English Language Requirement Updates
- RACC Australia - Education and Migration Services
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
If you're planning to study or work in Australia, understanding the English language requirements for various visa subclasses is crucial. The Department of Home Affairs has updated the English proficiency levels for certain visa types, including Proficient, Superior, Vocational, and Competent English levels, effective from 7th August 2025. These updated requirements also apply to the Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) and Hong Kong passport holders. This article will guide you through these changes and help you determine the necessary test scores.
Superior English
Test Taken on or After 7 August 2025
Test Sub-skill | C1 Advanced | CELPIP General | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training | LANGUAGECERT Academic | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Listening | 186 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 80 | 390 | 69 | 26 |
Reading | 190 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 83 | 400 | 70 | 27 |
Writing | 210 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 89 | 420 | 85 | 30 |
Speaking | 208 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 89 | 400 | 88 | 28 |
Test Taken on or Before 6th August 2025
Test Sub-skill | CAE / C1 Advanced | IELTS | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Listening | 200 | 8 | A | 79 | 28 |
Reading | 200 | 8 | A | 79 | 29 |
Writing | 200 | 8 | A | 79 | 30 |
Speaking | 200 | 8 | A | 79 | 26 |
Proficient English
Test Taken on or After 7 August 2025
Test Sub-skill | C1 Advanced | CELPIP General | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training | LANGUAGECERT Academic | MET | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Listening | 175 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 67 | 61 | 350 | 58 | 22 |
Reading | 179 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 71 | 63 | 360 | 59 | 22 |
Writing | 193 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 78 | 74 | 380 | 69 | 26 |
Speaking | 194 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 82 | 59 | 360 | 76 | 24 |
Test Taken on or Before 6th August 2025
Test Sub-skill | CAE / C1 Advanced | IELTS | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Listening | 185 | 7 | B | 65 | 24 |
Reading | 185 | 7 | B | 65 | 24 |
Writing | 185 | 7 | B | 65 | 27 |
Speaking | 185 | 7 | B | 65 | 23 |
Vocational English
Test Taken on or After 7 August 2025
Test Sub-skill | C1 Advanced | CELPIP General | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training | LANGUAGECERT Academic | MET | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Listening | Not accepted | 5 | 5 | 5 | 41 | 49 | 220 | 33 | 8 |
Reading | Not accepted | 5 | 5 | 5 | 44 | 47 | 240 | 36 | 8 |
Writing | Not accepted | 5 | 5 | 5 | 45 | 45 | 200 | 29 | 9 |
Speaking | Not accepted | 5 | 5 | 5 | 54 | 38 | 270 | 24 | 14 |
Test Taken on or Before 6th August 2025
Test Sub-skill | CAE / C1 Advanced | IELTS | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Listening | 154 | 5 | B | 36 | 4 |
Reading | 154 | 5 | B | 36 | 4 |
Writing | 154 | 5 | B | 36 | 14 |
Speaking | 154 | 5 | B | 36 | 14 |
Competent English
Test Taken on or After 7 August 2025
Test Sub-skill | C1 Advanced | CELPIP General | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training | LANGUAGECERT Academic | MET | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Listening | 163 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 57 | 56 | 290 | 47 | 16 |
Reading | 163 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 60 | 55 | 310 | 48 | 16 |
Writing | 170 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 64 | 57 | 290 | 51 | 19 |
Speaking | 179 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 70 | 48 | 330 | 54 | 19 |
Test Taken on or Before 6 August 2025
Test Sub-skill | CAE / C1 Advanced | IELTS | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Listening | 169 | 6 | B | 50 | 12 |
Reading | 169 | 6 | B | 50 | 13 |
Writing | 169 | 6 | B | 50 | 21 |
Speaking | 169 | 6 | B | 50 | 18 |
Test Taken on or After 7 August 2025
C1 Advanced | CELPIP General | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training | LANGUAGECERT Academic | MET | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Not accepted | 5 overall | 4.5 average | 4.5 average | 38 overall | 38 overall | 1020 overall | 24 overall | 26 total |
Test Taken on or Before 6 August 2025
C1 Advanced | IELTS | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
147 total | 4.5 average | Not accepted | 30 total | 32 total |
Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa
Test Taken on or After 7 August 2025
Test Sub-skill | C1 Advanced | CELPIP General | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training | LANGUAGECERT Academic | MET | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Overall | Not accepted | 8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 67 | 58 | 1310 | 55 | 81 |
Listening | Not accepted | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 49 | 53 | 260 | 40 | 12 |
Reading | Not accepted | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 54 | 51 | 280 | 42 | 12 |
Writing | Not accepted | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 56 | 51 | 260 | 41 | 14 |
Speaking | Not accepted | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 62 | 43 | 310 | 39 | 17 |
Test Taken on or Before 6 August 2025
Test Sub-skill | CAE / C1 Advanced | IELTS | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Overall | 176 | 6.5 | B | 57 | 83 |
Listening | 162 | 5.5 | B | 43 | 7 |
Reading | 162 | 5.5 | B | 48 | 8 |
Writing | 162 | 5.5 | B | 51 | 18 |
Speaking | 162 | 5.5 | B | 42 | 16 |
Hong Kong / British Passport Holder
Test Taken on or After 7 August 2025
Test Sub-skill | C1 Advanced | CELPIP General | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training | LANGUAGECERT Academic | MET | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Overall | Not accepted | 7 | 6 | 6 | 61 | 53 | 1210 | 47 | 67 |
Listening | Not accepted | 5 | 5 | 5 | 41 | 49 | 220 | 33 | 8 |
Reading | Not accepted | 5 | 5 | 5 | 44 | 47 | 240 | 36 | 8 |
Writing | Not accepted | 5 | 5 | 5 | 45 | 45 | 200 | 29 | 9 |
Speaking | Not accepted | 5 | 5 | 5 | 54 | 38 | 270 | 24 | 14 |
Test Taken on or Before 6 August 2025
Test Sub-skill | CAE / C1 Advanced | IELTS | OET | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT |
Overall | 169 | 6 | B | 50 | 64 |
Listening | 154 | 5 | B | 36 | 4 |
Reading | 154 | 5 | B | 36 | 4 |
Writing | 154 | 5 | B | 36 | 14 |
Speaking | 154 | 5 | B | 36 | 14 |
Example Calculations for English Language Requirements
Example 1 - For Functional English
For Functional English, an applicant must achieve an IELTS, IELTS General Training, or IELTS Academic average band score of at least 4.5 across the four test components: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Applicants are not required to score 4.5 in each individual component to meet the Functional English requirement.
Example 2 - For Points-Tested Skilled Visa Applicants
An applicant receives the following test results:
Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
9.0 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 8.0 |
Although their overall IELTS score shows an average of 8.0, they must achieve 8.0 or higher in all four test components to be considered for Superior English.
Therefore, the applicant's lowest score across all components will determine their language ability. In this example, the lowest score is 7.0, which means the applicant must select Proficient English as their language ability.
Example 3 - Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) - Language Ability
The applicant receives the following IELTS test results:
Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
7.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 |
Since the scores meet or exceed 6.5 in each test component, this falls under the Competent English category. Therefore, the applicant must select Competent English as the language ability achieved.
Meeting English Language Requirements: Book A Consultation
Meeting the English language requirements is a crucial step in applying for any Australian visa. By understanding the required scores for your chosen test and visa stream, you can ensure your application is complete and meets the necessary criteria.
Book a consultation with RACC Australia, and we’ll guide you through every step of the application process, ensuring you meet all the requirements for a successful visa application.
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