I booked PTE Academic — is it accepted for Canada PR? (Or do I need PTE Core?)
For Canadian permanent residence and Express Entry, IRCC accepts PTE Core — NOT PTE Academic. A PTE Academic score, however high, cannot be used for Express Entry. They are separate tests with non-interchangeable scores.
Pearson runs two different tests. PTE Core is the everyday-English test IRCC accepts for economic immigration (Express Entry, PR, most PNPs). PTE Academic is an academic-English test for university admission and some Australia/New Zealand visas. Their scores are not interchangeable — you must sit the one your application actually requires.
The mistake usually happens because "PTE" search results and coaching ads skew heavily toward PTE Academic (the older, bigger product). People book it, prepare, score well — and only discover at profile time that Express Entry wants Core.
What to do: if PR is your goal, book PTE Core. An existing Academic score won't transfer, so there's no shortcut — but the good news is Core is generally considered a little easier (everyday topics, no academic lectures). The one time Academic is right: applying to study in Canada, where a college/university (or the SDS study-permit stream) may require PTE Academic.