Hi everyone. I am currently preparing my application for an Australian Student Visa and I found myself in a debate with a friend regarding the PTE scores.
I managed to score a 70, which I am quite happy with, but my friend scored a 53. Both satisfy the minimum requirement for our respective courses, but I have heard a rumor that a higher English score does more than just meet the threshold. Some say only a high score appeals to immigration officers as proof of being a “Genuine Student.” The logic is that someone with high English proficiency is statistically less likely to drop out or violate visa conditions to work illegally.
Is this actually correct? Does having a 70 give me a tangible advantage in the Genuine Student assessment compared to a 53, or is it just a pass/fail checkbox?
Logic check. Think of the PTE score as a performance metric for your profile’s scalability. While 53 compiles effectively—meaning it passes the check—a 70 indicates optimized code. Immigration officers are essentially debugging for risk. High proficiency implies you can handle the course load without errors (failing subjects), which technically lowers the probability of you breaching visa conditions. However, do not treat it as a standalone boolean for success. Your financials and SOP still need to be bug-free. Pushing to prod with just a good score is risky if the rest of the stack is weak.
Once you meet the minimum PTE requirement, a 53 and a 70 are both acceptable for a Student Visa. There’s no official policy that a higher score automatically makes you more “Genuine.”
A 70 may help indirectly (shows you can handle academic study), but it doesn’t carry extra weight in the Genuine Student assessment. What matters more are your study history, course rationale, finances, and post-study plans.