PTE Academic to IELTS: what your score is worth
Type a PTE Academic score below and read the CEFR level it sits at and the IELTS range the boards align with it. Every figure is a published alignment, and every one is a range: the exact minimum is set by the university or visa route, not by this page.
Convert a score
Type a score on one test and read the level and the equivalent range on the others. Every row is a published alignment to the CEFR, so it is a range, not a promise.
The four tests side by side, by CEFR level
TOEFL iBT is shown on the 1 to 6 band scale in use since January 2026. Duolingo English Test on 10 to 160, PTE Academic on 10 to 90, IELTS on 0 to 9.
| CEFR | IELTS | TOEFL iBT | PTE Academic | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2 Proficient | 8.5 to 9.0 | 6.0 | 85 to 90 | 160 |
| C1 Advanced | 7.0 to 8.0 | 5.0 to 5.5 | 76 to 84 | 130 to 155 |
| B2 Upper intermediate | 5.5 to 6.5 | 4.0 to 4.5 | 59 to 75 | 100 to 125 |
| B1 Intermediate | 4.0 to 5.0 | 3.0 to 3.5 | 43 to 58 | 60 to 95 |
| A2 Elementary | 3.0 to 3.5 | 2.0 to 2.5 | 30 to 42 | 35 to 55 |
IELTS to PTE Academic, Pearson's published concordance
The one pairwise table a test board itself publishes. Overall scores.
| IELTS overall | PTE Academic |
|---|---|
| 9.0 | 86 to 90 |
| 8.5 | 83 |
| 8.0 | 79 |
| 7.5 | 73 |
| 7.0 | 65 |
| 6.5 | 58 |
| 6.0 | 50 |
| 5.5 | 42 |
| 5.0 | 36 |
| 4.5 | 30 |
Questions people ask
Are these conversions official?
No single official table exists across all four tests. Each board publishes its own alignment to the CEFR, and Pearson publishes an IELTS concordance for PTE Academic. This page puts those published alignments side by side. Treat every row as approximate and check the exact score your university or visa route asks for.
Why does TOEFL show 1 to 6 rather than 0 to 120?
Since January 2026 the TOEFL iBT reports each section and the overall score on a 1 to 6 band scale aligned to the CEFR, in half bands. The old 0 to 120 total is only a comparison score during a transition period that runs to January 2028.
Which test is easiest?
None is easier in the sense of being marked more generously; they are aligned to the same CEFR levels. They differ in format: PTE and Duolingo are fully computer-marked and faster to result, IELTS has a face-to-face speaking interview, and Duolingo is taken at home. Choose the one the institution accepts and the format you perform best in.
Can I use this to predict my score on a different test?
Only roughly. A CEFR level is a range, so an IELTS 6.5 and an IELTS 5.5 both sit in B2 yet are two bands apart. Practise the actual test you will sit, and use the free scoring here to see where you stand on its own scale.
Other comparisons
IELTS to PTE Academic IELTS to TOEFL iBT IELTS to Duolingo English Test TOEFL iBT to IELTS Duolingo English Test to IELTS PTE Academic to TOEFL iBT TOEFL iBT to PTE Academic Duolingo English Test to TOEFL iBT Duolingo English Test to PTE AcademicIELTS, TOEFL, PTE and the Duolingo English Test are trademarks of their owners, who do not endorse this site. Alignments are the boards' published CEFR mappings as read in 2026 and are approximate; confirm the exact score your institution requires.