Which English exam certificate should you take for Australia in 2026?

For migration, the Department of Home Affairs uses named levels such as functional, vocational, competent, proficient, and superior English. Each level has its own accepted score table. Your subclass page tells you whether English is an eligibility condition, a points factor, a second instalment issue, or not required from the main applicant in the same way: Apply for a residence permit.

On 7 August 2025, the approved test list and some score tables changed. For tests taken on or after that date at a secure centre, Home Affairs accepts IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training (including One Skill Retake where the visa allows it), PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT only when you register under Taking TOEFL for Australia, Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic, MET, and OET. Older centre-based results taken on or before 6 August 2025 may remain usable for a limited window depending on the visa. Always read the current official table for your test date, not a blog screenshot.

Some categories accept a current passport from listed English-speaking countries instead of a test. Functional English can also have education-based evidence routes in defined cases. Do not assume any English-taught degree automatically proves every level.

For student visas and university offers, Home Affairs and the education provider can each ask for evidence. Common brands overlap with the migration list, yet the score bar is often higher for a competitive course than for minimum visa English. Check the exact program page: International students.

Healthcare and other regulated professions often prefer OET or set their own IELTS or PTE floors for registration. Employers may still ask for scores or internal writing samples when the role needs customer English or safety briefings: English for work. Treat that as a hiring or licence filter, not a substitute for the Home Affairs table.

Study toward the checklist that owns your next decision. Book a secure test centre, not an unaccepted at-home edition. For TOEFL iBT, select the Australia registration pathway so the result can be used for visa purposes. Keep the full score report for all four components; Home Affairs and universities want component scores, not a practice-quiz screenshot.

Classroom English still helps daily life even when no certificate is required: Learn English in Australia. Australian listening and slang remain a separate skill from exam technique: How hard is English in Australia.