No current Australian dollar amount was available on the public Pearson pages checked for this guide. Pearson supplies the payable price through its location and booking flow, so record the live total for your test, centre and date before paying. Do not rely on an undated price in a blog or search result.
That does not prevent you from planning a useful budget. Treat the live checkout price as one input, then allow for travel, preparation and the risk that a late change or retake could require another payment.
Use the checkout price, not an old fee table
Pearson displays the payable test fee during booking for the selected country, centre and date. Record that live total and currency before payment because public articles can become stale. Your real budget may also include travel, accommodation, a changed appointment or a retake. Keep those planning costs separate from Pearson's cancellation policy, which determines the refund from the time remaining before the appointment.
Find the current booking price
Use Pearson's test centres and fees page and select Australia, the correct exam and your location. Pearson says fees vary by country. If you take the test in Australia, payment should be in Australian dollars even if you make the booking from another country (Pearson booking help).
Before payment, record:
- exam name, such as PTE Academic or PTE Core
- centre and appointment date
- displayed test fee and currency
- any tax or optional item shown in the final total
- cancellation deadline for your appointment
Only count an optional product if it appears in your basket and you want it. Do not assume preparation materials, travel or identity-document costs are included in the test fee.
Rescheduling and cancellation rules
Pearson's policy, last updated 27 August 2026, states:
- More than 14 full calendar days before the test: rescheduling is free, or cancellation receives a full refund.
- No more than 14 and more than 7 full calendar days before the test: cancellation receives a 50% refund.
- Seven calendar days or fewer before the test: no refund.
- If the test is in 14 days or less, the normal reschedule option is unavailable. You must cancel and make a new booking.
A single appointment can be rescheduled no more than six times. Emergency requests are discretionary and require evidence; they are not an automatic refund right. Read the current cancellation and rescheduling policy for exact boundary wording.
Retake budgeting
A retake normally means a new booking at the price available at that time. Prices and available centres can change, so do not build a plan around an assumed discount. A safer budget has three layers:
- Essential booking: the live checkout total.
- Attendance costs: transport, parking or accommodation if applicable.
- Contingency: the amount you would need for a new booking if your target is not met or you cancel too late for a full refund.
Preparation time also has value. Booking a date before you have checked your task familiarity can create an avoidable cancellation or retake cost.
Worked example: compare two choices
Let F represent the live booking fee shown at checkout. This is a budgeting variable, not a quoted Pearson price.
Sam has two choices:
| Scenario | Test payments to budget | Other costs |
|---|---|---|
| Keep first appointment | F | One trip to the centre |
| Cancel 10 full days before, then book again | 50% of F refunded, 50% lost, then the new live booking fee is payable | A later trip, and possibly changed transport cost |
If the replacement fee were still F, Sam's net test cost would be 1.5 × F. If the fee changed, the actual total would change too.
Check before paying
Confirm that the booking name exactly matches your valid ID, the currency is AUD, the exam is the one required by your receiving body, and the centre is practical to reach. Save the confirmation and note the full-refund deadline in your calendar.
Choose a date only after checking that the preparation window and travel plan are realistic.
Related guides
- PTE Cancellation and Refunds: Check Your Booking Deadline
- How to Reschedule PTE: Deadlines, Fees and Missing Buttons