Your PTE target depends on your 485 visa stream, test date and circumstances. Check the overall requirement, each skill minimum and the evidence window before booking.
Quick answer for the current 485 instrument
For the standard Post-Vocational Education Work and Post-Higher Education Work rules applying from 7 August 2025, the PTE Academic row requires overall 55 plus Listening 40, Reading 42, Writing 41 and Speaking 39. All five figures matter. The result must also fall within the instrument's one-year period before application. Passport exceptions, Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) provisions, and transitional evidence can change the analysis, so match the correct row to both your test date and application date.
The score and timing requirements
For a subclass 485 application in the Post-Vocational Education Work or Post-Higher Education Work stream, the current instrument lists PTE Academic as an accepted test. For tests under the rules commencing 7 August 2025, it requires an overall score of at least 55 plus minimum component scores: Listening 40, Reading 42, Writing 41 and Speaking 39. The test score must have been achieved within one year before the application date (LIN 25/089).
Those figures are a starting point, not an eligibility decision. Passport-based exceptions and transitional rules exist, and the correct 485 stream must be confirmed first.
Confirm the stream before the score
Home Affairs currently describes these 485 streams:
- Post-Vocational Education Work stream for specified vocational-level qualifications and related requirements.
- Post-Higher Education Work stream for degree-level or higher qualifications and related requirements.
- Second Post-Higher Education Work stream for eligible holders connected with study and residence in designated regional areas.
The 485 overview says applicants must apply for their eligible stream and cannot change streams after applying. Read the dedicated Post-Vocational Education Work page, Post-Higher Education Work page, and, if relevant, Second Post-Higher Education Work page before relying on a general summary.
Current PTE Academic result to check
| Field | Minimum under Schedule 1 |
|---|---|
| Overall | 55 |
| Listening | 40 |
| Reading | 42 |
| Writing | 41 |
| Speaking | 39 |
All five conditions matter. An overall 60 with Reading 41 would not match this published row. Do not calculate an overall score from the components.
The instrument also provides different rules for Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders, and specifies passports from Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States for which the English proficiency requirement does not apply. Check the exact legislative wording and your facts rather than treating this summary as advice.
Test date and transitional evidence
The 2025 instrument commenced on 7 August 2025 and applies to applications made on or after commencement. Schedule 3 records the transitional score row for a test taken before commencement: overall 57, Listening 43, Reading 48, Writing 51 and Speaking 42. At this guide's September 2026 review date, a pre-7 August 2025 result is outside the standard one-year period for a new application, so do not assume that historical row remains usable. It is relevant to earlier application dates or an exact exception confirmed in the current instrument.
This is why copying a score from an undated article is risky. Record both the test date and intended application date, then read the current instrument.
Worked example: checking the evidence, not deciding the visa
Fictional applicant Daniel plans to investigate the Post-Higher Education Work stream. His proposed application date is 10 November 2026. His PTE Academic result is dated 20 December 2025 and shows overall 61, Listening 44, Reading 45, Writing 43 and Speaking 41.
Daniel checks:
- The dedicated stream page to confirm he is reading the correct stream requirements.
- That the result says PTE Academic, not PTE Core.
- Each score against Schedule 1, rather than looking only at overall 61.
- Whether 20 December 2025 falls within one year before his actual application date.
- Whether an exemption, transition or later amendment affects him.
The score pattern matches the five Schedule 1 figures, but this article cannot decide whether Daniel qualifies. His stream, qualification, age, visa history, evidence timing and other criteria still need official assessment.
Booking checklist
Before paying, write down the exact test name, all five score thresholds, the earliest acceptable test date under the evidence-age rule, a latest practical sitting date that leaves time for result release, passport details and planned application date. Recheck the official pages on booking day and application day.
After confirming the official target, practise the relevant tasks through the PTE question hub, with extra attention to any component near its minimum.
Related guides
- How Long Is a PTE Score Valid for Your Application?
- PTE Scores for Australian Visas: Competent, Proficient and Superior English