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The Australian Department for Home Affairs (DHA) recently updated their score requirements for all accepted tests of language proficiency. The new score requirements take effect from 7 August 2025.
From 7 August, anyone who takes the test for DHA visa purposes will need to meet updated score requirements.
The table below shows the old and new score requirements for each score.
We have also created a more accessible version of this table at the end of this article.
Not necessarily. It is important to remember that the category a test taker can achieve is based on all of their scores. Some requirements have increased but most have decreased. Pearson carried out research as part of the enhancements to PTE Academic, including a score concordance study of 1,522 participants. Almost 90% of the participants in the study would be classified in the exact same category or higher by the new visa requirements.
Following the recent updates to the PTE Academic test, a number of official preparation resources have also been created or updated to help you achieve the best score. These range from free test tips documents providing guidance on the two new question types to fully scored practice tests that reflect the updated test.
Yes. If you took the test before 7 August, the previous DHA score requirements still apply. This is the case even if you submit your application after 7 August.
The previous score requirements are shown below:
Remember that if you took the test before 7 August, the old requirements still apply.
If you are taking the test after 7 August, our standard Reschedule Policy allows you to change the date of your test for free if you have more than 14 days to go.
If your test is taking place between 7 August and 21 August and you feel you have not had enough time to prepare for the updated score requirements, please contact our Customer Services team to discuss your options.
Like other governments and institutions, the DHA independently decides the score requirements for their visa programs based on the research data we share with them. PTE does not influence the DHA's decision.
To find out official information about the DHA score requirements, please visit the DHA website. This page will also show the previous score requirements that are applicable for tests taken before 7 August.
We always encourage you to get the most up-to-date information from the institution or government’s own website.
This version of the table displays the updated DHA score requirements in a more accessible format.
| Category | Old Each Skill | New Overall | New Listening | New Reading | New Speaking | New Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Functional | 30 | 24 | - | - | - | - |
| Vocational | 36 | - | 33 | 36 | 24 | 29 |
| Competent | 50 | - | 47 | 48 | 54 | 51 |
| Proficient | 65 | - | 58 | 59 | 76 | 69 |
| Superior | 79 | - | 69 | 70 | 88 | 85 |
During 2018 students, migrants, and professionals that sat PTE Academic received their scores in even less time than ever before. In fact, during 2018, 85.7% of PTE Academic test takers received their results within just 2 days.
Learning a language is much easier when you’re enjoying yourself – which is why watching movies can be a great way to immerse yourself in the language.
What better way is there to pick up new phrases and slang terms that you would not learn in the classroom, all with popcorn in hand?
It can be hard to know which movie to choose so here are our top ten to help you get started. These films are chosen for their language clarity and cultural insights, offering a fun way to improve English skills for beginners and advanced learners alike.
If you are not feeling confident, watch with subtitles and you will soon pick things up.
A fantastic choice for beginners, this film teaches English while taking you through the heart of American history. This movie is one of the best English movies for learners as Forrest speaks so slowly throughout the entire movie. It is also an iconic 90’s movie which will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.
Perfect for all ages, these films are a treasure trove of rich vocabulary set in a magical world. Many things make the Harry Potter series great for your linguistics skills! Aside from the rich vocabulary, due to the sheer number of films in the series you will get to build up your understanding of different characters, their personalities, accents and ways of communicating.
What a great idea for learning English – watching a film where the main character – a historic British figure – is learning to speak! King George VI struggles to communicate due to a speech impediment, which means pronunciation is a very big focus in this movie.
For lovers of classic literature, this film offers a window into historical British English. The movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice will also expose you to societal norms, colloquial expressions, formal language and phrases as this movie is set in the early 19th century England.
This is one of the best English movies to watch, especially for beginners. It is full of day-to-day phrases and a slower pace, so it is easier to follow along. It is also a Christmas classic for all the family.
Great for picking up informal turns of phrases, slang and expressions used by British people. It also showcases a variety of British (and Irish) accents, so you can expose yourself to a breadth of British ways of speaking.
A charming film for mastering conversational American English.
Immerse in everyday conversational English set in contemporary America.
Animated and perfect for beginners, this film is set in Medieval Scotland so you will get to experience the Scottish accent and culture as well as learning some everyday phrases and idioms.
This movie should be on your list if you are focusing on advanced language learning. The language and the plot are both really complex. You will be exposed to advanced vocabulary and narratives which are really thought-provoking.
These films offer an immersive, engaging, and often emotionally resonant context for language learning. Whether you're just starting or looking to refine your skills, each movie is a step forward in your language-learning adventure.
Ready to prepare for your English language test? Explore Smart Prep, which combines all our practice materials in one place, so it's easier for you to stay on track with your PTE preparation.
Smart Prep is a clear path to test day, guiding you through the official paid and free resources available for your test
It can be accessed whether you’ve booked a test or not – just create, or sign in to your myPTE account
Preparation materials include guided practice tests, introductory videos, video courses and test tips.
Smart Prep brings all our free and paid preparation into one convenient place, so you can mix and match to fit your unique needs. Perfect if you have booked your test and are not sure where to start with your preparation journey.
Here are four top tips to help you get started:
All you need to do is set up your free myPTE account, and you will have access to all our free and official prep resources — so everything you need to be ready ace your test is at your fingertips.
As close as you can get to the test without taking the real thing. Our unique Scored Practice Tests are just like a mock test and are marked in the same way as your PTE test. So you can see how you score and then focus on the areas you need to improve.
With five to choose from, we recommend you use them throughout your prep journey to check your progress.
Practice makes perfect and our PTE Academic Question Bank is packed full of questions with model answers, plus samples for speaking and writing. So you have plenty of opportunity to practice before the real thing.
Finally, don’t forget to download our free PTE Academic Handbook and Score Guide.
The handbook covers everything you need to know about taking PTE Academic - from how to prepare and test day policies, to how to retake your test if necessary.
And, the PTE Score Guide helps you understand things like what you’re graded on, how automated scores work, and how our scores compare with those of other English language tests.
PTE is more than an English language test. It’s your ticket to studying abroad.
