English requirements
Per-component (Listening · Reading · Writing · Speaking) score thresholds for every accepted English test, mapped to the four proficiency levels in Australian skilled migration.
Source: Migration (Specification of Language Tests, Test Scores and Passports) Instrument 2025 — LIN 25/016 (F2025L00905) — commenced 7 August 2025. Repealed IMMI 15/005. PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT and OET no longer use a flat per-component number — each component has its own minimum.
VOCATIONAL
0
points
Acceptable for 482 short-term and some employer streams.
COMPETENT
0
points
Minimum for most skilled visas (189 / 190 / 491 / 186 / 494).
PROFICIENT
10
points
Bonus 10 points on the points test.
SUPERIOR
20
points
Maximum 20 points on the points test.
IELTS Academic / IELTS General Training IELTS
Band score 0 – 9 per component. Same minimums apply to Academic and General Training.
L = Listening · R = Reading · W = Writing · S = Speaking
Tier L R W S Points
Vocational 5 5 5 5 0 pts
Competent 6 6 6 6 0 pts
Proficient 7 7 7 7 10 pts
Superior 8 8 8 8 20 pts
PTE Academic PTE
Communicative skill scores 10 – 90 per component. Each component has its OWN minimum (not the same number across L/R/W/S).
L = Listening · R = Reading · W = Writing · S = Speaking
Tier L R W S Points
Vocational 33 36 29 24 0 pts
Competent 47 48 51 54 0 pts
Proficient 58 59 69 76 10 pts
Superior 69 70 85 88 20 pts
TOEFL iBT TOEFL
Section scores 0 – 30. Each section has its own minimum.
L = Listening · R = Reading · W = Writing · S = Speaking
Tier L R W S Points
Vocational 8 8 9 14 0 pts
Competent 16 16 19 19 0 pts
Proficient 22 22 26 24 10 pts
Superior 26 27 30 28 20 pts
Cambridge English: Advanced (C1 Advanced) CAE
Cambridge English scale 80 – 230 per skill. EXCLUDED from Vocational.
L = Listening · R = Reading · W = Writing · S = Speaking
Tier L R W S Points
Vocational — excluded for this tier — 0 pts
Competent 163 163 170 179 0 pts
Proficient 175 179 193 194 10 pts
Superior 186 190 210 208 20 pts
OET (Occupational English Test) OET
Reported as numeric scores per component (Schedule 2 uses the numeric scale, not letter grades).
L = Listening · R = Reading · W = Writing · S = Speaking
Tier L R W S Points
Vocational 220 240 200 270 0 pts
Competent 290 310 290 330 0 pts
Proficient 350 360 380 360 10 pts
Superior 390 400 420 400 20 pts
CELPIP General CELPIP
Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program — General. Score 1 – 12 per component. Newly added in LIN 25/016.
L = Listening · R = Reading · W = Writing · S = Speaking
Tier L R W S Points
Vocational 5 5 5 5 0 pts
Competent 7 7 7 7 0 pts
Proficient 9 8 10 8 10 pts
Superior 10 10 12 10 20 pts
LANGUAGECERT Academic LANGUAGECERT
Newly added in LIN 25/016.
L = Listening · R = Reading · W = Writing · S = Speaking
Tier L R W S Points
Vocational 41 44 45 54 0 pts
Competent 57 60 64 70 0 pts
Proficient 67 71 78 82 10 pts
Superior 80 83 89 89 20 pts
MET (Michigan English Test) MET
Newly added in LIN 25/016. EXCLUDED from Superior.
L = Listening · R = Reading · W = Writing · S = Speaking
Tier L R W S Points
Vocational 49 47 45 38 0 pts
Competent 56 55 57 48 0 pts
Proficient 61 63 74 59 10 pts
Superior — excluded for this tier — 20 pts
These are the minimum scores REQUIRED FOR EACH of the four test components (Listening / Reading / Writing / Speaking). Numbers are quoted directly from Schedule 2 of LIN 25/016. Always confirm against the live legislation register before lodging.