Most Australian temporary and permanent residence visa applications require applicants to meet English language requirements. Currently there are FIVE different English exams that are accepted by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP):
- IELTS – International English Language Testing System (Academic or General Module)
- OET – Occupational English Test
- TOEFL iBT – Test of English as a Foreign Language (internet-based test)
- PTE – Pearson Test of English (Academic)
- CAE – Cambridge English: Advanced
The Different English Levels
The Department of Home Affairs assesses English language proficiency across several levels. The level you need depends on the visa you are applying for. The requirements have been updated as of August 7, 2025, but previous scores may still be valid depending on the test date.
Here are the score equivalents across the approved tests, with a detailed breakdown by component for both the previous and current requirements.
English Test Score Requirements
Test results are generally valid for 3 years from the date of the test.
| Functional English | |||
| Test | Component | Scores BEFORE August 7, 2025 | Scores ON OR AFTER August 7, 2025 |
| IELTS | Overall | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| PTE Academic | Overall | 30 | 24 |
| TOEFL iBT | Overall | 32 | 26 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | Overall | 147 | N/A |
| OET | Overall | N/A | 1020 |
| CELPIP General | Overall | N/A | 5 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | Overall | N/A | 38 |
| MET | Overall | N/A | 38 |
| Vocational English | ||||||||
Test | Scores BEFORE August 7, 2025 | Scores ON OR AFTER August 7, 2025 | ||||||
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
| IELTS | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| PTE Academic | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 33 | 36 | 29 | 24 |
| TOEFL iBT | 4 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 14 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 154 | 154 | 154 | 154 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| OET | B | B | B | B | 220 | 240 | 200 | 270 |
| CELPIP General | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 41 | 44 | 45 | 54 |
| MET | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 49 | 47 | 45 | 38 |
| Competent English | ||||||||
Test | Scores BEFORE August 7, 2025 | Scores ON OR AFTER August 7, 2025 | ||||||
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
| IELTS | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| PTE Academic | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 47 | 48 | 51 | 54 |
| TOEFL iBT | 12 | 13 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 169 | 169 | 169 | 169 | 163 | 163 | 170 | 179 |
| OET | B | B | B | B | 220 | 310 | 290 | 330 |
| CELPIP General | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 57 | 60 | 64 | 70 |
| MET | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 56 | 55 | 57 | 48 |
| Proficient English | ||||||||
Test | Scores BEFORE August 7, 2025 | Scores ON OR AFTER August 7, 2025 | ||||||
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
| IELTS | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| PTE Academic | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 58 | 59 | 69 | 76 |
| TOEFL iBT | 24 | 24 | 27 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 26 | 24 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 185 | 185 | 185 | 185 | 175 | 179 | 193 | 194 |
| OET | B | B | B | B | 350 | 360 | 380 | 360 |
| CELPIP General | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 67 | 71 | 78 | 82 |
| MET | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 61 | 63 | 74 | 59 |
| Superior English | ||||||||
Test | Scores BEFORE August 7, 2025 | Scores ON OR AFTER August 7, 2025 | ||||||
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
| IELTS | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| PTE Academic | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 69 | 70 | 85 | 88 |
| TOEFL iBT | 28 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 28 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 186 | 190 | 210 | 208 |
| OET | A | A | A | A | 390 | 400 | 420 | 400 |
| CELPIP General | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 80 | 83 | 89 | 89 |
| MET | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Important Updates (Effective August 7, 2025)
- New Accepted Tests: The Department of Home Affairs has added new English language tests to its list of approved exams: CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic, and the Michigan English Test (MET).
- Test Formats: All approved tests must be taken at a secure testing center. Online or "at-home" versions of any test are not accepted for Australian visa purposes.
- Retake Options: The Department now accepts results from the IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) and the MET Single Section Retake (SSR).
Fees and Time Taken for Results
The following are the current fees for the exams in Australia. Note that prices are subject to change by the testing providers.
- IELTS: AU$ 445. Results are available 13 calendar days after the paper-based test and within 3-5 days after the computer-delivered test.
- OET: AU$ 587. Results are available approximately 16 business days after the test.
- TOEFL iBT: US$ 288 (approx AU$ 476.85). Results are available 10 calendar days after the test.
- PTE Academic: AU$ 475. Results are available within 2 business days.
- Cambridge C1 Advanced: AU$ 440 for external applicants. Results are available in 2-3 weeks.
- CELPIP General: CA$ 290 (approx AU$ 300). Results are available within 3-4 business days.
- LANGUAGECERT Academic: US$ 240 (approx AU$ 360). Results are available within 3-5 business days.
If you are unsure about the level of English result you need, please seek the advice of a Registered Migration Agent or Immigration Lawyer. The team at Work Visa Lawyers will be happy to assist.
IELTS is now offering a computer-delivered test format, making it similar to the PTE Academic exam. There are some subtle differences, and you can read about the comparisons at our news article here.
If you are unsure about the level of English result you need please seek the advice of a Registered Migration Agent or Immigration Lawyer. The team at Work Visa Lawyers will be happy to assist.
