. The university's course page is the only source for that number. Our PTE for Australian universities page explains how to read those pages.

New Zealand

For student visas, Immigration New Zealand leaves the course English requirement to the education provider. Ask the provider which tests it takes. For skilled residence, INZ accepts PTE Academic, with 58 overall for the principal applicant. Remote tests taken outside a test centre are not accepted.

Health Professionals: Ahpra in Australia, the NMC in the UK

Registration is a separate step from the visa, run by a different body, with its own list.

Nurses, midwives and doctors in Australia

Ahpra accepts PTE Academic (computer-based, at a test centre only), OET, IELTS Academic including One Skill Retake, TOEFL iBT, and Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency. For tests taken on or after 23 April 2026, the PTE minimums are 63 overall with L58, R59, W60 and S76. Speaking 76 is where most nurses we coach get stuck, because it asks for long, fluent, steady answers under time pressure.

Doctors work under the same Ahpra English standard. The Medical Board also accepts NZREX and PLAB as profession-specific routes, so PTE is one option, not the only one. Nurses comparing tests can read PTE vs OET for Ahpra and our PTE for nurses page.

Nurses heading to the UK

The NMC accepts two tests, IELTS Academic and OET. It states that these are the only tests it can accept, and that it is not looking to accept any others at the moment. PTE does not work for NMC registration. If the UK is your nursing goal, prepare for IELTS Academic or OET instead.

Canada: PR and Study Use Different Tests

This is the row where students lose the most money. In Canada, PTE Academic and PTE Core are different exams.

Express Entry and PR

IRCC accepts three English tests for Express Entry: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core. PTE Academic and IELTS Academic are not accepted. Results must be less than 2 years old both when you create your profile and when you submit your PR application. Our PTE Core for Canada page covers the CLB conversion, and PTE Core vs CELPIP compares the two most common choices.

Study permit and PGWP

For admission, your college or university decides which tests it accepts. Check its admissions page. The post-graduation work permit has its own rule. IRCC asks for CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training or PTE Core, taken in person, with results less than 2 years old when you apply. The level is CLB 7 in all four skills for a university program and CLB 5 for a college program.

So a student who used PTE Academic for admission will need a second test, on IRCC's list, for the PGWP. Plan that from the start.

UK Visas Need a SELT

For a UK visa, the test must be a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider, sat at an approved test centre, and awarded in the two years before you apply. Outside the UK the approved providers are PSI Services, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson.

Pearson has two SELTs: PTE Academic UKVI (all four skills, for student and skilled worker routes) and PTE Home (speaking and listening, for family, settlement and citizenship). Standard PTE Academic is not a SELT. Students book the wrong one more often than you would think.

• Student, degree level: B2, which is at least 59 in each skill on PTE Academic UKVI. A university can also assess your English itself for degree-level study, so ask the university first.
• Skilled Worker: B2 for new applicants since 8 January 2026.
• Partner, first visa: A1 in speaking and listening, which PTE Home A1 covers.

Our PTE Academic UKVI guide covers every route and level.

US Universities and Australian Teachers: Where PTE May Not Be Your Test

US universities

There is no single US rule. Each university sets its own list and scores, and lists can differ between departments in the same university. If a school does not name PTE Academic on its admissions page, do not assume it accepts it. Email the admissions office before you book anything. Our comparisons of PTE vs TOEFL and PTE vs Duolingo help once you know what your schools take.

Teachers in Australia

AITSL assesses teachers for skilled migration, and it accepts the Academic IELTS Test Report Form only. AITSL's English language proficiency page says it does not accept PTE, PEAT, ISLPR, TOEFL, Cambridge or any other form of English language test. You need Reading 7.0, Writing 7.0, Speaking 8.0 and Listening 8.0 on one report.

The visa itself is different: Home Affairs accepts PTE Academic at the visa stage. Some teachers end up sitting IELTS for AITSL and PTE for visa points. State and territory teacher registration is set by each regulator, so check yours. Our teachers page walks through both steps.

Where PTE Fits, and Where It Doesn't

PTE Academic is a strong fit for Australian visas and PR, Ahpra registration and New Zealand skilled residence. PTE Core is the right PTE for Canada PR and the PGWP. PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home are the PTE options for UK visas.

PTE does not work for AITSL, for NMC registration, for Canada PR (unless it is PTE Core) or for a UK visa (unless it is a UKVI or Home test). We would rather tell you that now than coach you for a score you cannot use.

If you are torn between PTE and IELTS for a goal where both count, read PTE vs IELTS for Australia and Canada.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Booking PTE Academic for Canada PR. IRCC wants the PTE Core option. An Academic score cannot be converted or reused.
• Booking standard PTE Academic for a UK visa. Only PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Home is a SELT.
• Sitting PTE for an AITSL assessment. AITSL takes Academic IELTS only.
• Assuming a university's test works for the visa. In Canada, admission and the PGWP can need two different tests.
• Taking an at-home version for an Australian visa. Home Affairs refuses fully online tests.
• Trusting a friend's list from last year. Home Affairs changed its list and bands on 7 August 2025, and Ahpra changed its PTE minimums on 23 April 2026.

Step-by-Step: Pick Your Test in Five Checks

1. Write down every use you have for the result. A student visa now and PR in three years are two uses.
2. Open the official page for each use. Home Affairs, IRCC, gov.uk, Ahpra, the NMC, AITSL or your university.
3. Keep only the tests that appear on every list you need. If none overlap, you will need two tests.
4. Check the version. PTE Academic, PTE Core, PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home are separate bookings.
5. Choose by how you score, then by logistics. Short, timed, computer-scored tasks suit some people. Long, human-rated tasks suit others. Then check centres and dates near you.

Tips for Nepali Students and Others Testing from South Asia

• Check centres before you choose. Pearson lists PTE centres in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Pokhara, Chitwan, Tilottama and Itahari. Confirm on the booking screen that your centre offers the exact product you need.
• Plan for two goals if you have them. Many of our students study in Australia first and apply for PR later. PTE Academic is on the Home Affairs list for both visas, which is one reason it suits that path.
• Already in Australia? If PR is the goal, the list is settled. The open question is how fast you reach Proficient or Superior.
• Accent is not the problem students think it is. What drops Speaking scores is pausing, restarting and fading out at the end of a sentence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which English test should I take for Australian PR?

Home Affairs accepts several tests, including PTE Academic, IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Pick the one where you can reach Proficient or Superior fastest, because that is where the points are. All four component scores must come from one test result.

Can I use PTE Academic for Canada PR?

No. IRCC accepts PTE Core, CELPIP-General and IELTS General Training for Express Entry. PTE Academic is not on the list, even though Pearson makes both tests.

Is PTE accepted for UK visas?

Only PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home. They are Pearson's two Home Office approved SELTs. Standard PTE Academic is not a SELT, so it cannot be used for a UK visa application.

Does the NMC accept PTE for UK nursing?

No. The NMC accepts IELTS Academic and OET only, and says it is not looking to accept other tests at the moment. Ahpra in Australia does accept PTE Academic.

Can teachers use PTE for an AITSL skills assessment?

No. AITSL accepts the Academic IELTS Test Report Form only. PTE Academic can still be used at the Australian visa stage, which Home Affairs assesses separately.

Conclusion

Which English test you should take depends on who reads the result. For Australian visas, PR and Ahpra, PTE Academic is accepted. For Canada PR it has to be PTE Core. For UK visas it has to be PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Home. For AITSL and the NMC, PTE is not an option at all.

If PTE fits your goal, the next step is knowing your gap. Book a free score assessment, or see how 1-on-1 PTE coaching with the team of Smriti Simkhada works around your time zone. If PTE does not fit, we will tell you so on the first call.