As English is the
medium of instruction in Australia, proficiency in speaking, listening to,
reading and writing English is essential. Some Student visa applicants are
required to provide the results of an English language test.
All international
students seeking admission in any Australian university must provide evidence
of English language ability, which meets the minimum requirement of admission.
Applicants will be
deemed to have satisfied the English language requirements if they can provide
evidence that they meet one or more of the following criteria:
- English
Language Tests and University English Courses - Prior
study in the medium of English - Other
qualifications - Residency
English
Language Tests and University English Courses
Australian
Universities recognise a number of English Language tests and English
Preparation Courses, which can be undertaken to meet the University’s English
language requirements.
Most of the
universities require the English course or test to be taken no more than two
years prior the commencement of the program.
Only original test
certificates are acceptable at the Australian universities and do not accept
the certified copies of English language results. Independent verification will
be done for IELTS and TOEFL scores.
IELTS is the most
popular English Test, which is recognized in most of the Australian
universities.
Some other programs
are also mentioned below which may be accepted.
- IELTS –
Academic version only - TOEFL –
Internet-based Test (iBT) - TOEFL –
Paper-based Test (PBT) - Pearson
Test of English (PTE) Academic - Cambridge
Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) - Cambridge
Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) - ANU
College Access Program
What
is IELTS?
IELTS is the
International English Language Testing System which tests English proficiency
across the world. It is one of the world’s most popular English-language
test for study, work and migration in many countries. More details about the
test can be found at the ielts.org.
Prior
study in the medium of English
Students who have
successfully completed at least one year of full-time education at a university
or post-secondary education institution where the medium of instruction and
examination was held in English, may not be require to undertake the language
test.
Students may have to
provide statement or certificate on official letterhead. No certified copies
are accepted. However it may not be accepted if the study was completed two
year prior to the commencement of the degree program at the Australian
University.
Other
Qualifications for Language Proficiency
In addition to the
English Tests and University Preparation Courses, Australian universities also
accept number of other academic qualifications as meeting the English language
requirements. They may be country specific and can be found on university
websites. Above qualification may be acceptable to the admission but may not
qualify for student Visa.
Residency
Students may not be
required to take an English Language test if they have lived in Australia, or
other predominantly English-speaking country, for a period of 5 years or more,
immediately prior to the commencement of the program. Again, this may not be
acceptable to student visa.
Student
Visa English Language Requirements
The Australian
Immigration Department accepts test results from the International English
Language Testing System (IELTS) test and the Occupational English Test (OET)
taken in any country.
Additionally
Australian Immigration Department accepts test result from following language
tests for study purpose taken in any country.
- Test of
English as a Foreign Language internet-Based test (TOEFL iBT) - Pearson
Test of English (PTE) Academic - Cambridge
English: Advanced (CAE) test (also known as Certificate in Advanced
English).
Important
If you intend to
apply for admission in Australian university and a further student visa
application, read the information on the university and immigration
department’s website to check if you need to provide your English language
results to meet the English language requirements.
Students may get
accepted to the Australian university with low TOEFL or IELTS score, however
they might not get visa before they will not qualify for immigration
department’s eligibility criteria.
Wishing you success!
