English requirements for skills assessments

Engineers Australia needs IELTS 6 in each skill or PTE 47, 48, 51 and 54. Accountants need IELTS Academic 7 in each skill or PTE 58, 59, 69 and 76. Teachers need IELTS Academic, not PTE. ACS asks for no test (each body's own page, checked 17 October 2026).

By Thanh Tran, PTE and IELTS coach
Updated October 2026

Check your scores

Your test

Overall

Some goals need it

Listening

10 to 90

Reading

10 to 90

Speaking

10 to 90

Writing

10 to 90

Enter your four skill scores.

You will see which of the 17 goals they meet, and how far off the rest are.

Meets the English score. Every score is at or above the minimum.
Close. One or two scores are short by 5 PTE points or half an IELTS band at most.
Below. Further off. The row names the score that holds you back most.
Test not accepted. The goal takes a different test, such as IELTS Academic only.

Not immigration advice. This is general information. Visas, registration and skills assessments have other rules too, so check the official page before you apply. Only a registered migration agent or a lawyer can give you immigration advice.

What English does Engineers Australia need?

PTE Academic 47, 48, 51, 54, or IELTS Academic or General Training 6 in each skill, from a test in the 3 years before you apply. These are the Competent English scores for PTE and IELTS.

For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.

PTE Academic
Listening
47
Reading
48
Writing
51
Speaking
54
IELTS Academic
Listening
6
Reading
6
Writing
6
Speaking
6
IELTS General Training
Listening
6
Reading
6
Writing
6
Speaking
6

Engineers Australia migration skills assessment: minimum English test scores for a test taken on or after 7 August 2025
Test	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
PTE Academic	47	48	51	54
IELTS Academic	6	6	6	6
IELTS General Training	6	6	6	6

5 other tests: TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic and Michigan English Test

TOEFL iBT
Listening
16
Reading
16
Writing
19
Speaking
19
Cambridge C1 Advanced
Listening
169
Reading
169
Writing
169
Speaking
169
CELPIP General
Listening
7
Reading
7
Writing
7
Speaking
7
LANGUAGECERT Academic
Listening
57
Reading
60
Writing
64
Speaking
70
Michigan English Test
Listening
56
Reading
55
Writing
57
Speaking
48

Test	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
TOEFL iBT	16	16	19	19
Cambridge C1 Advanced	169	169	169	169
CELPIP General	7	7	7	7
LANGUAGECERT Academic	57	60	64	70
Michigan English Test	56	55	57	48

Source: Engineers Australia, Prepare your Migration Skills Assessment application (PDF, January 2026, v1.1). Checked 17 October 2026.

No test if you studied for 2 academic years (92 weeks) at degree level in Australia, or hold a passport from the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland. Engineers Australia
IELTS One Skill Retake and MET Single Section Retake are accepted. Engineers Australia
For Cambridge C1 Advanced, Engineers Australia asks for 169 in each skill, which is not the same as Home Affairs' Competent English. Engineers Australia

What English do accountants need?

CPA Australia, CA ANZ and IPA all ask for PTE Academic 58, 59, 69, 76 or IELTS Academic 7 in each skill, the Proficient English scores. None of them takes IELTS General Training.

CPA Australia
PTE Academic
58, 59, 69, 76
IELTS Academic
7 each
IELTS General Training
Not accepted
How old the test can be
3 years
Source
CPA Australia
CA ANZ
PTE Academic
58, 59, 69, 76
IELTS Academic
7 each
IELTS General Training
Not accepted
How old the test can be
3 years
Source
CA ANZ
IPA
PTE Academic
58, 59, 69, 76
IELTS Academic
7 each
IELTS General Training
Not accepted
How old the test can be
3 years
Source
IPA

Accounting skills assessments: minimum PTE Academic and IELTS scores for a test taken on or after 7 August 2025
Body	PTE Academic	IELTS Academic	IELTS General Training	How old the test can be	Source
CPA Australia	58, 59, 69, 76	7 each	Not accepted	3 years	CPA Australia
CA ANZ	58, 59, 69, 76	7 each	Not accepted	3 years	CA ANZ
IPA	58, 59, 69, 76	7 each	Not accepted	3 years	IPA

Skill scores are in the order listening, reading, writing and speaking.

The Accounting Professional Year Program can be used instead of a test. CPA Australia
CA ANZ says its English rule may not be the same as your visa's. CA ANZ
No test if you hold a passport from the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland. CPA Australia

What English do teachers need?

AITSL, VIT and NESA take IELTS Academic, not PTE: 7 in reading and writing and 8 in listening and speaking. VIT and NESA also take ISLPR.

AITSL
IELTS Academic
8, 7, 7, 8
ISLPR
Not accepted
PTE Academic
Not accepted
How old the test can be
3 years
Source
AITSL
VIT
IELTS Academic
8, 7, 7, 8
ISLPR
4 each
PTE Academic
Not accepted
How old the test can be
2 years
Source
VIT
NESA
IELTS Academic
8, 7, 7, 8
ISLPR
4 each
PTE Academic
Not accepted
How old the test can be
3 years
Source
NESA

Teachers: minimum English test scores for the AITSL skills assessment, VIT registration in Victoria and NESA accreditation in New South Wales
Body	IELTS Academic	ISLPR	PTE Academic	How old the test can be	Source
AITSL	8, 7, 7, 8	Not accepted	Not accepted	3 years	AITSL
VIT	8, 7, 7, 8	4 each	Not accepted	2 years	VIT
NESA	8, 7, 7, 8	4 each	Not accepted	3 years	NESA

Skill scores are in the order listening, reading, writing and speaking.

All four scores must be on one IELTS Test Report Form. IELTS One Skill Retake is accepted. AITSL
Instead of a test, you can show 4 years of study, including your teacher education, in an English-speaking country. AITSL
VIT's policy says no result may be more than 2 years old when you apply. Its web page says 3 years. VIT

Does ACS need an English test?

No. ACS does not ask for an English test for its skills assessment. Your visa still has its own English rule.

The 189, 190 and 491 visas need at least Competent English when you are invited. See the scores for each level.
The 186 visa needs Competent English too. See the scores for the 186 visa.

Source: ACS, Migration skills assessment. Checked 17 October 2026.

What English does Anmac need for nurses?

For a full skills assessment, Anmac prints AHPRA's older scores, with no test date. AHPRA changed them for tests from 23 April 2026, so ask Anmac before you rely on these. See AHPRA's scores for nurses.

PTE Academic
Overall
66
Listening
66
Reading
66
Writing
56
Speaking
66
IELTS Academic
Overall
7
Listening
7
Reading
7
Writing
6.5
Speaking
7

Anmac full skills assessment: English test scores as Anmac prints them
Test	Overall	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
PTE Academic	66	66	66	56	66
IELTS Academic	7	7	7	6.5	7

4 other tests: TOEFL iBT, OET, Cambridge C1 Advanced and Cambridge C2 Proficiency

TOEFL iBT
Overall
94
Listening
24
Reading
24
Writing
24
Speaking
23
OET
Overall
None
Listening
B
Reading
B
Writing
C+
Speaking
B
Cambridge C1 Advanced
Overall
185
Listening
185
Reading
185
Writing
176
Speaking
185
Cambridge C2 Proficiency
Overall
185
Listening
185
Reading
185
Writing
176
Speaking
185

Test	Overall	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
TOEFL iBT	94	24	24	24	23
OET	None	B	B	C+	B
Cambridge C1 Advanced	185	185	185	176	185
Cambridge C2 Proficiency	185	185	185	176	185

Anmac prints these scores with no test date. They are AHPRA's older scores, for tests up to 22 April 2026.

Source: Anmac, Full skills assessment. Checked 17 October 2026.

Your result must be less than 2 years old. Anmac
One sitting, or two sittings of the same test within 12 months. Anmac
A Modified Skills Assessment needs no English test. Anmac

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Common questions

Does ACS need an English test?

No. ACS does not ask for an English test for a skills assessment. Your visa still has its own English rule, such as Competent English for the 189, 190 and 491 visas.

Can I use PTE for AITSL?

No. AITSL takes an IELTS Academic Test Report Form only. It does not take PTE, TOEFL, Cambridge or any other test. VIT and NESA, which register teachers, take IELTS Academic or ISLPR.

Why do accountants need higher scores than engineers?

Each body sets its own rule. CPA Australia, CA ANZ and IPA ask for the same scores as Proficient English. Engineers Australia asks for the same PTE and IELTS scores as Competent English.

Is my skills assessment score the same as my visa score?

Not always. Each body sets its own scores, and CA ANZ says its rule may not be the same as your visa's. Check both.

How old can my test be?

3 years for Engineers Australia, CPA Australia, CA ANZ, IPA, AITSL and NESA. 2 years for Anmac and VIT (VIT's web page says 3). CA ANZ allows 2 years for TOEFL iBT.

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