Quick Answer:
To start in February 2027 at an Australian university, sit your PTE by early November 2026. Most February intake applications close between October and December 2026, results are returned in about two business days, and you need the score in hand before you can accept an offer, pay a deposit and lodge a subclass 500 student visa which needs a PTE overall of 47, or 39 if you package at least 10 weeks of ELICOS. Booking now leaves room for one resit.
Last verified: 16 September 2026
February is the biggest intake in the Australian academic year, and the queue for it forms now. The mistake we see every year is not a low score it is a score that arrives three weeks after the offer lapsed. This page is the timeline working backwards from a February 2027 start, so you can see exactly where your test date has to sit.
The deadline you are actually working to
There are four deadlines stacked behind a February start, and the PTE sits behind all of them:
| Step | Typical window | What it needs from you |
|---|---|---|
| University application closes | October – December 2026 | An English test result, or a conditional application without one |
| Offer issued, then accepted | Within weeks of applying | Meeting any English condition on the offer, plus a deposit |
| CoE issued | After deposit clears | Nothing further from you, usually days |
| Subclass 500 visa lodged | As early as possible after CoE | CoE, Genuine Student requirement, funds, and your PTE result |
Application closing dates vary by institution and by course competitive programs close earlier than the university’s general date, and some close in October. Check the closing date on your own institution’s admissions page rather than working from a general figure, including ours.
Work back from the visa, not the semester. Students plan to the February start date and run out of time at the visa stage. Processing times for the subclass 500 are not fixed, and a visa lodged in January for a February start is a visa lodged late. Every week you save at the English-test stage is a week you get back here.
Why early November is the honest answer
Count the pieces. Results land in about two business days. If you need a resit, you need time to book one, sit it, and wait again. Test centres fill up through October and November as everyone else reaches the same conclusion. And the offer-to-CoE-to-visa chain behind the application takes weeks, not days.
An early-November test date gives you:
- Results back inside the same week.
- Room for one resit in late November, with results still before December.
- A score on file before the bulk of February intake applications close.
- Time to lodge the visa in December rather than January.
If you are already past early November when you read this, you are not out you are just out of resit room. Book the earliest date you can get and treat it as your only attempt.
How long PTE results actually take
Pearson returns PTE Academic score reports typically within two business days, and states results will take no more than five business days. Business days exclude weekends and public holidays, so a Friday test can mean a Tuesday result. You get an email when the report is ready, and it appears in your my PTE account at the same time.
Plan on five business days, not two. If two is what you get, you have bought yourself breathing room; if you have planned on two and get five, you have lost a week you did not have.
The score you need
Two different numbers matter here, and students routinely conflate them.
For the student visa
The subclass 500 student visa English requirement, for a PTE Academic test taken on or after 7 August 2025:
| Your enrolment | PTE Academic overall |
|---|---|
| Principal course, direct entry | 47 |
| Principal course + at least 10 weeks of qualifying ELICOS | 39 |
| Principal course + at least 20 weeks of qualifying ELICOS | 31 |
If your principal course of study is a standalone ELICOS program, the English language requirement does not apply to you at all.
These figures changed on 7 August 2025. The old direct-entry figure was 50 overall, and a result from a test taken on or before 6 August 2025 is read against the old scale, not this one. If you are holding a pre-August-2025 result, do not compare it to the numbers in this table the test and the scores are different. Confirm your own case against the Department of Home Affairs subclass 500 page before you lodge.
For the university
Your course sets its own English requirement, and it is usually well above the visa minimum. A postgraduate program asking for PTE 58–65 overall with no communicative skill below 50 is ordinary. Nursing, teaching, law and health programs commonly ask for more, and some also require a minimum in each skill. The visa number is a floor, not a target meeting 47 and missing your course requirement leaves you with a visa pathway and no offer.
What happens if you miss it
The fallback is the July 2027 intake, and it is a real option rather than a consolation. Most universities run a mid-year intake, and for many courses the July entry is identical in content and teaching. What you lose is specific:
- Five months, which matters if a visa, a job or a partner’s plan is keyed to your start date.
- Course choice — fewer programs take July entrants, and some sequences only begin in February.
- Cohort timing, if your course runs a placement or capstone that assumes a February start.
What you do not lose is the score. A PTE result sat in November 2026 is comfortably inside its validity window for a July 2027 application, so a test taken for February is never wasted.
Booking, and the cost
The PTE Academic fee in Australia is AUD $490 including GST. Pearson adjusts pricing periodically and the fee shown at checkout for your chosen centre and date is the one that counts, so treat this as the current figure rather than a permanent one.
Two practical notes on booking:
- Book the test before you feel ready. Centres in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane run thin through October and November. A date you can reschedule is worth more than a date you cannot get.
- Check the reschedule terms when you book. Moving a test date close to the sitting attracts a fee, and the rules differ from cancelling outright.
Your countdown, month by month
| When | Do this |
|---|---|
| Now — September 2026 | Confirm your course’s English requirement and its closing date, from the institution’s own page. Book a PTE date in late October or early November. |
| October 2026 | Prepare against the current test format, including the two speaking tasks added on 7 August 2025. Submit your university application — many accept a conditional application before your result. |
| Early November 2026 | Sit the test. Results in about two business days. Send your score to the institution from your myPTE account. |
| Late November 2026 | Resit if you need to. Accept your offer and pay the deposit as soon as the English condition is cleared. |
| December 2026 | CoE issued. Lodge the subclass 500 with your PTE result attached. |
| January 2027 | Visa processing, accommodation, flights, OSHC. |
| February 2027 | Orientation. |
Frequently asked questions:
When is the last date I can sit the PTE for a February 2027 intake?
There is no single national deadline, because each institution sets its own closing date. Early November 2026 is the last date that still leaves room for a resit. A test in early December can still work if your application is already lodged and only the English condition is outstanding, but it removes your margin entirely.
Can I apply to a university before I have my PTE result?
Usually yes. Most Australian universities will assess your application and issue a conditional offer with the English requirement listed as a condition to be met before you accept. This is the single best way to buy yourself time — get the application in, then sit the test.
How long do PTE results take?
Typically two business days, and no more than five. You are notified by email and the report appears in your myPTE account.
What PTE score do I need for an Australian student visa?
For a test taken on or after 7 August 2025: 47 overall for direct entry, 39 with at least 10 weeks of qualifying ELICOS, or 31 with at least 20 weeks. Your course will usually require a higher score than the visa does.
How long will my PTE score stay valid?
Your PTE score report is valid for two years from the date you sat the test. Visa and institutional rules on how recent a result must be are set separately and are not always the same two-year window see our guide to how long a PTE score stays valid.
Next step
Take a scored mock test this week. If you are within five points of your course requirement, book your real test for late October. If you are further out than that, book for early November and give yourself October to prepare properly.
Sit a full scored PTE mock test. Real timing, real question types including the two new speaking tasks, and a score estimate you can plan a booking around.
