How to book the PTE in Australia
Book on Pearson's site, pick a centre and a slot at least 24 hours ahead, and make a myPTE account whose name matches your passport exactly. You can reschedule or cancel for free when more than 14 full calendar days remain. After that you cancel and rebook, and the refund shrinks.
Booking, step by step
Pearson's own order, with the parts people get wrong spelled out.
Rescheduling and cancelling
Pearson's policy, last updated 17 September 2026. Days are calendar days.
| Days left before your test | Reschedule | Cancel |
|---|---|---|
| More than 14 | Free | Full refund |
| 14 down to more than 7 | Not possible: cancel and rebook | 50% refund |
| 7 or fewer | Not possible: cancel and rebook | No refund |
Pearson's pages disagree about exactly 14 days: the cancellation page says “at least 14 full calendar days” in one sentence and “more than 14” in others. Its refund policy settles the refund tiers: more than 14 days is 100%, 14 days down to more than 7 is 50%, and 7 days or fewer is nothing. Treat day 14 as the 50% tier and move earlier if you can.
Pearson's refund policy: “1. If you cancel more than 14 days before your booked test time You will receive a 100% refund of your test fee.” “2. If you cancel between 14 days and more than 7 days before your booked test time You will receive a 50% refund of your test fee.” “3. If you cancel 7 days or fewer before your booked test time You will not receive a refund.”
The maximum number of times you can reschedule a single test appointment is 6. If your test is 14 days or less away, “If your test is in 14 days or less, you cannot reschedule your test”.
If you are ill or have a family emergency, Pearson may, at its discretion, let you reschedule free of charge. You fill in its Request Emergency Reschedule form as soon as you know, with your evidence, and it must reach Pearson no later than 72 hours after your test appointment. There is no automatic right to rebook or obtain a refund if you cannot sit a test for medical or family reasons.
ID: the rule that costs people their fee
Pearson's identification policy. Read it before you travel to the centre.
- Bring your valid passport. For all PTE tests, this should be your valid passport.
- It has to be the real thing. A physical ID must be presented. Digital IDs, digital copies, images, photocopies (including certified photocopies) of the ID are not accepted.
- It cannot be expired. The ID must be a valid document (not expired) and issued no more than 10 years ago.
- The details on your booking must match. The name, date of birth, citizenship and gender you use when you book the test must exactly match the details on your ID.
- If you cannot show it, the test is gone. If you cannot produce the required ID when you arrive at the test center, you will not be allowed into the test room and will lose your test fee.
Booking again after a bad result
Pearson's retake policy.
- You can only book your new test once you have received the scores from your last test, and only one test at a time.
- You can book up to 6 months ahead.
- You can take the test more than once a month. However, you can only take the test up to 12 times within a 12-month window.
- Do not open a second account to get round these rules. Pearson says it will delay the release of future test scores and may breach its malpractice policy.
Common questions
On Pearson's booking page: choose PTE Academic, enter your city and it lists centres and open slots. Pearson says you must select a date and time at least 24 hours in advance.
Up to 6 months ahead. The earliest slot you can pick is at least 24 hours away. You can only book one test at a time.
AUD 499 on Pearson's price list. The PTE test cost page covers the extra charges.
Your valid passport. Pearson adds: If you are not able to provide a valid passport, and are taking the PTE Academic test within your country of citizenship, you may be able to present an alternative ID. If you cannot produce the required ID when you arrive at the test center, you will not be allowed into the test room and will lose your test fee.
If your account details do not match your passport, you will not be allowed to take the test and will not be eligible for a refund. Pearson also says you can correct your account details up to 3 days before your test. It is not possible after that, nor on test day.
Pearson gives two hours and asks you to arrive at least 30 minutes before. From an 8:00 start you arrive by 7:30 and, on Pearson's two-hour figure, finish by about 10:00. Keep the morning free until about 10:30. The format page has the sums.
Yes, if your test is more than 14 full calendar days away. Inside 14 days the reschedule button disappears, so you cancel and rebook, and the refund depends on how many days are left.