If you sat your English test on or after 7 August 2025, you must meet the updated minimum scores to satisfy the Competent English requirements outlined below.
| Test Name | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| PTE Academic | 47 | 48 | 51 | 54 |
| IELTS (Academic & General) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 163 | 163 | 170 | 179 |
| CELPIP General | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 57 | 60 | 64 | 70 |
| MET | 56 | 55 | 57 | 48 |
| OET | 290 | 310 | 290 | 330 |
| TOEFL iBT | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 |
Important Rules for Recent Tests:
You do not need to sit for an English test to prove Competent English if you are a citizen of, and hold a valid passport issued by, one of the following countries:
If you took an approved test before the rules changed, don’t worry! Your results may still be valid as proof of Competent English for up to 3 years before your visa application date (until 6 August 2028, inclusive, depending on the visa).
Here are the required scores for tests taken before the change:
| Test Name | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| PTE Academic | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| IELTS (Academic & General) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 169 | 169 | 169 | 169 |
| OET | B | B | B | B |
| TOEFL iBT | 12 | 13 | 21 | 21 |
The Department of Home Affairs is extremely strict regarding test formats. They do not accept evidence from English language tests delivered completely online (also known as ‘remote-proctored’ or ‘at-home’ tests).
If you take any of the following, your visa application could be refused:
Always ensure you are booking an in-person, center-based test to meet Australian migration standards.
To achieve Competent English for Australian visa purposes using the PTE Academic test, you must reach the following minimum scores in each of the four components:
Listening: 47
Reading: 48
Writing: 51
Speaking: 54
For IELTS (both Academic and General Training), you must achieve a minimum score of 6.0 in each of the four test components:
Listening: 6.0
Reading: 6.0
Writing: 6.0
Speaking: 6.0
For Australian visa purposes, a Competent English test result is generally valid for 3 years from the date of the test.
Although most English test providers state that their results are valid for 2 years, the Department of Home Affairs allows applicants to use the test result for visa purposes for up to 3 years, provided it meets the relevant visa criteria at the time of application.
