IELTS or PTE — which test suits you?

The language test is the biggest points dial you can turn yourself. Your occupation is fixed, 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 the component with the most to gain.

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.

Because invitations in practice only fall around 85 points, 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 is the only one to offer 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, so your application 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 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. Rarely because of their language level — almost always because of 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.