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English Competency for Enrolment

English-requirements-for-enrolmentIn order to be enrolled in an Australian higher education institution, you must have a competent level of English. You will be listening to lectures in English, and writing tests and essays, thus strong language skills are a necessity.

Generally, you can begin your application with an institution(s) and receive a ‘conditional offer’ BEFORE you provide a test score. However, you may be required to submit a test score to receive the formal offer you need for your student visa


IMPORTANT: The English skill level required by an education provider may be different from the level needed for your student visa application. Ensure you or your education agent knows the requirements of both the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and the institution to which you are applying.

 

English competency levels

English levels within the education providers themselves can vary widely, so you must know the English requirements of the school you are applying to study at. For example, the University of Sydney requires an overall IELTS score of 7 for engineering, but 7.5 for law, while TAFE Northern Sydney Institute (NSI) requires a 7 overall for nursing, In contrast, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) requires an overall score of 6.5 for engineering, law and nursing.

 

Standardised international English tests

To prove your ability to an institution, you will be asked to the provide the test result from one of the following standardised international English tests: IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, PTE, or OET, However, a test result is not required if you are a native speaker from an English-speaking country, or have already completed a large amount of your studies in English.

Almost every institution accepts IELTS, as does the Australian government for the student visa, so we recommend this option if you have not completed a test already. 

Learn more about standardized English tests in the visa section – but remember…the test scores for a visa and admission to your school may be different!