Australia Immigration English Test Changes August 2025

On 7 August 2025, the Department of Home Affairs implemented significant changes to the approved English‑language tests for visa applications.

These changes affect test types, score requirements, formats and accepted validity periods. These changes are important for anyone preparing to apply for a visa in Australia to ensure they are still meeting the correct English requirements.

Below we have provided a breakdown of the changes.

Overview of the English language test changes

English tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 may still be valid if used within applicable timeframes (generally up to three years, depending on the type of visa being applied for).

The Department now accepts a broader range of test types: Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS (Academic & General Training, including One Skill Retake where applicable), LANGUAGECERT Academic, MET (with Single Section Retake), OET, PTE Academic, and TOEFL iBT.

Functional English

Test	Accepted Scores – BEFORE 7 August 2025	Accepted Scores – FROM 7 August 2025
IELTS	Overall score of 4.5	Average score of 4.5
PTE Academic	Overall score of 30	Overall score of 24
TOEFL iBT	Total score of 32	Total score of 26
Cambridge C1 Advanced	Total score of 147	N/A
MET	N/A	Overall score of 38
CELPIP	N/A	Overall score of 5
OET	N/A	Overall score of 1020
LANGUAGECERT Academic	N/A	Overall score of 38

Vocational English

Test	Accepted Scores – BEFORE 7 August 2025	Accepted Scores – FROM 7 August 2025
IELTS	5 in each component	5 in each component
PTE Academic	36 in each component	Listening: 33, Reading: 36, Writing: 29, Speaking: 24
TOEFL iBT	Listening: 4, Reading: 4, Writing: 14, Speaking: 14	Listening: 8, Reading: 8, Writing: 9, Speaking: 14
Cambridge C1 Advanced	154 in each component	Not accepted for this level from 7 Aug 2025
MET	Not accepted	Listening: 49, Reading: 47, Writing: 45, Speaking: 38
CELPIP General	Not accepted	5 in each component
OET	B in each component	Listening: 220, Reading: 240, Writing: 200, Speaking: 270
LANGUAGECERT Academic	Not accepted	Listening: 41, Reading: 44, Writing: 45, Speaking: 54

Competent English

Test	Accepted Scores – BEFORE 7 August 2025	Accepted Scores – FROM 7 August 2025

IELTS

6 in each component

PTE Academic

50 in each component

Listening: 47, Reading: 48, Writing: 51, Speaking: 54

TOEFL iBT

Listening: 12, Reading: 13, Writing: 21, Speaking: 21

Listening: 16, Reading: 16, Writing: 19, Speaking: 19

Cambridge C1 Advanced

169 in each component

Listening: 163, Reading: 163, Writing: 170, Speaking: 179

MET

Not accepted

Listening: 56, Reading: 55, Writing: 57, Speaking: 48

CELPIP General

Not accepted

7 in each component

OET

B in each component

Listening: 290, Reading: 310, Writing: 290, Speaking: 330

LANGUAGECERT Academic

Not accepted

Listening: 57, Reading: 60, Writing: 64, Speaking: 70

Proficient English

Test	Accepted Scores – BEFORE 7 August 2025	Accepted Scores – FROM 7 August 2025
IELTS	7 in each component	7 in each component
PTE Academic	65 in each component	Listening: 58, Reading: 59, Writing: 69, Speaking: 76
TOEFL iBT	Listening: 24, Reading: 24, Writing: 27, Speaking: 23	Listening: 22, Reading: 22, Writing: 26, Speaking: 24
Cambridge C1 Advanced	185 in each component	Listening: 175, Reading: 179, Writing: 193, Speaking: 194
MET	Not accepted	Listening: 61, Reading: 63, Writing: 74, Speaking: 59
CELPIP General	Not accepted	Listening: 9, Reading: 8, Writing: 10, Speaking: 8
OET	B in each component	Listening: 350, Reading: 360, Writing: 380, Speaking: 360
LANGUAGECERT Academic	Not accepted	Listening: 67, Reading: 71, Writing: 78, Speaking: 82

Superior English

Test	Accepted Scores – BEFORE 7 August 2025	Accepted Scores – FROM 7 August 2025

IELTS

8 in each component

PTE Academic

79 in each component

Listening: 69, Reading: 70, Writing: 85, Speaking: 88

TOEFL iBT

Listening: 28, Reading: 29, Writing: 30, Speaking: 26

Listening: 26, Reading: 27, Writing: 30, Speaking: 28

Cambridge C1 Advanced

200 in each component

Listening: 186, Reading: 190, Writing: 210, Speaking: 208

CELPIP General

Not accepted

Listening: 10, Reading: 10, Writing: 12, Speaking: 10

OET

A in each component

Listening: 390, Reading: 400, Writing: 420, Speaking: 400

LANGUAGECERT Academic

Not accepted

Listening: 80, Reading: 83, Writing: 89, Speaking: 89

What this means for visa applicants

If you have taken an English test prior to the 7 August 2025, ensure you meet the previous requirements. If taken after 7 August 2025, ensure you meet the new requirements.
Double check the validity of your test results based on your visa type and lodgement date.
Determine your required English level (Functional, Vocational, Competent, Proficient, or Superior) and make sure your test scores either meet or exceed the requirements.