Minimum IELTS & PTE Scores for Australia Study Visa from Nepal

Good news for Nepali students: the Australian student visa asks for only PTE 47 or IELTS 6.0, and a few students can start with a lower score. Your university then sets its own score, which is often higher. This guide shows both numbers, so you know your real target before you book a test.

English is one early step in your plan to study in Australia from Nepal. Most students need the score before they get a full offer. The rest of the file is on our Australia student visa requirements page.

What PTE Score Is Required for a Student Visa to Australia?

You need at least PTE Academic 47 overall for the Student visa (subclass 500), if you took the test on or after 7 August 2025.

The figures below come from the Home Affairs Student visa page. Home Affairs is Australia’s immigration department. It sets one overall score for each test and lists no minimum for each skill. The rule is the same for a student from Nepal as for most other students.

ELICOS means an English course for overseas students in Australia. You may still hear “PTE 50” from friends or old guides. That was the minimum for tests taken on or before 6 August 2025, and it isn’t the number for a new test.

What Is the Minimum IELTS Score for Australia?

The visa minimum is IELTS 6.0 overall, and most universities we checked ask for 6.0 to 6.5 with a minimum in each band.

Home Affairs takes IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training for the visa. Universities are stricter. The University of Sydney takes only the academic test. So in Nepal, book IELTS Academic unless your university says otherwise.

The University of Queensland and Sydney both set a standard of IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0. Some courses ask for more. Our guide to the IELTS band score shows how the overall score works.

How Much PTE Score Is Required for Australia for a Bachelor’s?

Plan for about PTE 52 to 65 for a bachelor’s degree, depending on the university and the subject.

These scores come from each university’s own page, and they apply to Nepali students the same as to others. A score written as “no band below” means every skill must reach that number.

Charles Darwin University sets its standard undergraduate entry at IELTS 6.0 with no band below 6.0. Its vocational courses start at IELTS 5.5 with no band below 5.0. If your score suits that level, see our diploma courses in Australia page.

English is only one part of your offer. Your +2 result counts too, so read our guide to the GPA required to study in Australia. Our bachelor’s degrees in Australia page covers course choices.

What Is the PTE Requirement for Australia for Masters?

Most master’s courses we checked ask for PTE 60 to 65, and health courses can ask for more.

A master’s usually asks for more than the visa does. If you finished your bachelor’s in Nepal, plan for these scores. Choose your course first, then take the score from its own page.

Notice the Melbourne row. PTE 64 is the same overall score as UNSW Engineering, but each skill must reach 60. So a good overall score can still fall short because of one weak skill. For course choices, see our master’s in Australia page.

What IELTS or PTE Score Do You Need for a PhD?

You don’t need a test score for the visa on a registered postgraduate research course, but your university will still ask for one.

Home Affairs lists registered postgraduate research courses as an exemption from English evidence for the visa. Admission is a separate matter. At UNSW, research degrees in Engineering ask for IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0, or PTE 64 with no band below 54. Business asks for IELTS 7.0, with 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in the other bands, or PTE 65 with no band below 58.

A student applying from Nepal should still book a test early, because a research offer can depend on it. Your supervisor and faculty can confirm the exact score. Our PhD in Australia page explains the rest of the process.

What IELTS or PTE Score Is Required for Nursing in Australia?

Plan for IELTS 7.0 for nursing, because both the course and your later registration as a nurse need high English.

Nursing is a popular choice for Nepali students, and there are two separate checks. The first is entry to the course. Griffith University lists IELTS Academic 7 for its Bachelor of Nursing, and the Melbourne master’s above asks for IELTS 7.0 or PTE 72.

The second is registration after you graduate. Ahpra, the national health practitioner regulator, sets these minimum scores for tests taken on or after 23 April 2026:

Watch the PTE speaking score of 76, which is much higher than the other skills. Ahpra also has other ways to meet its rule, such as study in English in a recognised country. Our guide to study nursing in Australia covers the course side, and nursing and midwifery courses in Australia lists your options.

PTE or IELTS: Which Is Better for Australia for Nepali Students?

Neither is better for the visa, so pick the test that suits you and that your university accepts.

Home Affairs accepts both, and so do Deakin, UNSW, Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland for most courses. The real choice is how you like to sit a test. PTE Academic is taken on a computer at a test centre. In IELTS, you speak with a real examiner.

Compare scores with care, because each university makes its own match. Deakin treats IELTS 6.5 as PTE 60, while UNSW Engineering asks for PTE 64 at the same IELTS level. Use our PTE score chart and IELTS conversion as a guide only, then check your course page.

If you are unsure which suits you, read which is easier, IELTS or PTE. A practice test of each can also show you where you feel more at ease. If you want help, we run IELTS classes and PTE classes in Kathmandu.

What Can You Do If Your Score Is Too Low?

You can resit one skill where it is accepted, take a packaged English course, or choose a course with a lower entry score.

• Retake one skill: UNSW, Queensland, Sydney and Charles Darwin accept IELTS One Skill Retake with your original test. Ask your university before you pay.
• Package an English course: with 10 weeks of ELICOS before your main course, the visa minimum is PTE 39 or IELTS 5.5. With 20 weeks, it is PTE 31 or IELTS 5.0. Melbourne and Deakin run their own English programs for entry.
• Change the level: a diploma or a university with a lower entry score may fit you better for now.

There are also courses that don’t need a test score, but they are few. Read study abroad without IELTS before you plan on that route. The Australia eligibility page shows the other entry rules.

How Long Is Your Score Valid, and Which Tests Are Not Accepted?

For the visa, your test must be within 2 years, and a test taken fully online or at home is not accepted.

For most students, the test must fall within the 2 years before you lodge the visa. On Streamlined Evidence, the 2 years run back from the decision, if Home Affairs asks for the test. The Document Checklist Tool shows whether you need to send English evidence when you apply.

Universities count time their own way. Sydney and Deakin want your test no more than 2 years old when your course starts. So an older score can pass for the visa and still fail for admission.

IELTS Online and other at-home tests don’t count for the visa. Queensland also rejects PTE Academic Online. Take your test at a centre in Nepal.

Most Nepali students do need a test result. Home Affairs exempts passport holders of a few countries. It also exempts people who studied 5 years in English in countries such as the UK or Canada. Study in Nepal is not on that list.

Will a Good IELTS or PTE Score Get You an Australian Student Visa?

Not on its own, because English is only one of the things Home Affairs checks.

Home Affairs also looks at your money and your Genuine Student requirement answers. These are set out on its Genuine Student page. A strong score helps your admission, but it can’t fix weak financial documents or an unclear study plan.

Our guide to Australia student visa rejection reasons covers what goes wrong most often. You can also see recent results on our Australia visa success rate page.

How Can Goreto Help You Set the Right Score?

A counselor can find the exact score for your course, so you don’t study for the wrong number.

Bring your test result or your practice score, and your +2 or bachelor’s marks. We check them against your course page and help you plan the next step. Our Nepal branches are in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara, and you can book a counselling session at any of them. If you are still comparing agents, read our guide to the best consultancy for Australia.