English requirements for Australia PR (2026): Competent, Proficient and Superior

Which rule applies to your test

• Taken on or after 7 August 2025: the per-skill table above applies.
• Taken before 7 August 2025: Home Affairs accepts the result at the old 50 / 65 / 79 minimums until 6 August 2028 inclusive for Competent, Proficient and Superior English. This depends on the visa, and the test still has to have been taken within the 3 years before you are invited to apply.
• Functional English is the exception. Old-format results for Functional English could only be used until 6 August 2026 inclusive, and that window has now closed. For a test on or after 7 August 2025, Functional English is an overall PTE Academic score of 24.
• Test centre only. At-home and remote-proctored tests are not accepted.
• One score report. Each level is defined by the score achieved in a single language test (Migration Regulations 1994, regs 1.15C to 1.15EA), so all four component scores need to be on one PTE Academic result.

How English turns into points: 0, 10 or 20

The points test for subclasses 189, 190 and 491 has a pass mark of 65. English contributes 20 points for Superior (Schedule 6D item 6D21) and 10 points for Proficient (item 6D22). Competent English earns no points: it is the minimum level for these visas. Moving from Proficient to Superior is worth another 10 points, and the biggest steps are in Writing (69 to 85) and Speaking (76 to 88). See exactly what Superior needs on the Superior English PTE page, or put your whole profile into the points calculator.