Onterra TutorIELTS to PTE Academic: what your IELTS band is worth
You hold an IELTS result and want to know where it lands on PTE Academic. The table below is keyed by your IELTS band, with the PTE Academic range the boards align with it beside it.
Check another IELTS score
Try a different band. The answer names the CEFR level and the range on every other test, a published alignment and so a range, not a promise.
Reading your IELTS result
An IELTS report gives a band from 0 to 9 in half-band steps for each skill, then an overall band. This page starts from the overall band, so find that figure first and keep your lowest skill band in mind, because many institutions set a floor for each skill as well.
IELTS bands and where they land on PTE Academic
Rows are keyed by the IELTS band you hold. The PTE Academic column is the range the boards align with the same CEFR level.
| IELTS | CEFR | PTE Academic |
|---|---|---|
| 8.5 to 9.0 | C2 Proficient | 85 to 90 |
| 7.0 to 8.0 | C1 Advanced | 76 to 84 |
| 5.5 to 6.5 | B2 Upper intermediate | 59 to 75 |
| 4.0 to 5.0 | B1 Intermediate | 43 to 58 |
| 3.0 to 3.5 | A2 Elementary | 30 to 42 |
Pearson's concordance, read from IELTS
The one pairwise table a test board itself publishes, overall scores, listed by the IELTS figure.
| IELTS overall | PTE Academic |
|---|---|
| 9.0 | 86 to 90 |
| 8.5 | 83 |
| 8.0 | 79 |
| 7.5 | 73 |
| 7.0 | 65 |
| 6.5 | 58 |
| 6.0 | 50 |
| 5.5 | 42 |
| 5.0 | 36 |
| 4.5 | 30 |
I have IELTS 6.5: what is that on PTE Academic?
Say your IELTS result is 6.5. On the boards' published alignments that band sits at CEFR B2 (upper intermediate), and the PTE Academic range placed at the same level is 59 to 75. So a PTE Academic result inside 59 to 75 says roughly the same thing about your English as your 6.5 does.
Pearson's concordance is more exact for this pair: it puts IELTS 6.5 at PTE Academic 58. Where that figure sits a little outside the CEFR range, expect it: two published tables built in different ways will not agree to the point. Use the concordance for a quick one-number comparison and the range when you need the level.
IELTS 5.5 is the lowest band the boards place at B2. One step lower, 5.0, falls to B1, so a result just under a level line can read a whole level down on PTE Academic. If you are a step or two under, it is worth knowing before you book a resit.
I need PTE Academic 76: what do I need on IELTS?
Now the other way round: suppose the institution asks for PTE Academic 76. That figure sits at CEFR C1, and the IELTS bands placed at that level run 7.0 to 8.0. Aim for the bottom of 7.0 to 8.0 as the lowest result that lines up, and for something above it if you want room to spare.
PTE Academic targets are whole numbers between 10 and 90, and the test is fully computer-marked, so a target is a single number to reach.
IELTS to PTE Academic: questions people ask
I scored 6.5 on IELTS. What is that on PTE Academic?
IELTS 6.5 sits at CEFR B2, and the PTE Academic range aligned with B2 is 59 to 75. It is a range because both boards publish their alignment by level, not by single score.
Is the IELTS to PTE Academic conversion official?
This pair is the one where a board does publish a table: Pearson's concordance, shown on this page. The CEFR ranges come from each board separately, so use them as a guide and not as a guarantee.
My IELTS report has a band for each skill. Which one do I convert?
Convert the overall band first, then look at the skills one by one. A conversion table cannot tell you whether a weak skill will clear a section minimum.
What if I land one point under a PTE Academic target?
Still under it: institutions apply their minimum exactly. That is why this page gives a range and why aiming a few points above the bottom of it is the safer plan.
Other comparisons
IELTS to TOEFL iBT IELTS to Duolingo English Test PTE Academic to IELTS TOEFL iBT to IELTS Duolingo English Test to IELTS PTE Academic to TOEFL iBT TOEFL iBT to PTE Academic Duolingo English Test to TOEFL iBT Duolingo English Test to PTE AcademicIELTS, TOEFL, PTE and the Duolingo English Test are trademarks of their owners, who do not endorse this site. Alignments are the boards' published CEFR mappings, checked September 2026, and are approximate; confirm the exact score your institution requires.