IELTS or Specified English Language Test Waiver Conditions

People's Republic of China

If you are a Chinese citizen applying from the People's Republic of China to study in a junior or senior secondary school, you may be eligible for a waiver of the requirement to sit one of the following specified English language tests for Student visa purposes:

• the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• the Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-Based test (TOEFL iBT)
• the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic
• the Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test (also known as Certificate in Advanced English)
• the Occupational English Test (OET).

Note: This waiver does not apply to Chinese citizens from the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

Evidence required: Your visa application must include:

• a letter from your education provider supporting the waiver of the IELTS or specified English language test requirement. If an education agent lodges your application and they provide evidence that they are a 'waiver-ready' agent, then this letter is not needed.
• and either
  • evidence of a satisfactory result in an alternative English language test (approved by the department for this purpose) conducted under appropriate test conditions
  or both of the following
  • a letter of admission into the academic stream in a senior secondary school in the People's Republic of China
  • academic records showing a result of at least 75% in English in your Certificate of Graduation from a junior secondary school.

When you lodge your application for a student visa, you must also complete and submit Supplementary form - Student visa subclass 571 (Schools Sector).
See:
Form 1252 – Supplementary form – Student visa subclass 571 (Schools Sector) ( 59K B PDF file)
Form 157A – Application for a student visa (363KB PDF file)

Other countries

Students from countries other than the People's Republic of China may also be eligible for a waiver of the IELTS or specified English language test requirement.

To be eligible for the waiver, you must provide:

• academic records showing at least 12 months study in English
• evidence of an alternative test result that proves that you have a sound level of English.