TOEFL vs PTE: the differences, and which test to take

1. The short answer

• Applying to a university: either test usually works. Check the university's list and minimum score before you book.
• A UK visa that needs an approved English test: PTE Academic UKVI. TOEFL is not on the Home Office list.
• Canadian permanent residence (Express Entry): PTE Core. Neither TOEFL nor PTE Academic is accepted.
• Australian or New Zealand visas: either, taken at a test centre. For Australia, TOEFL needs a special registration.
• Price in India: TOEFL ₹15,729, PTE ₹18,900.
• Scores: there is no official PTE to TOEFL conversion. Governments set their own equivalents, shown in section 7.

2. TOEFL vs PTE at a glance

Every line comes from ETS, Pearson or a government page, read on 29 October 2026. The two acceptance counts are each publisher's own figure and are not measured the same way, so do not read them as a ranking.

3. Which version of each test you need

Both tests come in more than one version, and booking the wrong one is the most expensive mistake you can make with either.

TOEFL (ETS)

• TOEFL iBT, at an authorised test centre. This is the standard test for university admission.
• TOEFL iBT Home Edition, on your own computer at home, monitored by a live human proctor. Check that your university accepts it. Australian and New Zealand visas do not.
• TOEFL iBT Australia, what you sit when you choose "Taking TOEFL for Australia" at registration. It is the only TOEFL Australia's Department of Home Affairs accepts, and ETS posts its scores in about 4 to 8 days. The rules are in our TOEFL iBT Australia guide.

PTE (Pearson)

• PTE Academic, for university admission and for Australian and New Zealand visas.
• PTE Academic UKVI, which Pearson says has "the same test content, format, and scoring" as PTE Academic. It is the version on the UK Home Office's list of approved tests, for UK visas that need one.
• PTE Core, a test of everyday rather than academic English. It is the version Canada's IRCC accepts for economic immigration.

In India, Pearson charges the same ₹18,900 for all three PTE versions, so the price will not tell you if you have picked the wrong one. The purpose will.

4. How each test is built

TOEFL iBT: four sections in a fixed order, from ETS's test content page:

ETS adds that the times do not include directions, that you should allow approximately two hours in total, and that because the test adapts, the time and the number of items can vary. Reading and Listening come in two stages, and how you do in the first decides the second. Every task is explained in our TOEFL exam pattern guide.

PTE Academic: three parts, from Pearson's test format pages:

Two of these are new: Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation were added for every PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI test taken after 7 August 2025. There is also a short Personal Introduction at the start, which Pearson says does not count towards your score.

Pearson describes the test as about two hours long. Its own section timings add up to between 2 hours 10 minutes and 2 hours 33 minutes, so plan for the longer end. Note also that PTE starts with speaking, while TOEFL ends with it.

5. Tasks that look alike, and tasks only one test has

If you have prepared for one test, this is how much of that work carries over to the other:

Two things stand out. PTE has many more short tasks, and many of them score two skills at once: Pearson calls these integrated tasks, so a weak listening skill can pull down your speaking or writing score too. TOEFL keeps the four skills in separate sections and scores each one on its own.

6. How the scores work, and why there is no official conversion

• TOEFL iBT: four section scores and an overall score, each from 1 to 6 in half bands. ETS says the overall score is the average of the four sections, rounded to the nearest half band. For a two-year transition period the report also shows a comparable total on the old 0 to 120 scale. Our TOEFL score calculator shows how the two scales line up.
• PTE Academic: an overall score from 10 to 90, plus Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing scores on the same scale. Pearson's score guide says the overall score is based on your performance across the whole test and "is not an average calculation" of the four skill scores.

There is no official PTE to TOEFL conversion table. Pearson's guidance page asks itself whether there is an updated concordance between PTE and TOEFL iBT, and answers that it will continue to carry out concordance research for other tests, like TOEFL iBT, and publish results as they are available. ETS does not publish one either.

The older charts you will find online are not a safe guide. PTE Academic changed in August 2025, and Australia's Home Affairs says its "test and scores are different" from the earlier version. TOEFL moved to its 1 to 6 scale in January 2026. A chart made before both changes describes two tests that no longer exist in that form.

7. The scores governments treat as equal

The most reliable comparison is the one immigration departments make themselves, because they set a minimum for each test for the same purpose. These are their current figures.

Australia, English levels for visas, tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. Minimum in each part, listed as Listening / Reading / Writing / Speaking:

For TOEFL, these count only for a test registered through "Taking TOEFL for Australia". Each visa's own page tells you which level it needs.

Australia, Student visa (subclass 500), overall minimum, tests taken on or after 7 August 2025:

New Zealand, skilled residence visas, overall minimum:

Read these as each government's own equivalents, not as a conversion chart for universities. They also change: Australia set new PTE minimums for tests taken from 7 August 2025. Both governments still state TOEFL minimums on the older scales (0 to 30 per section, and 0 to 120 overall), so check how they read your report before you book.

8. What each test costs

Prices as published by ETS and Pearson on 29 October 2026, with the number of PTE test centres Pearson lists in each country:

• India: TOEFL is ₹3,171 cheaper. Both prices come from the publishers' own India pages, so no currency conversion is involved.
• Outside India ETS charges in US dollars, and its fee page says those prices exclude VAT or other taxes. Its Bulletin names the countries where tax is added at checkout, including the United States, Canada and Australia.
• Pearson charges in local currency, and its fee page does not say whether tax is included. Check the total before you pay.

Every TOEFL charge, including late booking and extra score reports, is in our TOEFL fees guide.

9. Rescheduling, cancelling and retaking

PTE's rules come from Pearson's cancellation policy, last updated 17 September 2026, and its Test Taker Handbook. TOEFL's come from the ETS Bulletin and fee list. If you might need to move your date, PTE is free to move more than 14 days ahead, while TOEFL charges every time but lets you move up to 4 full days before.

10. Where each test is accepted

Universities set their own rules, and many list both tests with different minimums. Our guide to the TOEFL scores universities ask for shows how those minimums are written now that TOEFL reports bands.

11. Which is easier, TOEFL or PTE?

Neither ETS nor Pearson publishes a difficulty rating, and a claim that one test is easier for everyone is not something either publisher supports. What differs is the kind of work each test asks of you:

• Short tasks or longer ones. PTE has 65 to 75 questions across 22 types, many of them short. TOEFL has about 120 items, but in only 12 task types.
• Integrated or separate scoring. On PTE one answer can count for two skills. On TOEFL each section has its own score, and the overall score is their average.
• Who marks you. PTE is marked mainly by computer; Pearson says humans never check pronunciation or fluency. TOEFL is marked by ETS's central scoring team.
• Adaptive sections. TOEFL Reading and Listening come in two stages, and how you do in the first sets the second.
• Length. TOEFL has about 90 minutes of section time; PTE's sections add up to more than two hours.

The fair test is your own score. Take ETS's free 40-minute TOEFL sample test and a PTE practice test, convert neither, and compare each result with the minimum your university or visa asks for on that test's own scale.

12. Which should you take?

• A UK work visa, or study below degree level in the UK: PTE Academic UKVI.
• Canadian permanent residence or a post-graduation work permit: PTE Core.
• An Australian visa: either. With TOEFL, register through "Taking TOEFL for Australia"; with PTE, book PTE Academic. Both at a test centre.
• A New Zealand residence visa: either, at a test centre.
• US universities: either, if every school on your list accepts it. TOEFL has the larger acceptance count by its publisher's figures.
• On a budget in India: TOEFL, at ₹3,171 less.
• You want to test from home: TOEFL Home Edition, if your university accepts it. PTE Academic has no home option.
• Applying to universities and for a visa with one score: pick the test both accept. Check the visa first, because visa lists are shorter.

13. How to prepare for either test

For TOEFL: our TOEFL practice tests follow the format ETS introduced on 21 January 2026, including Complete the Words, Build a Sentence and Listen and Repeat. Start with a full-length TOEFL mock test to see your band before you book, and use ETS's free sample test to get a feel for the real interface.

For PTE: Pearson publishes free practice resources on its own site, including material for the two question types added in 2025. For timed practice with scoring, ptemocktests.net has full PTE Academic mock tests.

Still choosing between more tests? Compare TOEFL vs IELTS and TOEFL vs Duolingo.

14. Questions people actually ask

Is PTE easier than TOEFL?

Neither test publishes a difficulty rating, so there is no official answer. The tests feel different: PTE is marked mainly by computer and has 65 to 75 short tasks, many of which score two skills at once, while TOEFL has about 120 items in four separate sections and adapts Reading and Listening to your answers. Try ETS's free TOEFL sample test and a PTE practice test, and take the one where you score higher against your target.

What is the main difference between TOEFL and PTE?

Where they count. Both are accepted by universities in many countries, but for visas they split: the UK accepts PTE Academic UKVI and not TOEFL for visas that need an approved test, Canada's Express Entry accepts PTE Core and not TOEFL, and Australia and New Zealand accept both at a test centre. They also score differently: TOEFL uses 1 to 6 bands, PTE uses 10 to 90.

Which is cheaper in India, TOEFL or PTE?

TOEFL. ETS India lists the TOEFL iBT at ₹15,729 and Pearson lists PTE Academic at ₹18,900, so TOEFL costs ₹3,171 less. Pearson charges the same ₹18,900 for PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Core in India.

Can I convert a PTE score to a TOEFL score?

Not officially. Pearson says it will continue concordance research for TOEFL iBT and publish results when they are available, so there is no current Pearson table, and ETS does not publish one either. The closest official guide is the minimum each government sets for the same purpose: New Zealand, for example, asks a main skilled-residence applicant for TOEFL iBT 79 or PTE Academic 58.

Is PTE accepted in the USA?

By many universities, yes. Pearson says PTE Academic is accepted widely across the US, but each university sets its own list of tests and minimum scores, so check the admissions page of every school you apply to. ETS says the TOEFL is accepted by more than 13,500 institutions in more than 160 countries.

Is TOEFL accepted for a UK visa?

Not for visas that need a Secure English Language Test. The Home Office's approved list includes PTE Academic UKVI but not TOEFL, and ETS itself says the TOEFL iBT is not recognised as a SELT. For a degree-level Student visa, your university can assess your English itself, so ask whether it accepts TOEFL for that.

Can I use TOEFL or PTE Academic for Canada PR?

No. For Express Entry, IRCC accepts CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core in English. PTE Core is a different test from PTE Academic, so book the Core version if you are applying for permanent residence or a post-graduation work permit.

Which gives results faster, TOEFL or PTE?

PTE, slightly. Pearson says most test takers get PTE Academic results within two business days, and at most five. ETS posts TOEFL iBT scores to your account 3 days after the test, and TOEFL iBT Australia scores in about 4 to 8 days.

Can I take TOEFL or PTE at home?

TOEFL, yes: the TOEFL iBT Home Edition is taken on your own computer with a live human proctor. PTE Academic cannot be taken at home. Australia and New Zealand do not accept at-home tests for visas, so take either test at a centre if you need it for one of those visas.

How long are TOEFL and PTE scores valid?

Both for 2 years from the test date. Pearson notes one exception: Australia's Department of Home Affairs accepts PTE scores up to three years after the test date.