How to Improve PTE from 65 to 79: Proficient English — 10 Extra Points

The jump from PTE 65 to 79 unlocks 10 extra immigration points for Australia PR — often the deciding factor between receiving an invitation to apply and waiting indefinitely. This is the most sought-after improvement at EEC because it directly impacts EOI competitiveness. But the 65→79 gap is fundamentally different from 50→65. At this level, you already have good English — the challenge is achieving excellence across all four skills simultaneously.

Why PTE 79 Is Worth 10 Extra Australia PR Points

Under Australia's points system, Proficient English (PTE 79 each skill) earns 10 bonus points. For many skilled workers, these 10 points are the difference between an EOI total of 65 (borderline) and 75 (competitive). In recent invitation rounds, the gap between receiving an ITA and being bypassed has been as small as 5 points. PTE 79 is the most accessible and controllable way to add 10 points — compared to getting Australian work experience (requires being in Australia) or a PhD (years of study).

The 65→79 Gap: What Changes at the Higher Level

At PTE 65, you have good functional English with occasional errors. At PTE 79, you need near-flawless performance: zero tolerance for spelling errors in WFD, advanced pronunciation with connected speech, sophisticated vocabulary in essays, and near-perfect accuracy in Fill in the Blanks. The margin of error shrinks dramatically. One skill at 77 with three at 82 is a fail — you need 79+ in EVERY skill.

Speaking: From Good to Excellent

Advanced Pronunciation (Connected Speech, Schwa)

At the 79 level, pronunciation must go beyond individual word clarity to include connected speech — linking words naturally (e.g., "turn_it_off" sounds like "tur-ni-toff"). Master the schwa sound (the unstressed "uh") in multisyllable words. Practice with English podcasts, shadowing the speaker's rhythm exactly.

Oral Fluency: Zero Hesitations

At 79+, Oral Fluency must be near-perfect: no "um/uh," no mid-sentence pauses, no self-corrections. If you make a mistake in Read Aloud, continue smoothly rather than going back to correct it. The AI penalises backtracking more than minor content errors.

Describe Image: Advanced Vocabulary

Move beyond basic template language. Instead of "the highest is X," say "X demonstrates the most significant value at approximately..." Use comparison language: "substantially exceeds," "marginally higher," "approximately double."

Writing: Precision & Sophistication

Essay — complex sentence structures: Use conditionals ("Were the government to implement..."), embedded clauses, and inversion ("Not only does X, but it also Y"). Vocabulary must include less common academic words — "exacerbate" instead of "worsen," "paradigm shift" instead of "big change."

SWT — single-sentence mastery with embedded clauses: At 79+, your SWT sentence should be grammatically perfect with 2-3 subordinate clauses covering all key points. No tolerance for grammar errors at this level.

Zero spelling errors: In essays and WFD, spelling must be perfect. One misspelling can cost you 1-2 points — the difference between 78 and 80 in Writing.

Reading: Speed & Accuracy

Re-order Paragraphs in under 2 minutes per set: At 79+, you cannot afford to lose time on Re-order. Speed comes from pattern recognition — practise 50+ sets until the topic-sentence and pronoun-chain method is automatic.

Collocations at C1 level: Fill in the Blanks at the 79+ level tests sophisticated collocations: "draw a distinction," "mount a challenge," "reach a consensus." Build a bank of 200+ academic collocations.

Listening: Near-Perfect Write from Dictation

At PTE 79+, WFD accuracy must be 90%+ with zero spelling errors. This means catching every word including articles and prepositions, and spelling every word perfectly. Practise 30 sentences daily at this stage.

Highlight Incorrect Words — confidence in every click: At this level, you must click all incorrect words (not just the ones you are certain about) while avoiding false positives. Practise daily to build discrimination accuracy.

Enabling Skills Focus at 79+

Your enabling skill scores must all be 75+ for a 79 communicative skill score. The most common bottlenecks at this level:

Oral Fluency: Must be 78+. Eliminate every hesitation, false start, and self-correction. Practise shadowing for 20 minutes daily.

Pronunciation: Must be 78+. Focus on connected speech, word stress patterns, and intonation contours.

Written Discourse: Must be 75+. Essays need clear paragraph transitions and logical argument development.

10-Week Advanced Preparation Plan

EEC 65→79 Intensive Track

EEC's 65→79 intensive track focuses on the precision improvements described above — advanced pronunciation coaching, essay sophistication workshops, WFD perfection drills, and weekly mock tests with detailed score analysis. This is the most popular EEC PTE track for Australia-bound IT professionals and engineers. See also our PTE 90 guide if you need the maximum 20 points.

“The 65-to-79 jump is the most valuable score improvement in PTE. It moves you from Competent to Proficient English, adding 10 immigration points for Australia.”

— EEC PTE Strategy Team, Australia Immigration Specialist

Related Resources & Further Reading

Ready to begin? Register for a free demo class. PTE is also accepted for study in New Zealand. Planning Canada? See our study in Canada options. Read our PTE Academic complete guide. Read our PTE fee structure in India. Read our PTE Academic vs PTE Core. Read our PTE scores for Australia PR. Read our PTE vs IELTS comparison. Read our PTE preparation tips for 79+. Also explore our IELTS complete guide. Also explore our IELTS vs PTE comparison. Also explore our IELTS Band 7 tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about the 65→79 improvement journey: