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NOT IMMIGRATION ADVICE · FIGURES QUOTED FROM OFFICIAL SOURCES · LAST FULL SOURCE CHECK 4 OCT 2026
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SUBCLASS 189Skilled IndependentHome Affairs

PTE score for the 189 Skilled Independent visa

The English requirement for the 189, shown in the test you plan to take. Quoted from Home Affairs and checked on 3 Oct 2026.

ENGLISH LEVEL
Competent
at least, from Home Affairs
PTE EACH SKILL
47–54
tests from 7 Aug 2025
IELTS EACH SKILL
6
Academic or General Training
TEST WINDOW
At invitation
level checked at invitation
SHORT ANSWER
47–54
each skillPTE Academic
LISTEN47
READ48
WRITE51
SPEAK54

At least 47 in listening, 48 in reading, 51 in writing and 54 in speaking.

Verified 3 Oct 2026 · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
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NOT ADVICERequirements change. Confirm on the official Home Affairs page before you book a test or lodge your application.

Check your scores

Enter your results in the test you took. Nothing is saved or sent.

You meet the requirement
Listening
NEED 47
Meets
Reading
NEED 48
Meets
Writing
NEED 51
Meets
Speaking
NEED 54
Meets

Every accepted test

Home Affairs publishes a minimum for each test. These are not conversions.

PTE AcademicACCEPTED
LEVEL
Competent
EACH SKILL
47–54
Listening 47 · Reading 48 · Writing 51 · Speaking 54
IELTS AcademicACCEPTED
LEVEL
Competent
EACH SKILL
6
Listening 6 · Reading 6 · Writing 6 · Speaking 6
IELTS General TrainingACCEPTED
LEVEL
Competent
EACH SKILL
6
Listening 6 · Reading 6 · Writing 6 · Speaking 6
TOEFL iBTACCEPTED
LEVEL
Competent
EACH SKILL
16–19
Listening 16 · Reading 16 · Writing 19 · Speaking 19
CELPIP GeneralACCEPTED
LEVEL
Competent
EACH SKILL
7
Listening 7 · Reading 7 · Writing 7 · Speaking 7
OETACCEPTED
LEVEL
Competent
EACH SKILL
290–330
Listening 290 · Reading 310 · Writing 290 · Speaking 330
LANGUAGECERT AcademicACCEPTED
LEVEL
Competent
EACH SKILL
57–70
Listening 57 · Reading 60 · Writing 64 · Speaking 70
Michigan English TestACCEPTED
LEVEL
Competent
EACH SKILL
48–57
Listening 56 · Reading 55 · Writing 57 · Speaking 48
Cambridge C1 AdvancedACCEPTED
LEVEL
Competent
EACH SKILL
163–179
Listening 163 · Reading 163 · Writing 170 · Speaking 179

Taken before 7 August 2025

Home Affairs keeps the older scores for results from the previous version of each test.

PTE ACADEMICIELTS ACADEMICTOEFL IBTCAMBRIDGE C1 ADVANCED
LRWSLRWSLRWSLRWS
50505050666612132121169169169169

If you're short

01Find the weak skillUse the checker above. Competent English is set per skill, so one low skill fails the test.
02Resit or use a retakeHome Affairs accepts IELTS results that include One Skill Retake for eligible visas. Check the visa page to confirm yours is one.
03Mind the windowHome Affairs says the test must be inside the 3 years before your application, depending on the visa subclass.
BOOK OR PREPAREThe link goes to the provider's own site. How this works
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Common questions

Home Affairs: “At the time of invitation, you must have at least competent English.” Competent English is the level this page's scores are for.

For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, at least 47 in listening, 48 in reading, 51 in writing and 54 in speaking. Home Affairs sets no overall score for this level.

Yes for competent English. Home Affairs lists IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training at 6 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking.

You achieved one of the test scores in Table 1 or Table 2, in the 3 years before your visa application, depending on the visa subclass.

Home Affairs says you can show you are a citizen of, and hold a valid passport from, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the United States of America.

A separate table applies for tests taken on or before 6 August 2025. For PTE Academic it is 50 in listening, 50 in reading, 50 in writing and 50 in speaking.

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