Schools Sector English Proficiency Test Requirement

The Schools sector English proficiency test requirement

Students need to be proficient in the English language to complete senior secondary studies successfully in Australia. As of 1 April 2004, Assessment Level 4 Schools sector visa applicants who apply outside Australia for a student visa and who are at least 16 years of age at time of visa application must provide evidence of their English language proficiency.

Unless a visa applicant meets the waiver requirements, they must provide evidence of one of the following specified English language tests:

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests:
  • an IELTS test overall band score of 4.0 if undertaking preliminary English tuition (30 weeks maximum)
  • an IELTS test overall band score of 5.0 with no preliminary English tuition
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic:
  • a PTE Academic test overall band score of 29 if undertaking preliminary English tuition (30 weeks maximum)
  • a PTE Academic test overall band score of 36 with no preliminary English tuition
• Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT):
  • a TOEFL iBToverall band score of 31 if undertaking preliminary English tuition (30 weeks maximum)
  • a TOEFL iBT overall band score of 35 with no preliminary English tuition
• Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test (also known as Certificate in Advanced English):
  • a CAE test overall band score of 32 if undertaking preliminary English tuition (30 weeks maximum)
  • a CAE test overall band score of 41 with no preliminary English tuition
  • an OET test overall score of 'pass' with or without preliminary English tuition.

See: Student Visa Program - Assessment Levels (formerly known as Form 1219i) (147KB PDF file)

Waiving the English proficiency test requirement

The Schools sector English language test requirement is accompanied by waiver provisions, including specific provisions for students from the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Schools sector visa applicants may seek a waiver of this requirement when they lodge their visa application, either personally or with the assistance of an agent.

The waiver is only available to Schools sector visa applicants. There is no waiver of the English language test requirement for the other types of student visa.
See: Student Visa Types (Subclasses) and Conditions

If the department agrees to waive the English language test requirement for a student visa applicant, that student does not need to provide an IELTS or a specified English language test score to show that they meet English language requirements.

If the department does not agree to waive this requirement to provide evidence of a an IELTS or a specified English language test score, the student must submit the results of an IELTS or a specified English language test to show that they meet English language requirements.

Visa applicants in the PRC

There are two methods citizens of the People's Republic of China (PRC) can use to seek the waiver if they apply in the PRC for a Schools sector visa. If a PRC visa applicant satisfies the department that they meet the waiver requirements using either method, they do not need to submit the results of an IELTS or a specified English language test to show that they meet English language requirements.

Method 1: An agent lodges the student's visa application.
Method 2: The student lodges their visa application without using an agent.

Method 1: An agent lodges the student's visa application.

If an agent lodges a PRC student's visa application, the visa application must include evidence that:

either	the student's proposed education provider directly supports the waiver of the English language test requirement, or Example: a letter from the education provider.
	the student's agent is a waiver-ready agent, See: The Role of Agents in the Waiver
and either	the student has achieved satisfactory results in an English language proficiency test conducted under appropriate test conditions, or See: Using Alternative English Proficiency Tests to Access the Waiver the student has: been accepted into the academic stream in the senior secondary school system of the PRC, and Example: letter of admission achieved a result of at least 75 per cent in English language studies for their Certificate of Graduation from Junior Secondary School. Example: academic records

Method 2: The student lodges their visa application without using an agent

If a student lodges their visa application without the assistance of an agent, the application must include evidence that:

the student's proposed education provider directly supports the waiver of the English language test requirement, Example: a letter from the education provider

and either

the student has achieved satisfactory results in an English language proficiency test conducted under appropriate test conditions, or See: Using Alternative English Proficiency Tests to Access the Waiver the student has: been accepted into the academic stream in the senior secondary school system of the PRC. Example: letter of admission achieved a result of at least 75 per cent in English language studies for their Certificate of Graduation from Junior Secondary School. Example: academic records

Visa applicants outside the PRC

Assessment Level 4 Schools sector visa applicants who are not PRC citizens or who are not in the PRC may also be eligible for waiver of the IELTS or a specified English language requirement.

See: Information form 1219i Overseas student program - assessment levels (147KB PDF file)

To seek the waiver, the student visa applicant must provide at minimum all of the following:

• evidence of previous study in English of at least 12 months duration, and
  Example: academic records
• evidence of an alternative test result that proves that the student has a sound level of English language proficiency.

See also:
The Role of Agents in the Waiver
Using Alternative English Proficiency Tests to Access the Waiver

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