IELTS or PTE for study visa: which is better for you?

Neither IELTS nor PTE is better everywhere. For a study visa, Australia and Ireland accept both, and in the USA, Canada and Germany your university decides. The UK is the one to watch: where a Secure English Language Test is required, you must take IELTS for UKVI or PTE Academic UKVI, not the standard versions. Choose the test every university on your list accepts, then the format that suits you.

Is IELTS or PTE better for a study visa?

It depends on where you are going and which version the visa or university asks for. This is what each destination accepts, as of 14 October 2026:

So the first step is not choosing a test. It is checking the accepted tests on every university page on your list.

Which version do you need for a UK study visa?

GOV.UK says you usually need to prove your English for a Student visa. At degree level or above, your higher education provider can assess your English itself at CEFR B2. If you have no other way to prove it, you need a SELT from an approved provider. Below degree level, such as a foundation year, you need a SELT at B1.

For Pakistani students choosing between the two big names, the Home Office approves only the UKVI versions. These are the minimum scores in each of the four skills on the Home Office list, checked on 14 October 2026:

SELT results are valid for 2 years from the date the test is awarded. Universities usually ask for higher scores than these visa minimums.

Location matters too. On the Home Office list of approved centres outside the UK (9 October 2026), PTE Academic UKVI is offered in Pakistan only in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. IELTS for UKVI is offered in many more cities, including Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Hyderabad and Mirpur. IDP lists IELTS for UKVI at PKR 78,820, and Pearson lists PTE Academic UKVI at USD 240.

If your university can waive the test, read our guide to studying in the UK without IELTS first.

Which test does Australia accept for a study visa?

Australia accepts both. Home Affairs sets these minimum scores for the Student visa (subclass 500), for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025:

ELICOS is an English course packaged before your main course. Home Affairs does not accept tests delivered entirely online, and names IELTS Online as an example, so book either test at a centre in Pakistan. Our guide to the Australia student visa from Pakistan covers the rest of the file.

What about the USA, Canada, Germany and Ireland?

USA. The State Department's manual says a student must show English proficiency only if the admitting school has made it a requirement. If your school admitted you on an IELTS or TOEFL score, the officer must not reassess that decision unless fraud is suspected. So use whichever test your university accepts. Pearson says PTE Academic is accepted widely across the US, but check every university page.

Canada. IRCC sets no language test for the study permit itself, so your institution decides. Plan ahead, though: since 1 November 2024, a post graduation work permit needs CLB 7 for university graduates or CLB 5 for college graduates. IRCC accepts CELPIP General, IELTS General Training or PTE Core for that, not IELTS Academic or PTE Academic. This is general information only; personalised Canadian immigration advice is given through Via Nova's licensed RCIC partner, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant.

Germany. The German Missions in Pakistan ask for confirmation of language skills in the language of instruction. For an English taught degree, that is the test your university accepted.

Ireland. Irish Immigration lists both tests. For degree courses the visa minimum is IELTS Academic 5.0 or PTE Academic 30, and your college will usually ask for more. Our guide to a study visa without IELTS covers the other tests each country accepts.

How are IELTS and PTE different?

Both test listening, reading, writing and speaking, but test day feels quite different.

IDP's Pakistan fee page lists PKR 76,240 in Lahore and Faisalabad, and PKR 75,600 in Islamabad, Gujrat, Karachi and Hyderabad. For the full fee list, including UKVI, Life Skills, date changes and remarks, see our guide to the IELTS fee in Pakistan. PTE is priced in dollars, so its rupee cost moves with the exchange rate.

IDP also offers IELTS One Skill Retake in Pakistan, within 60 days of a full test. Check that your university or visa route accepts it first.

Is PTE easier than IELTS?

Neither test is officially easier, and the scores do not convert in a fixed way. Look at how three governments line them up:

• Australia treats IELTS 6.0 and PTE Academic 47 as its standard minimum.
• The UK treats IELTS for UKVI 5.5 and PTE Academic UKVI 59 in each skill as B2.
• Ireland sets IELTS Academic 5.0 and PTE Academic 30 for degree courses.

So never convert a score yourself. Check the exact number your university and visa set for your test.

What does differ is the format. If you freeze in front of a person, PTE's microphone format may suit you. If you speak well in conversation but lose focus talking to a screen, the IELTS face to face Speaking test may suit you better. Try a timed practice test of each before you book.

How do you choose between IELTS and PTE?

Work through these in order:

1. List every university and country. Write down the accepted tests and minimum scores from each official page. If one university accepts only IELTS, that may decide it.
2. Check the version. A UK foundation year or other course below degree level needs IELTS for UKVI or PTE Academic UKVI. Standard versions will not work.
3. Check where you can sit it. PTE Academic UKVI centres in Pakistan are in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore only, while IELTS for UKVI is offered in more cities.
4. Think beyond the study visa. If you hope to work in Canada after graduating, you will need IELTS General Training, CELPIP General or PTE Core later.
5. Pick the format that suits you. A person or a microphone for Speaking, and how comfortable you are typing at speed.
6. Leave time for a retake. Both tests return results in days, so book early enough to sit again before your university deadline if you miss the score.

Our IELTS and PTE preparation classes cover both formats, and a counsellor can tell you which test fits your list before you pay a fee.

Not sure where you stand?

Send your target countries, university shortlist, intake, last English score (if any) and budget to a Via Nova counsellor on WhatsApp at +92 316 4448062. You will get an honest answer about which test and which version to book, and what score to aim for.