TOEFL or PTE for study in Australia?

Both tests will get you a Student visa (subclass 500), as long as you take them at a test centre and reach the minimum score. The visa minimum is a TOEFL iBT total of 67 or a PTE Academic score of 47 if you're going straight into your main course. So the real question is not which test Australia accepts. It is which test your university accepts, and which format suits the way you work under pressure.

The visa figures below come from the Home Affairs instrument for student visa English requirements (LIN 25/090) and the Home Affairs English language page. Test details come from ETS and Pearson. All were checked in November 2026.

Are TOEFL and PTE both accepted for an Australian student visa?

Yes. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, Home Affairs lists both PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT among the tests it accepts, provided they are "undertaken at a secure test centre". It does not accept tests delivered completely online, and it names TOEFL iBT Home Edition as one of them. Pearson's PTE Academic is taken at a test centre in any case.

For TOEFL there is one more condition. Home Affairs says you must select "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when you register, and results not registered this way may not be accepted for visa purposes. ETS says visa applicants must take the TOEFL iBT Australia test at an authorised test centre. That test keeps the format used before January 2026 and is scored 0–120. The updated TOEFL iBT, scored on a 1–6 scale, is a different product, and it is not the one to book for a visa. Our guide to TOEFL for Australian visas explains the registration step in detail.

Student visa scores side by side

The instrument sets three minimums for each test. Which one applies depends on whether your main course comes with an English course (ELICOS) or a foundation or pathway program.

Source: LIN 25/090, Schedule 1, as of November 2026.

Two things to notice. First, these are overall scores only. The visa does not set a minimum for each section in either test, although universities often do. Second, the two columns use different scales, so you can't compare 67 and 47 directly and decide one test is "easier". Compare your practice results in each test with that test's own number.

The test must be taken in the two years before you lodge the visa application. Our student visa guide covers the two-year rule and who is exempt.

What your university is likely to ask for

The visa minimum is a floor. Universities set their own English requirements for direct entry, and these are usually higher, often with a minimum for every section. Many Australian universities list both TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic as accepted tests, but the scores, section minimums and rules about which TOEFL version they take vary by university and by course.

Before you book, open the English requirements page for your course and check three things:

1. Is the test you want on the list?
2. What overall score and section scores does the course need?
3. For TOEFL, does the university state which version it accepts? Some providers accept the updated 1–6 TOEFL for admission, but your visa will still need TOEFL iBT Australia. Most students find it simpler to sit TOEFL iBT Australia once and use the same result for both.

Our guide to TOEFL scores for Australian universities explains how course pages state their requirements.

How the two tests compare

Neither test puts you in front of a human examiner for Speaking. If speaking to a person matters to you, IELTS is the option to look at; see TOEFL or IELTS.

Where the tests really differ

Long texts or many short tasks. TOEFL iBT Australia is built around academic material. You read academic passages and answer a set of questions on each, and in Listening you hear lectures and campus conversations before answering. The tasks are longer and the questions are grouped. PTE uses a larger number of short tasks, each with its own timer, and moves quickly from one to the next.

Separate skills or mixed skills. In TOEFL, the Reading score comes from Reading questions and the Listening score from Listening questions, although some Speaking and Writing tasks ask you to read or listen first. Pearson describes PTE as an integrated test in which some tasks count towards more than one skill. That can help if your skills are even, and hurt if one skill, often spelling or pronunciation, is much weaker than the rest, because the weakness can show up in more than one score.

Writing. TOEFL Writing asks for longer responses in which you organise an argument or explain how a reading and a lecture relate. PTE's writing is spread across shorter tasks, including summaries. Students who plan well and type quickly usually like TOEFL's writing tasks. Students who write well in short, controlled bursts often prefer PTE.

Result timing. Pearson says PTE results typically arrive within two days. TOEFL scores are posted to your ETS account after the test; check ETS for the current timing before you book if your deadline is close.

Three students, three choices

These examples are invented, but they show how the decision usually goes.

Hoa has an offer for a Master of Engineering with no ELICOS, so she needs at least 67 in TOEFL or 47 in PTE for the visa, and her university's own requirement is higher. She reads academic articles in English for work and finds long passages comfortable, but her spelling is inconsistent. She chooses TOEFL iBT Australia, partly because spelling errors won't spread across several skill scores.

Diego is enrolling in 10 weeks of ELICOS packaged with a diploma, so his visa minimum is 51 in TOEFL or 39 in PTE. His university's list includes both. He scored better on a timed PTE practice task set than on a full TOEFL practice section, mainly because he struggled to keep his concentration through long lectures. He books PTE.

Aisha applied to two universities. One lists TOEFL and PTE; the other, for her course, lists TOEFL but not PTE. The decision is made for her. She books TOEFL iBT Australia and selects "Taking TOEFL for Australia" at registration, so the same result works for both universities and her visa.

Common mistakes when choosing

Comparing the numbers across tests. 47 in PTE and 67 in TOEFL are both the main-course visa minimum, on different scales. Neither is easier.

Booking the wrong TOEFL. The updated TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition are not the version for an Australian visa. Book TOEFL iBT Australia at a test centre. Our article on Home Edition or test centre covers this.

Checking the visa but not the university. A score that meets the visa minimum can still be below your course's requirement, or below a section minimum.

Choosing on forum reputation. Claims that one test is "easier" ignore what matters: which format suits your weakest skill. Try a timed section of each before you pay.

Leaving no room for a retake. Whichever test you take, plan for the possibility of sitting it twice before your enrolment or visa deadline.

Checklist before you book

• [ ] My university and course list this test, and I know the overall and section scores they need.
• [ ] I know which visa minimum applies to me: TOEFL 67, 51 or 37, or PTE 47, 39 or 31.
• [ ] I'm booking a test-centre session, not an at-home test.
• [ ] For TOEFL, I'm booking TOEFL iBT Australia and will select "Taking TOEFL for Australia".
• [ ] I have done at least one timed practice section in this test's format.
• [ ] My test date leaves time for results and one retake before my deadline.

If you're leaning towards TOEFL, AIL's TOEFL iBT® style practice site has full practice tests in the TOEFL iBT Australia format, scored 0–120 like the visa version, as well as tests in the updated 2026 format. You can start with free practice sections and our free writing checker. The practice tests are written by AIL teachers and are not endorsed or approved by ETS. Scores are estimates, not official results. AIL is also an ETS authorised TOEFL iBT test centre in Melbourne CBD, so you can book the real test there through ETS.