Australia · Sydney
PTE score for UNSW Sydney
UNSW Sydney accepts PTE Academic for all international admissions. The standard requirement is 64 overall for undergraduate and 64 overall for postgraduate programs, with per-skill minimums too (see below).
Last verified 2026-10-14. Source: English language requirements: UNSW Sydney
PTE Academic score requirements
Undergraduate
64
overall minimum
Most faculties. Business and Law & Justice: 65 (54 each). Education and Social Work have higher requirements.
Postgraduate
64
overall minimum
Postgraduate coursework standard in Arts Design & Architecture, Engineering, Medicine & Health, Science and UNSW Canberra. Business and Law & Justice: 65 (54 each). Master of Teaching: 73 (65 R/W, 79 L/S).
Visa note: Australian student visa (subclass 500): PTE Academic 47 overall for a test taken on or after 7 August 2025, or 39 if your course is packaged with at least 10 weeks of English (ELICOS) or is a foundation or pathway program, and 31 with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS. No per-skill minimum. For a test taken before 7 August 2025: 50, 42 and 36. This is set by the Australian government (LIN 25/090), not the university.
Requirements are set by UNSW Sydney and can change. Always verify at the English language requirements: UNSW Sydney before applying.
PTE requirements by program and faculty
UNSW Sydney sets different PTE score thresholds depending on your program. The table below lists the most common bands; always confirm the exact requirement for your intended course.
| Band / Level | Overall | Each skill | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 - Standard | 64 | 54+ | Most UG and PG coursework programs |
| Band 2 - Higher overall | 65 | 54+ | Business; Law & Justice; BMed/MD and listed health double degrees |
| Band 3 - Higher per-skill | 65 | 58+ | Postgraduate research in Business and Law & Justice |
| Professional accreditation | 65 | 65+ | Social Work degrees, Master of Psychology (Clinical & Forensic), Master of Clinical Neuropsychology, BNutrition/MDietetics |
| Education | 73 | L79, R65, W65, S79 | Bachelor of Education (Secondary), Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours), Master of Teaching (Primary & Secondary) |
To find the exact PTE requirement for your specific degree, use the UNSW Study Search and select your intended program.
What if your score is below the requirement?
A PTE score that is 2 to 5 points below the requirement is almost always a single-skill problem. One weak skill, commonly Writing or Speaking, pulls the overall score below the threshold while the other three are already sufficient.
The fastest path to closing that gap is identifying which skill is the bottleneck, then drilling it specifically. A free 10-minute diagnostic on this site identifies your weakest skill from your response patterns: no guessing, no wasted prep time.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. UNSW Sydney in Sydney, Australia accepts PTE Academic as proof of English proficiency for both undergraduate and postgraduate admissions. The minimum requirement for most undergraduate programs is 64 overall with no skill below 54, and for postgraduate programs 64 overall with no skill below 54.
For undergraduate entry at UNSW Sydney, you generally need a PTE Academic overall score of 64 with no skill below 54. For postgraduate (masters or graduate coursework) entry, the standard requirement is 64 overall with no skill below 54. Postgraduate coursework standard in Arts Design & Architecture, Engineering, Medicine & Health, Science and UNSW Canberra. Business and Law & Justice: 65 (54 each). Master of Teaching: 73 (65 R/W, 79 L/S). Always confirm with UNSW Sydney directly, as individual faculties and programs can set higher requirements.
Most masters and graduate coursework programs at UNSW Sydney require a PTE Academic overall score of 64 with no skill below 54. Postgraduate coursework standard in Arts Design & Architecture, Engineering, Medicine & Health, Science and UNSW Canberra. Business and Law & Justice: 65 (54 each). Master of Teaching: 73 (65 R/W, 79 L/S).
Australian student visa (subclass 500): PTE Academic 47 overall for a test taken on or after 7 August 2025, or 39 if your course is packaged with at least 10 weeks of English (ELICOS) or is a foundation or pathway program, and 31 with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS. No per-skill minimum. For a test taken before 7 August 2025: 50, 42 and 36. This is set by the Australian government (LIN 25/090), not the university.
It depends on the course, because UNSW Sydney sets its PTE bar by program. Its lowest listed band is 64 overall (Most UG and PG coursework programs) and its highest is 73 overall (Bachelor of Education (Secondary), Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours), Master of Teaching (Primary & Secondary)). So a score below one course's bar can still meet another's. If you are below the band for the course you want, either resit PTE Academic after work on your weakest skill, since one low skill can pull your overall down (and fail any per-skill minimum), or ask UNSW Sydney whether it offers an English pathway program. Check the band for your exact course on UNSW Sydney's English language requirements page.
Neither is easier in general: UNSW Sydney accepts both PTE Academic and IELTS, and what matters is clearing its number for your course, for example 64 overall (no skill below 54) for most undergraduate programs and 64 overall (no skill below 54) for most postgraduate ones. PTE Academic is computer-delivered and scored by AI, and since August 2025 a human expert also reviews the content of seven task types; IELTS Speaking is a face-to-face interview. If a recorded format suits you better than an interview, PTE may be the easier fit. A free PTE mock shows where you stand against UNSW Sydney's bar.
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