ScoreFluentMET vs PTE Academic: how do they differ?
Both test all four skills on a computer, but they are built differently: MET is a 155-minute test in four timed sections, reported 0 to 80, while PTE Academic is about two hours in three parts, reported 10 to 90. Recognition differs by country and purpose, so this page starts there.
Checked 16 October 2026 against the sources linked below. ScoreFluent is not affiliated with Michigan Language Assessment or Pearson.
Which authorities accept MET and PTE Academic?
These are the lists published by governments and regulators, which decide what counts for a visa or registration. Universities set their own lists, often per course, so check your programme page. “Not listed” means the authority's page we checked does not name the test.
| Authority | MET | PTE Academic | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian visas (Home Affairs, tests on or after 7 August 2025) | Accepted. Competent English minimums: Listening 56, Reading 55, Writing 57, Speaking 48 | Accepted. Competent English minimums: Listening 47, Reading 48, Writing 51, Speaking 54 | Home Affairs: competent English |
| UK visas needing a SELT (GOV.UK) | No approved SELT product | PTE Academic UKVI is approved; Pearson says it has the same content, format and scoring as PTE Academic but is booked separately | GOV.UK: approved SELTs |
| Canada, Express Entry (IRCC) | Not listed | PTE Core is listed; PTE Academic is not. IRCC: "You must take the PTE Core option." | IRCC: language tests |
| New Zealand skilled residence visas (Immigration NZ) | Not listed | PTE Academic is listed | Immigration NZ: skilled residence visas |
| New Zealand non-university tertiary providers (NZQA) | Not in the 2026 rules table | In the 2026 rules table, taken at a PTE test centre | NZQA: 2026 rules, Schedule 1 |
| Nurse registration (Ahpra, NMC, NCNZ) | Not listed by any of the three | Listed by Ahpra only. The NMC lists only IELTS Academic and OET. NCNZ: "We do not accept PTE." | Ahpra; NMC; NCNZ |
Checked 16 October 2026. The Australian figures are administrative minimums on different scales, not equivalent scores or a difficulty ranking. Home Affairs also says it does not accept tests delivered completely online, which names MET Digital taken at home (Home Affairs: English language). The nursing lists are detailed in our nursing registration guide, the Australian lists in our Australian visa guide, and the NMC and NCNZ sources are NMC and NCNZ.
How do the formats differ?
| MET | PTE Academic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total time | 155 minutes | About 2 hours; the three parts run 76 to 84, 23 to 30 and 31 to 39 minutes |
| Structure | Four sections: Writing 45 minutes, Listening 35, Reading 65, Speaking 10 | Three parts: Speaking and Writing together (9 question types), then Reading (5), then Listening (8) |
| Where you sit it | Digital, at authorised or Prometric test centres. Michigan has paused remote (at-home) testing indefinitely, with the final at-home sitting on 30 September 2026 | On a computer at an authorised PTE test centre. Pearson: "PTE Academic cannot be taken at home" |
| Speaking | Five tasks in 10 minutes, answered on the computer: describe a picture, a personal experience, an opinion, advantages and disadvantages, and justifying an opinion | Part of the first block with Writing; Pearson says scoring is powered by AI and human expertise |
| Writing | 45 minutes: short responses to three questions, then a multiparagraph essay | Part of the first block with Speaking |
| Reading | 65 minutes, 50 questions: 20 grammar items, 10 on two single texts, 20 on two sets of three linked texts | Part 2: 5 question types, 23 to 30 minutes |
| Listening | 35 minutes, 50 multiple-choice questions on conversations and talks | Part 3: 8 question types, 31 to 39 minutes |
| Who marks it | Listening and Reading by computer, with no penalty for wrong answers. Writing and Speaking by certified raters | Pearson: scoring powered by AI and human expertise |
| Score scale | 0 to 80 per section; overall is the average of the four sections. CEFR: A2 27 to 39, B1 40 to 52, B2 53 to 63, C1 64 to 80 | 10 to 90 on the Global Scale of English; the report shows an overall score and a score for each skill |
| Validity | Results do not expire; each institution sets how old a result may be | Valid for two years from the test date, according to Pearson |
MET facts are from Michigan’s MET Test Taker Handbook (PDF) and MET page. PTE Academic facts are from Pearson’s PTE Academic page and help centre FAQ. Checked 16 October 2026. Both publishers revise these pages, so confirm anything a booking depends on.
How do you decide between them?
Start with the requirement
If your university, regulator or visa names one test, take that one. Recognition differs by country and purpose, as the table above shows, and no conversion table overrides an offer letter.
Check the exact product name
PTE Academic, PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Core are different products with different recognition. A MET score report shows whether you tested at a centre or remotely, and some institutions treat remote results differently.
Compare how the speaking section feels
MET Speaking is five recorded tasks in 10 minutes, with set durations of 60 or 90 seconds. PTE Speaking sits in a longer first block shared with Writing. Try the official MET sample tests and a Pearson scored practice test and note which pacing you hold up under.
Read the scale you need, not the one you know
MET reports 0 to 80 and PTE reports 10 to 90, and we found no published conversion between them. Michigan’s handbook compares MET with IELTS Academic bands. Ask your institution for its requirement in the test you plan to take.
For how MET scores relate to a scale Michigan does publish, see MET vs IELTS and MET scores and CEFR. Other PTE comparisons: TOEFL vs PTE, LanguageCert Academic vs PTE, CELPIP vs PTE and C1 Advanced vs PTE.
Straight from the test makers and the authorities.
ScoreFluent is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Michigan Language Assessment or Pearson. Checked on 16 October 2026:
- MET Test Taker Handbook (PDF) — format, timings, scoring, retake and validity.
- Michigan Language Assessment: MET — the announcement pausing remote (at-home) testing.
- Pearson: PTE Academic and help centre FAQ — structure, scale, validity and delivery.
- Home Affairs: competent English, GOV.UK: approved SELTs, IRCC: language tests, Immigration NZ and NZQA 2026 rules (PDF) — recognition.
- Ahpra accepted tests, NMC accepted tests and NCNZ English language requirements — nurse registration.
Exam details change. If a decision hangs on a detail here, check it against the official pages above first; they outrank this page.
Keep going: the full MET format guide, how MET scoring works, the PTE Academic guide, compare all English tests.
MET vs PTE Academic, answered.
Is MET easier than PTE Academic?
There is no honest yes or no. We found no published concordance between MET and PTE Academic, the scales differ, and the tests differ in shape. Choose on acceptance first, then on which format suits how you perform.
Are MET and PTE Academic both accepted for Australian visas?
Yes. Home Affairs lists both for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, at a secure test centre. The competent English minimums are on different scales: MET 56, 55, 57 and 48, and PTE Academic 47, 48, 51 and 54, in the order Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking.
Is MET accepted for UK visas?
No. The GOV.UK list of approved secure English language tests has no Michigan product. PTE Academic UKVI, from Pearson, is on that list.
Is PTE Academic accepted for Canadian immigration?
Not for Express Entry. IRCC names PTE Core, not PTE Academic, and MET is not listed either. Check IRCC for your specific programme before booking.
Which is longer, MET or PTE Academic?
MET takes 155 minutes. Pearson describes PTE Academic as about two hours, with three parts running 76 to 84, 23 to 30 and 31 to 39 minutes.
How are MET and PTE Academic scored?
MET Listening and Reading are scored by computer and Writing and Speaking by certified raters, on a 0 to 80 scale with the overall as an average. Pearson says PTE Academic scoring is powered by AI and human expertise, on a 10 to 90 scale.
How long do MET and PTE Academic results last?
Michigan says MET results do not expire, but institutions accept results only for a set period after the test date. Pearson says a PTE Academic score is valid for two years from the test date.
Can I retake one section of MET or PTE Academic?
MET allows a single section retake for Writing, Listening or Reading, ordered no later than three days after results are published. Speaking is not eligible. The Pearson pages we checked do not describe a single-section retake for PTE Academic, so confirm with Pearson.
Can I take MET or PTE Academic at home?
Pearson says PTE Academic cannot be taken at home. Michigan says it is indefinitely pausing remote (at-home) MET testing, with the final at-home sitting on 30 September 2026, so MET is a test-centre test for now. Home Affairs did not accept at-home MET for Australian visas in any case.
Does ScoreFluent offer MET and PTE Academic practice?
Yes. Both are live in one account, with MET Speaking and Writing scored on Michigan’s published scales and PTE across its task types. Results are practice estimates, not official scores, and ScoreFluent is not affiliated with Michigan Language Assessment or Pearson.
Try both formats before you book.
MET and PTE Academic practice are both live in one account. New accounts start with 40 free credits, and credits never expire. There is no subscription.
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