PTE scoring · Australia migration
PTE Superior score: the exact per-skill scores for Superior English
A PTE Superior score is the top of the three English levels in Australia's skilled points test, and it is worth the full 20 points. The scores that count are per skill, not a single overall number, and they changed on 7 August 2025, so the old “PTE 79 in every skill” advice is now wrong. Here is exactly what Superior means today, the numbers you actually need, and how to reach the one score most people miss.
Last reviewed: 26 July 2026. General information only, not migration advice. Always confirm your case on the official Home Affairs website or with a registered migration agent.
The number you came for
The exact PTE Superior scores
For Superior English you must reach every one of these four component scores in PTE Academic. Miss any single one and you drop to Proficient.
That is Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85 and Speaking 88, equivalent to IELTS 8.0 in each band. Notice the shape: the two highest bars are Writing and Speaking, which is why so many candidates land just short of Superior on those two.
Where Superior sits
The three English levels and what each is worth
| English level | PR points | PTE (L / R / W / S) | IELTS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competent | 0 pts | 47 / 48 / 51 / 54 | 6.0 each | Meets the basic requirement, earns no points |
| Proficient | 10 pts | 58 / 59 / 69 / 76 | 7.0 each | The middle tier, 10 points |
| Superior | 20 pts | 69 / 70 / 85 / 88 | 8.0 each | The top tier, the full 20 points |
English is the same 0 / 10 / 20 across the 189, 190 and 491 visas. For the full points breakdown and worked examples, see our PTE score for Australia PR guide.
Clear up the confusion
Superior is not a flat 79 any more
For years, Superior English meant 79 in every skill, so most older guides, forum posts and even some agents still repeat it. That changed on 7 August 2025. Superior is now the uneven per-skill line above: 69, 70, 85, 88. In practice the bar moved up for Speaking and Writing and down for Listening and Reading, so aiming for a flat 79 can leave you short on Speaking and wasting effort on Reading.
If you tested before 7 August 2025: your result is generally assessed against the old scores until 6 August 2028, depending on the visa. Tests taken on or after that date use the new per-skill numbers. When in doubt, confirm against the current Home Affairs English requirements page.
The skill that decides it
Speaking 88 is where Superior is won or lost
Look at the four numbers again. Listening 69 and Reading 70 are within reach for most competent test-takers. The gap almost always sits in Speaking (88) and Writing (85). The good news is that PTE Speaking is the most mechanical part of the exam: it scores content, fluency and pronunciation, and each of those is a habit you can drill, not a talent you are born with.
The tasks that carry the most Speaking marks are Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence. Fix your pacing, stop trailing off at the ends of words, and never go silent, and Speaking moves quickly. For Writing 85, tight structure and clean grammar on Write Essay and Summarize Written Text does most of the work.
The plan
How to reach a Superior score
- 1Sit a full scored mock first.
Do not guess which skill is short. A full mock tells you your per-skill numbers so you can see the exact gap to 69 / 70 / 85 / 88.
- 2Attack the weakest skill, not everything.
Superior is per skill, so the fastest route is closing the one or two components below the line, usually Speaking and Writing.
- 3Drill the highest-leverage tasks.
For Speaking, Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence. For Writing, Essay and Summarize Written Text with a clean template.
- 4Re-sit a full mock within a few days.
Measure the move under real conditions. A drill that feels better means nothing until a full timed mock confirms it.
Questions
PTE Superior score FAQ
Superior English is the top of the three English levels in Australia's skilled migration points test. In PTE Academic it means Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85 and Speaking 88, and it is worth the maximum 20 points for English. You must hit every one of the four component scores, not just an overall number.
No. A flat 79 in every skill was the old standard. Since 7 August 2025, Superior English is Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85 and Speaking 88. Any site still telling you Superior is 79 across the board is out of date.
20 points under the SkillSelect points test. Competent English earns 0, Proficient earns 10 and Superior earns 20. For many candidates, English is the single cheapest way to add 20 points to their total.
Per skill. You need Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85 and Speaking 88 individually. One component below the line drops you to Proficient (10 points), no matter how strong your overall score is.
Speaking at 88 and Writing at 85 are the usual barriers, because those thresholds are the highest. Listening 69 and Reading 70 are far more attainable. Most people who miss Superior miss it on Speaking, so that is where focused practice pays off most.
It depends on your total points and your occupation. Proficient (10 points) is enough for many candidates. But if you are short of an invitation, English is usually the fastest 10 extra points to find, because moving from Proficient to Superior is one better test result rather than years of work experience.
There is no single overall number that guarantees Superior, because it is judged per skill. In practice you need a strong overall in the high 80s with no weak skill, since Speaking must reach 88 and Writing 85. A high overall with a weak Speaking score still fails Superior.
Three years for skilled migration. The test must be no more than 3 years old when you apply. This is different from the general 2-year PTE validity some sites quote for university admission.
Yes, against the old scores, generally until 6 August 2028 depending on the visa. Tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 are assessed against the new per-skill scores.
Yes. PTE Academic is accepted for all three points-tested skilled visas, and Superior English earns the same 20 points across all of them. The visas differ on nomination points, not on how English is scored.
Those systems use different labels. New Zealand states a required overall or per-skill PTE score for its visas, and Canada PR uses PTE Core mapped to CLB levels, not the Australian Superior label. See our New Zealand and Canada guides for those exact numbers.
Start with a full scored mock to find which skill is short of the Superior line, then drill that skill specifically. Because Speaking 88 and Writing 85 are the barriers, most candidates get there fastest by drilling Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence and the writing tasks rather than spreading effort evenly.
PTE Academic offers single-skill retake options, which can be efficient when only one component, often Speaking, is holding you below Superior. Confirm current availability and rules on the official Pearson site.