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Are you thinking about studying in the UK? If so, you’re not alone. Each year, over 500,000 international students enrolled at a UK university. In fact, after the United States, the UK is the second most popular destination for higher education students.
UK universities are renowned for excellent teaching and cutting-edge research, and UK degrees are highly valued by academics and employers worldwide. But to study there, you’ll need to demonstrate you have an appropriate level of English.
Our PTE Academic secure language test is accepted by nearly every university in the UK – as well as for all immigration applications. So, what score will you need to earn a spot in a university? Let’s find out:
When it comes to world rankings, UK universities consistently perform well. According to this year’s QS World University Rankings, four of the top 10 universities around the globe are located in the UK.
Going to a UK university isn’t just a good move as far as your education goes. It’s also a great way to immerse yourself in a new culture and meet lots of different people.
The UK is small, but it’s also very diverse. This means your student experience will be quite different, depending on whether you choose to study in a big multicultural city like London or Glasgow, or a smaller university town like St. Andrews or Exeter.
The amount of money you’ll need to study in the UK will also vary. Student fees differ from institution to institution. At the same time, your accommodation and day-to-day living expenses will depend on where your university is located.
Check out our guide on the cost of living in the UK.
To secure a student visa and attend a UK university, you’ll need to prove you have the English speaking, reading, writing and listening skills needed to succeed in your studies.
The PTE Academic English test is accepted by 99% of universities across the UK.
Still, each has slightly different entry requirements. But as a general UK government rule, for programs below degree level – such as a foundation program – you will need to demonstrate a CEFR B1 level of English. For programs at degree level and above, you will need to demonstrate CEFR B2 level of English.
PTE Academic provides transparent and easy to understand scoring. After taking the test you will receive an overall English score, as well as see how you performed in the Listening, Reading, Speaking, and writing areas of the exam.
You’ll also get a:
Grammar score
Spelling score
Oral Fluency score
Vocabulary score
Written Discourse score
If you’re happy with your results, you can assign your scores to the universities or institutions you are applying to directly from the myPTE account you created when registering. If you want to improve your scores, you can re-book the test after some more practice.
Find out how PTE Academic scoring compares with other English tests.
Here are the required PTE Academic scores for 25 universities across the UK, including their Times Higher Education World University and QS World University rankings:
| Higher Education institutions | Time HE rank | QS rank | PTE Score Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine | 11 | 8 | 56-62 |
| University College London | 16 | 10 | 59-75 |
| London School of Economics and Political Science | 27 | 49 | 58 – 65 |
| King’s College London | 35 | 31 | 59-75 |
| The University of Manchester | 51 | 27 | 49-73 |
| The University of Warwick | 77 | 62 | 60 – 75 |
| The University of Glasgow | 92 | 77 | 59 – 70 |
| The University of Birmingham | 107 | 87 | 51 – 67 |
| Queen Mary University of London | 110 | 114 | 51 – 57 |
| Error | 121 | 93 | 51 – 56 |
| The University of Lancaster | 136 | 135 | 50 – 70 |
| University of Durham | 149 | 86 | 56 – 62 |
| The University of Leeds | 160 | 91 | 56 – 60 |
| The University of Sussex | 160 | 246 | 56 – 67 |
| The University of Liverpool | 163 | 181 | 51 – 62 |
| The University of Leicester | 170 | 242 | 56 – 67 |
| Newcastle University | 178 | 152 | 56 – 69 |
| The University of Aberdeen | 178 | 207 | 51 – 54 |
| Cardiff University | 191 | 159 | 36 – 78 |
| The University of East Anglia | 200 | 333 | 42 – 50 |
| The University of Bath | 201-250 | 173 | 51-67 |
| The University of Dundee | 201-250 | 319 | 56 – 67 |
| The University of Reading | 201-250 | 205 | 51 – 67 |
| The University of Surrey | 251-300 | 267 | 42 – 73 |
| The University of Kent | 301-250 | 380 | 65 – 68 |
Don’t forget to explore our huge range of resources to prepare for PTE Academic!
A great English test should do more than produce a score. It should measure how people use English in the real world and provide a result that helps them move forward with confidence.
Your PTE overall score is important, but it is sometimes misunderstood. If you have ever calculated the average of your Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing scores, and wondered why the number does not match your overall score, we are here to help. This guide explains why the overall score is not a simple average, what it is based on, and how to read it confidently.
If your PTE skill scores look very different from each other, that does not automatically mean something has gone wrong. Your Score Report includes individual scores for Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing, and most test takers do not perform in exactly the same way across every skill. Here we explain what your PTE results can show you, why different skill scores can be completely normal and how to use that information calmly and practically.
