PTE score validity: 2 years, or 3 for Australian migration
PTE Academic scores are valid for two years for most university admission, but Australian migration accepts a result up to three years old. Here is how both rules work, plus the 7 August 2025 test change that gave old and new results different score requirements.
Published 22 August 2026 · 10 min read · PTE Mocks editorial team
Two different clocks, and people mix them up constantly. Pearson issues a PTE Academic result with a standard two-year validity, which is what most universities work to. Australian migration runs its own clock: the Department of Home Affairs asks for a test taken in the three years before your visa application, and how that applies depends on the visa subclass. On top of both sits a third date that catches people out: the tests approved for Australian visas changed on 7 August 2025.
The standard two-year validity
Pearson issues PTE Academic results with a two-year validity, and after that the score is no longer available to send. This is the number most university admissions offices work to, and it is why the general answer to "how long is my PTE score valid" is two years.
Two practical points follow. First, the clock runs from your test date, not from the day the result came through or the day you sent it anywhere. Second, an institution can be stricter than Pearson: a university may ask for a result no more than twelve or eighteen months old, and some competitive programmes do. Always read the admissions page rather than assuming the two-year figure applies.
If your score is approaching expiry and you are still applying, the answer is to book again rather than hope. Our mock tests are the cheapest way to check whether you would still hit the same band before you pay for another sitting.
Australian migration: the three-year rule
Home Affairs does not use Pearson's two-year figure. Its wording is that you must have achieved the required test scores in the three years before your visa application, depending on the visa subclass. That last clause matters, and it is the part most summaries drop.
So a PTE Academic result that Pearson would call expired can still be acceptable evidence for a skilled visa, provided the test date falls inside the three-year window for that subclass. It is not a blanket entitlement. The eligibility page for the specific visa you are applying for is the authority, and it is the page to check before you decide against re-sitting.
| Purpose | Validity | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| University and college admission | 2 years, sometimes less | Pearson, then the institution |
| Australian skilled migration | Up to 3 years, by subclass | Department of Home Affairs |
The 7 August 2025 change that catches people out
On 7 August 2025 the list of English tests approved for Australian visa purposes changed, and PTE Academic itself changed with it. Home Affairs is unusually blunt about this: the new test "has the same name as the previous version of the test that was accepted before 7 August 2025. However, the test and scores are different."
The practical effect is that Home Affairs now publishes two score tables, and which one applies to you depends on when you sat the test rather than when you apply.
| Competent English, PTE Academic | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test taken on or after 7 Aug 2025 | 47 | 48 | 51 | 54 |
| Test taken on or before 6 Aug 2025 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Read that carefully if you are sitting the current test. The requirement is no longer a flat number across all four skills: Speaking now asks for 54 while Listening asks for 47. A result that clears the old uniform 50 everywhere would still fall short on Speaking today, and a result that misses 50 on Listening might now be fine.
Older results have not been thrown away. A test taken on or before 6 August 2025 may be used as evidence of English proficiency until 6 August 2028 inclusive, again depending on the visa. That end date is fixed, so it gets closer every month regardless of how recently you sat.
Which clock applies to you
Work through it in this order, because the answer changes at each step.
| Your situation | What governs your score |
|---|---|
| Applying to a university | Two years from the test date, unless the institution says less |
| Australian visa, test sat on or after 7 Aug 2025 | Within 3 years of the application, subclass-dependent, against the new score table |
| Australian visa, test sat on or before 6 Aug 2025 | Usable until 6 Aug 2028 at the latest, subclass-dependent, against the old score table |
| Test taken online at home | Not accepted for Australian visa purposes at all |
That last row is worth stating plainly because it is absolute rather than a matter of timing: Home Affairs does not accept evidence from English tests delivered completely online, sometimes called remote-proctored or at-home. The test must have been taken at a secure test centre. No amount of validity fixes a test sat in the wrong place.
What expiry actually means in practice
An expired PTE score does not disappear from your life, but it stops being useful in two ways. You can no longer send it to institutions through Pearson's portal, and a body that requires a current result will not accept it as evidence.
What it does not mean is that your ability has expired. If you scored 79 across the board two years ago and have been using English daily since, you have not become a worse candidate. Re-sitting is an administrative cost, not a fresh climb, and most people who re-sit after a gap score at or above their previous result once they have re-familiarised themselves with the task formats.
The one thing that genuinely does change is the test itself. If your old result predates 7 August 2025, the current PTE Academic contains two speaking tasks that did not exist when you sat it, Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation, and the section timings are different. The current exam pattern is worth reading before you book.
Planning around the dates
If your score expires mid-application, the date that matters is the one on your visa or admission application, not the date you started gathering documents. Applications assembled over several months routinely trip on this: the score was comfortably valid when the file was opened and marginal by the time it was lodged.
A reasonable rule for migration: if your test date is more than about two and a half years back, treat the result as something you may need to replace, and book early enough that a disappointing sitting leaves room for another. Pearson results usually arrive quickly, but "usually" is not a plan when a deadline is fixed.
Before you book, sit a full-length practice run under real timing and check the per-skill numbers rather than the overall. Home Affairs reads the four skill scores, not your headline band, and the PTE score chart maps those against the Competent, Proficient and Superior thresholds.
Quick reference: PTE score validity at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How long is a PTE score valid? | Two years as standard, from the test date |
| Is it 3 years for Australia? | Up to 3 years for migration, depending on the visa subclass |
| When does the clock start? | Your test date, not the result date |
| Which date is measured against? | The date you lodge the application |
| What changed on 7 August 2025? | The approved test list, and PTE Academic itself |
| Competent English now, PTE | 47 listening, 48 reading, 51 writing, 54 speaking |
| Competent English before, PTE | 50 in all four skills |
| How long can an old result be used? | Until 6 August 2028 inclusive, depending on the visa |
| Are at-home tests accepted? | No. Secure test centre only |
| Can a university require less than 2 years? | Yes. Institutions may set a shorter window |
Frequently asked
How long is a PTE Academic score valid?
Two years from your test date as standard. That is the window Pearson issues results for and the one most universities work to. Australian migration is the main exception, accepting a result up to three years old depending on the visa subclass you apply under.
Is a PTE score valid for 3 years in Australia?
For migration, yes, within limits. The Department of Home Affairs requires the test to have been taken in the three years before your visa application, and states that this depends on the visa subclass. Check the eligibility page for your specific subclass rather than assuming.
When does PTE score validity start counting?
From the date you sat the test, not the date your result was released or the date you sent it anywhere. If you tested on 1 March, your two-year window closes on 1 March two years later regardless of when the score report arrived.
What date is my PTE score validity measured against?
The date you lodge your application. This trips up applications assembled over several months: a score comfortably valid when you started gathering documents can be marginal by the time the file is actually submitted.
What changed for PTE in Australia on 7 August 2025?
The list of English tests approved for Australian visa purposes changed, and PTE Academic changed with it. Home Affairs notes the new test shares the name of the previous version but that the test and the scores are different, so two separate score tables now apply.
What PTE score is Competent English for Australia now?
For a test taken on or after 7 August 2025: at least 47 listening, 48 reading, 51 writing and 54 speaking. This replaced a uniform 50 in all four skills, so the requirement is no longer a single flat number across the board.
Can I still use a PTE score from before August 2025?
Yes, for a while. Home Affairs states that results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 may be used as evidence of English proficiency until 6 August 2028 inclusive, depending on the visa. They are assessed against the older score table.
Does an expired PTE score mean I have to start over?
Administratively yes, practically no. You cannot send an expired result or use it as evidence, but your English has not expired with it. Most people re-sitting after a gap match or beat their previous score once they have re-familiarised themselves with the task formats.
Can a university require a PTE score newer than 2 years?
Yes. Two years is Pearson's standard validity, not a floor institutions must accept. Universities and professional bodies may require a result no more than twelve or eighteen months old, and some competitive programmes do exactly that.
Are online or at-home PTE tests accepted for Australian visas?
No. Home Affairs does not accept evidence from English tests delivered completely online, also described as remote-proctored or at-home. The test must have been taken at a secure test centre, and no validity period changes that.
Should I re-sit PTE if my score is nearly 3 years old?
If you are applying for an Australian visa, treat anything past about two and a half years as something you may need to replace, and book early enough that a disappointing sitting leaves room for a second attempt before your deadline.
Is the current PTE test the same as the one I sat in 2024?
No. The August 2025 version added two speaking tasks, Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation, and changed the section timings. If your previous result predates that, sit a current-format practice test before you book a real one.
Put it to the test
Free, full-length PTE mock tests, scored by AI. See where you really stand.