For PTE Academic tests taken on or after 23 April 2026, Ahpra's current table requires an overall score of 63, with Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 60 and Speaking 76. Older results use the earlier table, so apply the row matching your test date.
Apply the table for your test date
Ahpra uses a separate transition date from Australian visa rules. For PTE Academic taken on or after 23 April 2026, use Table 2 below. Ahpra's current transition FAQ applies Table 1 to a sitting on or before 22 April 2026: overall 66, Listening 66, Reading 66, Speaking 66 and Writing 56. This is the current transition treatment of eligible results, not a claim that the same table governed every historical registration period. Do not apply the 7 August 2025 Home Affairs migration categories to an NMBA registration application. Registration pathways, result age and two-sitting conditions must all be checked against the current NMBA standard.
Current PTE Academic scores
For one sitting on or after 23 April 2026:
| Result | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Overall | 63 |
| Listening | 58 |
| Reading | 59 |
| Writing | 60 |
| Speaking | 76 |
Ahpra states that the score update applies across National Boards except the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board. The NMBA requires applicants for nursing or midwifery registration to meet its English language skills standard, but a test is only one pathway. Read the NMBA standard for primary-language and education pathways before assuming you must sit PTE.
Combining two sittings
The standard can accept a maximum of two test sittings within 12 months when all conditions are met. For tests on or after 23 April 2026, each sitting needs an overall 63. Across the two sittings you must reach each required skill minimum, and neither sitting may fall below Listening 53, Reading 54, Writing 60 or Speaking 66.
Results from different test providers cannot be combined. If the first sitting was on or before 22 April 2026 and the second is on or after 23 April 2026, Ahpra says the first must meet old Table 1 and the second must meet new Table 2. Both sittings must be from the same provider and no more than 12 months apart. Ahpra generally requires test results to be obtained within two years before lodgement; when two sittings are combined, that period runs from the earlier sitting. Check the standard's extension provisions for your circumstances.
Worked example: two sittings are not a free mix
Fictional candidate Mara has these two results within 12 months, with both tests taken on or after 23 April 2026:
| Sitting | Overall | L | R | W | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 65 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 68 |
| 2 | 64 | 55 | 56 | 60 | 78 |
Across the sittings, Mara reaches Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 60 and Speaking 76. Both overall scores exceed 63, and no skill falls below the two-sitting floors. On these numbers alone, the combination fits the published score pattern.
She still must satisfy every other NMBA and Ahpra condition. The table is not a registration decision.
Prepare for the uneven skill profile
Speaking 76 is the highest component threshold, so record answers early and check whether they are relevant, complete and easy to understand. Keep Reading and Listening accurate, and do not neglect Writing because the two-sitting floor equals the required Writing minimum.
Set practice targets against each skill, not a single overall number. Use speaking practice and writing practice for the relevant task types. Review the PTE Academic format before building a study timetable.
