English Test for Australian Visa: The Tests Home Affairs Accepts in 2026

If you are planning a skilled, student, or partner visa application, one of the first questions is which English test for an Australian visa will actually be accepted. The answer changed for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, and some older results have a hard end date. Getting it wrong can mean paying for a test the Department will not recognise. This guide explains the levels Home Affairs uses, the accepted tests, the secure test centre rule and the 6 August 2028 cut-off, so you can plan with confidence.

Why an English test for Australian visa applications matters

Many Australian visas ask you to show a particular level of English. Depending on the visa, that evidence can affect whether you meet a basic eligibility requirement. Which level applies depends on the visa subclass, so the visa page for your own application is always the starting point.

The Department sets the rules on its English language page, and in a legislative instrument it names the Migration (Specification of Language Tests, Test Scores and Passports) Instrument 2025 (LIN 25/016). The practical point is simple: the test, the score, and the date you sat it all matter. Check each before you book.

Source: Home Affairs, English language.

Competent, proficient and superior English: the levels explained

Home Affairs uses five levels of English: Functional English, Vocational English, Competent English, Proficient English and Superior English. Each has its own page with the scores required for each test. Which level you need depends on your visa, and some visas allow other forms of evidence, so read the requirements for your subclass.

For competent English, the Department lists minimum scores in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking). For example, for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training require at least 6 in each component, and PTE Academic requires at least 47, 48, 51 and 54 for listening, reading, writing and speaking respectively. Proficient English and Superior English require higher scores, set out on their own pages.

• Competent English

• Proficient English

• Superior English

Which English test do I need for an Australian visa? The accepted list

For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the Department accepts scores from the following tests:

• Cambridge C1 Advanced

• CELPIP General

• IELTS Academic (including One Skill Retake)

• IELTS General Training (including One Skill Retake)

• LANGUAGECERT Academic

• Michigan English Test (including Single Section Retake)

• Occupational English Test (OET)

• PTE Academic

• TOEFL iBT, registered as "Taking TOEFL for Australia"

For TOEFL iBT, the Department says you must select "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when registering for your test. If you use PTE or IELTS, the PTE IELTS accepted by Home Affairs 2026 list above is the one that applies to tests taken from 7 August 2025. A test not on the list may not count, so confirm before you pay.

Source: Home Affairs, English language.

The secure test centre rule and why online tests do not count

The Department states:

"The test must take place in a secure testing centre." (Home Affairs, English language page)

Tests may be computer-based or paper-based, but they must be taken at a secure testing centre. The Department does not accept tests delivered completely online, that is, remote-proctored or at-home tests. Examples it names include IELTS Online, CELPIP Online, LANGUAGECERT Academic Online, MET Digital (at-home), OET@Home and TOEFL iBT Home Edition.

This is a common trap. A result can look identical on paper, yet if it came from an at-home format, it is not accepted for visa purposes. Check the delivery format when you book, not after you receive your results.

Source: Home Affairs, English language.

English test results validity for an Australian visa: the 6 August 2028 cut-off

Results from five tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 may still be used as evidence of English proficiency. Those tests are Cambridge English (C1 Advanced), IELTS (including One Skill Retake), PTE Academic, OET and TOEFL iBT. The Department says these results may be used until 6 August 2028, inclusive, depending on the visa.

Scores for older results are set in a separate table on each level page, and they can differ from the scores for newer tests. For competent English, for example, the older PTE Academic table lists 50 in each component, compared with the newer table for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. Do not assume an old result meets today's table; check the table for the date you sat the test.

For proficient and superior English, the level pages also refer to evidence achieved in the 3 years before your visa application. Check how that interacts with your own test date.

Sources: Home Affairs, English language; Proficient English.

Passport exemptions and planning your English test around your lodgement date

The Competent English page says applicants can show competent English through citizenship if they are a citizen of, and hold a valid passport issued by, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America. The Proficient English and Superior English pages do not mention a passport exemption. Whether a passport exemption helps depends on the visa you are applying for, so check your subclass.

A practical timing plan looks like this:

• Confirm the English level your visa requires.

• Choose a test from the accepted list and check that it is delivered at a secure test centre.

• Compare your target scores with the table for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.

• If you hold an older result, check the table for tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 and the 6 August 2028 end date.

• Allow time for a retake before your planned lodgement date.

Common mistakes are easy to avoid with a little planning. Applicants sometimes book an at-home test because it is convenient, then discover it is not accepted. Others rely on an older result without checking whether the end date of 6 August 2028 and the older score table still suit their visa. Some assume that the same score works for every visa, when the level required depends on the subclass. Reading the Department's pages for your specific visa before you book is the simplest protection.

It also helps to keep your test report form and booking confirmation together with your application documents. They show the test name, the date you sat it, and that it was taken at a secure test centre, which are the points the Department's pages focus on. Where you are unsure whether a particular result will be accepted for your visa, ask a registered migration agent before you pay for another sitting.

If your skilled application is moving forward, our skilled visa document checklist and our guide to points test changes for 2026 are useful companions.

Where Migration Star Can Help

Migration Star is a Brisbane-based registered migration practice, led by principal agent Rohit Sharma, MARA No. 1797395. Our services include reviewing how an English test result fits with your visa pathway, subject to Department requirements and your individual circumstances. A 30-minute Migration Consultation ($165) is available by phone on 07 3519 5619, or in person at Level 2, 8 Clunies Ross Court, Eight Mile Plains QLD 4113. Book your consultation at https://www.migrationstar.com.au/book-a-consultation

Information current as at 14/10/2026. Migration outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Visa criteria may change.

Information current as at 14/10/2026. Migration Star is a registered migration practice. Principal agent Rohit Sharma, MARA No. 1797395. Migration outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Visa criteria may change. This article is general information only and does not constitute migration advice. For advice on your specific situation, book a consultation at migrationstar.com.au.

Migration Star | MARA No. 1797395 | migrationstar.com.au | 07 3519 5619