it was academic for study permitCorrect. But depends on what you want to do. Were the refusals for your PR or academic application?
Since your refusal states your PTE scores could not be validated, I'd suggest you use the IELTS scores (general in case of PR and Academic in case of Study)
I am not sure if it would be wise to take the GMAT route just because your application was refused owing to PTE scores not being validated. GMAT route will be long and expensive.