PTE for UK Student Visa
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PTE for UK Student Visa
UK universities accept standard PTE Academic for admissions, but the visa application itself requires PTE Academic UKVI if your university doesn't hold a Track Record sponsor licence (most do — check first).
Visa-Level Requirements
- Degree-level (Bachelor + above): CEFR B2 (PTE 59+ in each section).
- Below degree-level (Foundation, A-levels): CEFR B1 (PTE 43+ in each section).
- Pre-sessional English course: often no PTE required, set by university.
University Admission Requirements
| University Tier | Undergraduate | Postgraduate |
|---|---|---|
| Russell Group (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, etc.) | 69–76 | 69–84 |
| Top non-Russell (Bath, Lancaster, Loughborough) | 59–69 | 62–76 |
| Other UK universities | 50–62 | 56–69 |
High-Bar Programs
- Medicine: 76+ overall typical, with 76+ in each section.
- Law (LLB / LLM): 69–76+.
- MBA / Business postgraduate: 69+ overall, with 65+ writing.
- Computer Science / Engineering postgrad: 62–76 typical.
Track Record vs Non-Track Record Sponsors
- Track Record sponsors can accept standard PTE Academic for both admission AND visa.
- Non-Track Record sponsors require PTE Academic UKVI specifically.
- Check your university's status before booking — saves time and money.
Section Requirements
UKVI requires CEFR level in each section. For a B2 visa, no section can be below 59.
Practice on ClearMyPTE
Set your target score to your university's required PTE. The dashboard countdown shows how many days you have to reach it.
Source: UK Home Office & individual UK universities. Verify before booking.