Score chart
PTE Core and IELTS General scores, side by side
There is no formula that turns a PTE Core score into an IELTS band. Both tests are aligned to the Canadian Language Benchmarks separately, and the CLB is the only bridge. These tables put the two alignments next to each other for each skill.
The two alignments by skill
Each table reads the same way: find the CLB you need in the left column, then read the PTE Core range and the IELTS General Training band that reach it. The IELTS figure is the minimum band for that level; the PTE Core figure is the full range.
Listening
| CLB | PTE Core Listening | IELTS General Listening |
|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 | 89–90 | 8.5 or higher |
| CLB 9 | 82–88 | 8.0 |
| CLB 8 | 71–81 | 7.5 |
| CLB 7 | 60–70 | 6.0 |
| CLB 6 | 50–59 | 5.5 |
| CLB 5 | 39–49 | 5.0 |
| CLB 4 | 28–38 | 4.5 |
Reading
| CLB | PTE Core Reading | IELTS General Reading |
|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 | 88–90 | 8.0 or higher |
| CLB 9 | 78–87 | 7.0 |
| CLB 8 | 69–77 | 6.5 |
| CLB 7 | 60–68 | 6.0 |
| CLB 6 | 51–59 | 5.0 |
| CLB 5 | 42–50 | 4.0 |
| CLB 4 | 33–41 | 3.5 |
Speaking
| CLB | PTE Core Speaking | IELTS General Speaking |
|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 | 89–90 | 7.5 or higher |
| CLB 9 | 84–88 | 7.0 |
| CLB 8 | 76–83 | 6.5 |
| CLB 7 | 68–75 | 6.0 |
| CLB 6 | 59–67 | 5.5 |
| CLB 5 | 51–58 | 5.0 |
| CLB 4 | 42–50 | 4.0 |
Writing
| CLB | PTE Core Writing | IELTS General Writing |
|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 | 90–90 | 7.5 or higher |
| CLB 9 | 88–89 | 7.0 |
| CLB 8 | 79–87 | 6.5 |
| CLB 7 | 69–78 | 6.0 |
| CLB 6 | 60–68 | 5.5 |
| CLB 5 | 51–59 | 5.0 |
| CLB 4 | 41–50 | 4.0 |
PTE Core ranges from Pearson PTE Core Score Guide, Jan 2024 (v1), p. 9. IELTS General Training minimums from the IRCC language-testing equivalency tables. Both are reproduced for comparison; confirm them on the IRCC site before you apply.
Why there is no direct conversion
IELTS reports bands from 1 to 9 in half-band steps, assessed by human examiners for Speaking and Writing. PTE Core reports 10 to 90 in single points, scored by Pearson's automated engine. The two scales measure the same underlying skills but with different granularity and different task types, so nobody has published a score-to-score mapping, and any chart online that shows one is an inference, not an official table. What is official is each test's alignment to the CLB. IRCC accepts a CLB 8 from either test as the same thing, so the honest comparison is to ask, for a given level, what each test demands.
Where the lines fall differently
Reading the tables across, a few patterns stand out.
- Reading is the lenient column on both, but at different levels. IELTS Reading reaches CLB 5 with a 4.0 and CLB 6 with a 5.0, a full band below the other IELTS skills at those levels. PTE Core's leniency is at the top: CLB 9 Reading needs 78, below the 82, 84 and 88 required in the other skills. The step from CLB 8 to CLB 9 in Reading is one half-band on IELTS (6.5 to 7.0) and nine points on PTE Core (69 to 78).
- IELTS Listening is strict at the top. CLB 9 Listening needs an IELTS 8.0 and CLB 10 needs 8.5, which is the highest threshold in any IELTS column. On PTE Core, CLB 9 Listening starts at 82, in line with the other skills.
- Writing is tight on both. IELTS Writing 7.0 for CLB 9 is widely regarded as the hardest band to reach in IELTS General; PTE Core Writing 88 is likewise the highest minimum in its table. Neither test lets you drift into CLB 9 Writing.
- Speaking diverges at the bottom. CLB 5 Speaking is an IELTS 5.0 but a PTE Core 51; CLB 4 is IELTS 4.0 but PTE Core 42. PTE Core sets a higher floor for Speaking relative to its other skills than IELTS does.
Reading one result in terms of the other
If you have an IELTS result and want to know what you would need on PTE Core, do not look for an equivalent number. Convert the IELTS bands to CLB using the IRCC table for IELTS, then look up the PTE Core minimums for those CLBs. An IELTS 7.5 / 7.0 / 7.0 / 6.5 (Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing) is CLB 8 / 9 / 9 / 8, which on PTE Core corresponds to at least 71 / 78 / 84 / 79. The score planning calculator does the second half of that step for you.
Going the other way is the same process in reverse, with one caution: PTE Core gives a point score, so a 77 in Reading (CLB 8) and a 78 (CLB 9) are one point apart on the test but a full IELTS half-band apart in the comparison. Point scores look more precise than bands, but the boundary effect is identical.
Is one test easier?
Not in a way the tables can show. Each test was aligned so that a person at a given CLB would score at that level, which means the tests are intended to be equally hard for the same underlying ability. What differs is the kind of difficulty. IELTS Speaking is a conversation with an examiner; PTE Core Speaking is a microphone and a timer. IELTS Writing is two handwritten or typed tasks with a human reader; PTE Core Writing is spread across emails, summaries, dictation and fill-in-the-blanks with automated scoring. People who freeze in interviews tend to prefer PTE Core; people who type slowly or dislike headsets tend to prefer IELTS. The full comparison walks through format, cost, delivery and results timing.
Rules that apply to both
- IRCC takes all four skills from one sitting of one test. You cannot mix an IELTS Speaking band with a PTE Core Writing score.
- Results must be less than two years old when you submit a profile and when you apply.
- Only the per-skill results are converted. The IELTS overall band and the PTE Core overall score are not used.
- For Express Entry, the IELTS test must be General Training, not Academic, just as the Pearson test must be PTE Core, not PTE Academic.
These tables describe published alignments and are not immigration advice. Confirm the current equivalency tables on the IRCC site before booking either test.