PTE Academic is the test people switch to after IELTS beats them up twice, and I completely understand the impulse. It's fully computer based, including speaking, which you do by talking into a microphone. No human examiner. No awkward silences. No lying awake wondering whether the examiner liked you. For students who freeze in face to face interviews, that alone is worth the switch.
The acceptance question is the real one, and the answer is better than the rumors suggest. PTE is accepted by thousands of universities, every university in the UK, every university in Australia, and a fast growing list in the US and Canada. Australia in particular has embraced it. If Australia is your destination, PTE is arguably the default now, not the alternative.
Score wise, the 10 to 90 scale maps roughly like this: 58 to 65 is the PTE version of IELTS 6.5, and most universities set their floor in that zone. Results land fast, usually within 48 hours, which makes PTE the best play when you're up against a deadline and need a score next week, not next month.
The catch is specific: the test rewards one skill above all, speaking clearly into a mic at a steady pace while the timer runs. Mumblers and speed talkers both lose points. And since scoring is fully automated, pronunciation and fluency algorithms decide your fate, so practice with the actual test format, not just general English conversation.
My honest take: if you're weighing the best English proficiency test for university admission, and you type fast, speak steadily, and hate human examiners, try a PTE mock before your third IELTS retake. You might be a PTE person and never knew it.
The 8-week study plan at internationalstudyhelp.fyi covers PTE tracks too, with daily tasks tuned to the automated scoring.