IELTS or PTE — which test suits you?
The language test is the biggest points dial you can turn yourself: the difference between minimum and top score is 20 points. Both tests are accepted, but they reward different things.
4 min read
Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
Both tests count in full for your Australian visa, so choose the test you perform best in. IELTS has a speaking test with a human being opposite you, and if you fall short on one component, you may redo only that component. PTE runs entirely on a computer and delivers a result faster.
The choice matters, because the language test is the biggest points dial you can turn yourself. For an Australian visa for skilled migrants, points count: the more points, the better your chance of an invitation. Your occupation is fixed and your age is fixed. Your work experience grows slowly. But to your English score you can add twenty points with targeted preparation. For most Dutch people this is where the most is to be gained.
What the test earns you
Australia distinguishes three levels, and only the top two earn points.
| Level | IELTS score | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Competent | 6.0 per component | 0 |
| Proficient | 7.0 per component | 10 |
| Superior | 8.0 per component | 20 |
Competent is the entry requirement: without that level you can't take part, but it earns you not a single point. Proficient gives ten points, Superior twenty.
It's about every component separately. An average of 8.5 with one 6.5 in it counts as the lowest component. Your score is determined by your weakest skill, not by your average.
The invitation threshold, the score with which you actually get an invitation in practice, differs per occupation. In the June 2026 round it ran from 65 points for sought-after trades to 100 for the most crowded occupations. That is why Proficient is the minimum goal for most people, and Superior is the score that really opens doors. The good news: Dutch people score strongly on English on average, and with targeted preparation Superior is achievable for many.
What sets the two tests apart
Both tests are fully accepted. So the choice is not about which test is "better", but about which form you perform best in.
IELTS has a speaking test with a human being opposite you. The thresholds are stable and clear: 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 per component. And IELTS offers the One Skill Retake: if one component drops below the threshold, you may redo only that component instead of the whole test. That is a big difference in cost and nerves if you fall just short on one skill.
PTE is fully computer-based and delivers a result faster. Against that, the thresholds per component have been raised since August 2025 and are unevenly distributed. Speaking weighs heavily in it.
The rule of thumb
If you find talking to a computer unnatural, choose IELTS. If you want your result quickly and you're about equally strong in all components, PTE is perfectly fine.
If you're in doubt about one weak component, the One Skill Retake of IELTS is weighty enough to tip the balance.
Two things to know beforehand
Tests taken fully online are not accepted. You have to go to a test centre. Home versions of both tests exist, but not for this purpose. Check when booking that you choose the right variant.
Your result is valid for three years for your visa application. So testing too early is rarely a problem. Too late is: without a result you can't submit an Expression of Interest, the registration with which you compete for an invitation. Your application then stands still until you have that score.
Book before you start practising
That sounds back to front, but it works. A booked date is the best incentive. And waiting times at Dutch test centres can grow; you don't want to discover that only at the moment you're ready to test.
Plan the test six to ten weeks ahead: enough time to practise in a targeted way, not so far away that the momentum drains.
Practise the test format, not "English"
Most Dutch people lose points on Writing. That is rarely down to their language level. It is almost always down to the structural requirements of the test: structure, word count, and whether you actually answer the task instead of writing around it.
So start with one full practice test to know where you stand, and after that direct your practice time entirely at your lowest component. That is what your score is determined by.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 3 of 5 of the journey, step 3.2: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Australia or go straight to step 3.2 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Home Affairs — language requirements and points levels — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- IELTS — test format and One Skill Retake — ielts.org
- Pearson PTE — score thresholds (raised in August 2025) — pearsonpte.com
Read on
- ArubaArrival4 min
School on Aruba: in Dutch, compulsory from four to seventeen, and enrolling between December and February
Aruban education is derived from the Dutch: kindergarten from four to six, primary school from six to twelve, then mavo, havo and vwo. Compulsory schooling runs from the school year in which your child is four on 1 October until its seventeenth birthday. You enrol with the school board, usually between December and February, with an extract from Censo and proof of AZV insurance; public education costs Afl. 75 per school year.
Updated 26 September 2026
- CanadaOrientation5 min
Express Entry and your CRS score: why French is the biggest lever you pull yourself
Canada ranks you on points and invites the top. Two things many sites still have wrong: the points for a job offer were abolished in March 2025, and French yields up to 50 extra points — with French-language draws of their own that usually close far lower than the ordinary ones.
Updated 26 September 2026
- CanadaYour application4 min
The language test for Canada: which test counts, which score you need and what each level earns
For Express Entry you need a language test, and not just any one. For English, Canada only accepts CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core; IELTS Academic does not count. For the Federal Skilled Worker Program CLB 7 in all four skills is the minimum, and your result must be less than two years old both when you create your profile and when you apply.
Updated 26 September 2026