PTE 90 Overall but Not Superior? Why 79 Each Is No Longer Enough (2026)

Quick answer: For PTE tests taken from 7 August 2025, Superior English (20 points) needs at least Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85 and Speaking 88. The old “79 each” rule is gone, and the overall score does not count. So a student can score PTE 90 overall and still miss Superior, usually because Writing is under 85 or Speaking is under 88.

The new minimums (PTE 90 overall is not one of them)

Level (points)	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
Competent (0)	47	48	51	54
Proficient (10)	58	59	69	76
Superior (20)	69	70	85	88

Listening and Reading got easier than “79 each”. Writing and Speaking got harder. Old advice that says “just get 79 in everything” can now cost you 10 points. Source: Home Affairs, Superior English.

Student score reports: PTE 90 overall vs 85 overall

Shared with permission, personal details blurred.

Student	Overall	L	R	W	S	Superior?
Online student	90	84	90	84	90	No: Writing 1 below 85
Shijin	86	85	85	79	90	No: Writing 6 below 85
Online student	86	85	90	81	90	No: Writing 4 below 85
Amar	85	85	83	90	90	Yes
Nelson	85	84	85	90	88	Yes

Read that again: two students with 85 overall reached Superior, and a student with 90 overall did not. The overall number is not what Home Affairs looks at.

Worked example: which skill to fix first

Take the student with PTE 90 overall and W84. Listening, Reading and Speaking already clear Superior. Only Writing misses, by one point. That student does not need more Reading practice or another full course. They need a few weeks on the Writing tasks: daily Write from Dictation with zero spelling slips, and Summarize Written Text and Essay answers checked by a teacher.

Now take Shijin, 86 overall with W79. The gap is six points, so the plan is the same but longer, and the mock tests must clear W85 with a buffer before booking. In both cases the overall score told them nothing useful. The skill line did.

Quick self check: write your four skill scores next to the Superior row in the table above. Any skill below its number is your gap skill, even if your overall is 90.

Why Writing is usually the skill that misses

• Write from Dictation feeds Writing and Listening. One extra word or one misspelt common word costs marks in both.
• Summarize Written Text and Essay are double-checked by human reviewers since August 2025. Memorised templates get flagged, so template-heavy writers lose marks.
• Spelling and grammar count in every Writing task. Small slips add up when the target is 85.

Why Speaking can miss 88

• Fluency drops when you speed up and slow down. Keep one steady pace.
• Describe Image, Re-tell Lecture, Summarize Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation are human-checked for content.
• Microphone problems like static or breathing into the mic can cost marks without you noticing.

How to close the gap

1. Check every skill against the table, not your overall.
2. Find your gap skill. For most students aiming for Superior, it is Writing or Speaking.
3. Drill the tasks that feed it: Write from Dictation daily; Summarize Written Text and Essay with flexible language, not templates; Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence for Speaking.
4. Get human feedback on Writing and Speaking (see why templates now get flagged). A score alone won’t show you why you are at 84.
5. Book when your mocks clear W85 and S88 with a buffer, at least twice.

FAQ

Get to Superior

Our Superior students worked on exactly this: one gap skill, with feedback. See PTE classes or send us your score report on WhatsApp and we’ll tell you which skill to fix first.

Related: 189/190/491 visa PTE scores · Superior, Proficient and Competent explained

Alex, Head Instructor, Dream English Education