Score setting guidance for institutions
Following the publication of a new Concordance report in July 2025 showing an updated concordance between PTE and IELTS Academic, PTE has put together guidance to help you set the right score requirements for your institution’s needs.
Where can I find the updated concordance report?
You can download the concordance report here, and it can also be found in the 'Latest publications' section of our Research page.
We have also produced a handy summary paper showing the key findings at a glance.
What do the findings show?
The overall score concordance between PTE Academic and IELTS Academic has been adjusted and you can see an updated table here.
The updated table is similar to previous concordance studies between PTE Academic and IELTS Academic. The new concordance study also introduces separate concordance values for each of the four skills.
Should I update my entry requirements?
While it is always good practice for institutions to review their entry requirements regularly, concordance tables aren’t always the most important factor in decision-making.
Concordance studies only give an approximate relationship between two tests. Score requirements should be based on an understanding of the required performance standard: what an applicant needs to know and be able to do in order to communicate effectively in their destination environment.
We recommend institutions also consider alignments to language proficiency frameworks, like the CEFR (Common European Framework for Languages), and examples of test taker performance at different score points.
CEFR alignment
There are no changes to the relationship between the updated PTE Academic test and the CEFR (Common European Framework for Languages). If your institution sets requirements based on CEFR levels, the current CEFR alignment table remains relevant.
Performance exemplars
The exemplar videos below have been designed to offer a clear illustration of performance across B1, B2 and C1 CEFR levels for Writing and Speaking. For each band, performance is indicated at low, mid, and high levels. Each sample is accompanied by commentary highlighting key features such as vocabulary range, sentence structure, coherence, and typical errors.
The exemplars are aligned with PTE Academic scores and provide examples of what performance looks like in practice, supporting you in determining expected performance standards.