Visa application English requirements

To study at an Australian university or college, you must meet the required level of English in order to be granted your visa.  You can start the application process with an institution before you complete one of the test below, but you MUST fulfil the English requirement before the visa will be granted, even if you are in the Streamlined Visa Processing system.

IMPORTANT – These are the tests that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection accepts for visa applications. However, the institution you are applying to may NOT accept the same ones in their own ‘English checking’ process, and/or the score needed might be different, so ask the school or your education agent if the test you have select is suitable for both.

Compare standardized English test scores

This chart shows the equivalent scores for each of the tests we will discuss below.

Click a link to learn about each test:

IELTS – International English Language Testing System

You must achieve an IELTS test score of:

• 6.0 or above for direct entry into a course; or
  
  
• 5.5 to do a foundation course – but no ELICOS (English as a Second Language) course will be taken before your main course; or
  
  
• 5.0 with an ELICOS course (English as a Second Language) which will be completed before your main course. You can study a preliminary English course for a  maximum of 30 weeks.
  
  

Note: You can take the Academic or General IELTS tests to fulfil the English requirements for your student visa. However, it is up to each institution which version of the test it accepts for enrolment, so check this with the school(s) you want to attend.

Learn more about IELTS.

TOEFL iBT – Test of English as a Foreign Language (Internet-Based Test)

This test is accepted from the follow countries where there is no IELTS test centres:You must achieve a TOEFL iBT score of:

• 60 or above for direct entry into a course; or
  
  
• 46 to do a foundation course (but no ELICOS) to be taken before your main course; or
  
  
• 35 with an ELICOS course to be completed before your main course. You can study a preliminary English course for up to 30 weeks.
  
  

Learn more about TOEFL iBT.

PTE – Pearson Test of English Academic

You must achieve a PTE Academic score of:

• 50 or above for direct entry into a course; or
  
  
• 42 to do a foundation course (but no ELICOS) to be taken before your main course; or
  
  
• 36 with an ELICOS course to be taken before your main course. You can study a preliminary English course for up to 30 weeks.
  
  

Learn more about PET Academic.

CAE – Cambridge English – Advanced Certificate

You must achieve a CAE test score of:

• 52 or above for direct entry into a course; or
  
  
• 47 to do a foundation course (but no ELICOS) to be taken before your main course; or
  
  
• 41 with an ELICOS course to be taken before your main course. You can study a preliminary English course for up to 30 weeks.
  
  

Learn more about CAE.

OET – Occupational English Test

The OET assesses the English skills of healthcare professionals who seek to register and practise in an English-speaking environment. Some school in Australian will accept these test results for admission.

You must achieve an OET ‘pass’

Learn more about the OET.

TOEFL Paper-Based Test (PBT)

This written test is ONLY accepted from the follow countries where there is no IELTS test centres:

You must achieve a TOEFL PBT score of:

• 550 or above for direct entry into a course; or
  
  
• 527 to do a foundation course (but no ELICOS) to be taken before your main course; or
  
  
• 500 with an ELICOS course to be taken before your main course. You can study a preliminary English course for up to 30 weeks.
  
  

Note: Tests older than two years are not acceptable.

Learn more about TOEFL PBT.