The 10–90 scale
PTE reports an overall score from 10 to 90, plus a score on the same scale for each of the four communicative skills: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing. Many organisations set a minimum for the overall score, for each skill, or for both.
One task, two skills
Some tasks count towards more than one skill, because they use more than one. Read Aloud, for example, involves both reading and speaking; Write from Dictation involves listening and writing. That's why steady work on the integrated tasks can lift more than one of your skill scores at once.
Each task guide explains how that task is marked: by traits such as Content, Oral Fluency and Pronunciation, or by marks per correct answer. See the exam format for the full task list.
What 50, 65 and 79 mean
| 79 | CEFR C1; roughly IELTS 8.0 on Pearson's 2026 concordance. A common high target. |
|---|---|
| 65 | A common target score. |
| 50 | A common minimum target score. |
79, 65 and 50 are common targets; check the score your university, employer or visa body asks for. Requirements differ between organisations and change over time.
Scores on PTE Practice
Every attempt here gets an automatic score. Reading and Listening are marked against the published rules; Speaking and Writing are a calibrated emulation on the 10–90 scale, not Pearson's engine. Use them to find your weakest task and track your trend, then sit Pearson's official practice test before test day.
FAQ
It depends on what you need it for. Each university, employer or government body sets its own minimum, often both overall and for each skill, so start from their requirement.
PTE Practice is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Pearson. Our scores are a calibrated emulation, not official PTE scores.