Cambridge to PTE Converter

There is no official direct mapping between the Cambridge English Scale and PTE Academic; the conversion goes via the shared CEFR scale that both tests are anchored to. Cambridge 230 maps to PTE Academic 86 to 90 (top C2). Cambridge 210 to 220 maps to PTE 79 to 85 (high C1 to low C2). Cambridge 200 maps to PTE 73 to 78 (mid C1). Cambridge 191 maps to PTE 65 to 72 (low C1). Cambridge 180 maps to PTE 58 to 64 (high B2). Cambridge 173 maps to PTE 50 to 57. Cambridge 162 maps to PTE 42 to 49. Cambridge 151 maps to PTE 36 to 41. Cambridge 140 maps to PTE 30 to 35.

PTE Academic is the university-admission test, accepted by thousands of universities worldwide and by the Australian, New Zealand, UK, and Irish governments for visas. PTE Core is a general-purpose test designed for Canadian Permanent Resident applications via Express Entry, accepted by IRCC since 2024. They use different scoring scales: PTE Academic uses the Global Scale of English (10 to 90), and PTE Core uses a 10 to 90 scale calibrated to the CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks). For university admission, PTE Academic is the only correct option; PTE Core is NOT accepted at universities.

Cambridge English certificates (KET through CPE) are valid for life. PTE Academic scores are valid for 2 years from the test date for most institutional and immigration uses. This is the most important practical difference: a CAE certificate from 2010 still proves C1 today, while a PTE 65 from 3 years ago is no longer accepted for visa or admission purposes. Both tests can be taken multiple times; PTE results are returned in 2 days, Cambridge results in 4 to 6 weeks.

Most universities that accept PTE Academic also accept Cambridge C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency at their CEFR level. A typical undergraduate threshold of PTE 58 maps to Cambridge English Scale 180 (FCE Grade A / weak CAE / CEFR B2). A typical postgraduate threshold of PTE 65 maps to Cambridge 191 (mid CAE / CEFR C1). However, the converse is not always true: some universities listing Cambridge C1 Advanced as acceptable do NOT list PTE Academic, particularly older European institutions. Always check the specific program requirements.

For Australian visas (Skilled, Student, partner) PTE Academic and Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency are both on the Department of Home Affairs accepted-test list. For UK visas, Cambridge B2 First for Schools, C1 Advanced (UKVI test centre), and PTE Academic UKVI are all SELT-listed. Note: standard Cambridge sessions outside the SELT pathway are NOT accepted for UK visas, while PTE Academic UKVI is a dedicated visa-version booking. Verify the SELT-approved booking before sitting either test for UK visa purposes.

All three are anchored to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Cambridge English Scale 200 to 230 = CEFR C2 = PTE 76 to 90 (top of PTE; PTE C2 ceiling is informally 85+). Cambridge 180 to 199 = CEFR C1 = PTE 65 to 75. Cambridge 160 to 179 = CEFR B2 = PTE 51 to 64. Cambridge 140 to 159 = CEFR B1 = PTE 36 to 50. The Cambridge English Scale is the most granular of the three, PTE Academic reports a single integer 10 to 90, and CEFR is the coarsest with six levels.

Take a Cambridge exam (FCE, CAE, or CPE) if you want a lifetime certificate, plan to apply to multiple institutions over several years, or need certification recognised at older European universities. Take PTE Academic if you need results in 2 days, prefer a fully computer-marked test (no human raters for Speaking or Writing), or your target institution lists PTE Academic specifically. For Canadian PR (Express Entry), PTE Core (NOT PTE Academic, NOT Cambridge) is the right choice; for UK visas, both options work via the SELT pathway.

Cambridge to PTE is not an officially endorsed direct conversion: both tests publish CEFR alignment but neither maps to the other. The ranges shown reflect the typical PTE score band that corresponds to each Cambridge anchor, accounting for the test design differences. Cambridge tests have human-rated Speaking and Writing components and are more granular within CEFR levels; PTE Academic is fully computer-rated and tends to spread scores wider at the top end. For institutional decisions, the CEFR level is the official common reference, not the converted numeric value.