What English score do I need for an Australian Student visa (500) in 2026?
If you sat your English test on or after 7 August 2025, the thresholds are IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training 6.0 overall, PTE Academic 47, TOEFL iBT 67, OET 1210, CELPIP General 7, LANGUAGECERT Academic 61, MET 53 or C1 Advanced 161 — with lower scores available when your main course is packaged with ELICOS, a foundation program or an eligible pathway program. Tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 are assessed under an earlier, narrower table, where PTE sits at 50 and TOEFL iBT at 64. These figures come from the Student visa (Subclass 500) page published by the Australian Department of Home Affairs, as of the August 2026 official page.
Which score table applies to you?
The dividing line is the date you sat the test, not the date you apply. A 2024 result does not convert into the newer, lower numbers simply because you lodge in 2026.
That distinction matters most for PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT, where the two tables differ by several points, and for the list of accepted tests: the newer table added CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic and MET, and splits IELTS into Academic and General Training.
Test taken on or before 6 August 2025
| Test | Minimum score | With at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, a Foundation (Standard/Extended) program or an eligible pathway program | With at least 20 weeks of ELICOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS) | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | 64 | 46 | 35 |
| Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) / C1 Advanced | 169 | 162 | 154 |
| Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE) | 50 | 42 | 36 |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | B for each test component | B for each test component | B for each test component |
Test taken on or after 7 August 2025
| Test | Minimum score | With at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, a Foundation (Standard/Extended) program or an eligible pathway program | With at least 20 weeks of ELICOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Advanced | 161 | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| CELPIP General | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| IELTS Academic | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| IELTS General Training | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 61 | 54 | 46 |
| MET | 53 | 49 | 44 |
| OET | 1210 | 1090 | 1020 |
| PTE Academic | 47 | 39 | 31 |
| TOEFL iBT | 67 | 51 | 37 |
C1 Advanced is excluded from the two packaged-course columns because the test does not recognise scores below the IELTS 6.0 equivalent. In other words, a C1 Advanced result can only be used at the standalone 161 level.
How does ELICOS packaging lower the score?
Packaging means your Confirmation of Enrolment covers an English course before your principal course. The official page treats 10 weeks and 20 weeks of ELICOS as minimum lengths, so a longer ELICOS block does not unlock a third, lower band.
Suppose an applicant enrols in 12 weeks of ELICOS packaged with a bachelor degree. Under the current table they need IELTS 5.5 or its equivalent — PTE Academic 39, TOEFL iBT 51, OET 1090 — not the standalone 6.0 / 47 / 67 / 1210. At 20 weeks of ELICOS the requirement drops to IELTS 5.0, PTE Academic 31, TOEFL iBT 37 or OET 1020.
The 10-week column also covers a Foundation (Standard or Extended) program and eligible pathway programs. Which programs qualify is set out in the Migration (English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visas) Instrument 2025 on the Federal Register of Legislation, so the pathway label on your offer letter is worth checking against that instrument.
Which test formats are accepted?
The Department of Home Affairs does not accept any test delivered entirely online, including remote-proctored or at-home versions. The page names IELTS Online, LANGUAGECERT Academic Online, OET@Home, CELPIP Online, MET Digital taken at home, and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition as not approved for Australian visa purposes.
Two test-specific rules also apply:
- TOEFL iBT: from 21 January 2026 you must select "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when you register, or the result is not valid for Australian visa purposes. Results from tests completed between 26 July 2023 and 4 May 2024 are not accepted at all, because the test offered in that period was not an approved test.
- C1 Advanced: from 12 February 2024 to 6 August 2025, only the paper-based test is accepted. Results from before 12 February 2024 remain acceptable in both paper-based and computer-based form, within the normal validity period.
- LANGUAGECERT Academic: you receive both a certificate and a report, and the Department requires you to submit both. Processing may be delayed if only one is attached.
How long does a test result stay valid?
Validity runs from the test date:
- Regular Evidence level — the test must have been completed within the 2 years before you lodge your application.
- Streamlined Evidence level — where the Department requests evidence, the test must have been completed within the 2 years before a decision is made on the application.
Because the cut-off between the two tables falls in August 2025, a result taken before 7 August 2025 can expire out of the Regular Evidence window while you are still planning. Retaking the test moves you onto the current table and resets the two-year clock.
Do you need to provide an English test at all?
Not everyone does. The Department lists several exemption categories, including holding a passport from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland; being a Foreign Affairs or Defence sponsored student or a secondary exchange student (AASES); being enrolled in a registered school course, a standalone ELICOS course, a course registered and delivered in a language other than English, or a registered postgraduate research course; having completed at least 5 years of study in English in Australia, the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa or the Republic of Ireland; completing the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education in Australia in English while holding a Student visa in the 2 years before applying; or completing a substantial component of a Certificate IV or higher Australian Qualifications Framework course in the 2 years before applying while holding a Student visa.
Holders of a British National Overseas (BNO) passport are a known exception to the passport-based exemption and may still be asked for a test score.
Whether you must attach evidence at lodgement depends on your passport country and education provider, which is what the Document Checklist Tool is designed to show. The Department can also ask for English evidence at any point while your application is being processed, even when the checklist said none was needed up front. The lists above are general reference only and are not personalised advice for your circumstances — check the official page or a registered professional before you rely on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which IELTS score do I need if I took the test in 2024 but apply in 2026?
Your result is assessed under the table for tests taken on or before 6 August 2025, where the IELTS minimum is 6.0 overall, 5.5 with at least 10 weeks of eligible packaging, or 5.0 with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS. The date you sat the test governs the threshold, not your lodgement year.
Is PTE Academic 47 enough for a 2026 Student visa application?
Yes, if the test was taken on or after 7 August 2025: PTE Academic 47 is the standalone minimum, with 39 and 31 available at the 10-week and 20-week ELICOS packaging levels. A pre-7 August 2025 result is assessed against the earlier table, where the standalone minimum is 50.
Can I use an at-home or online English test?
No. The Department of Home Affairs does not accept results from tests delivered entirely online, including IELTS Online, LANGUAGECERT Academic Online, OET@Home, CELPIP Online, MET Digital taken at home and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition.
How long is my English test result valid?
At Regular Evidence level, the test must have been completed within the 2 years before you lodge. At Streamlined Evidence level, where the Department asks for evidence, it must have been completed within the 2 years before a decision is made.
Do I need an English test if I already studied in English overseas?
Five years or more of study in English in Australia, the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa or the Republic of Ireland is one of the listed exemption categories. Exemptions still require evidence that you meet the category, and the Department can request a test score during processing.
What changed for TOEFL iBT in January 2026?
From 21 January 2026, applicants must select "Taking TOEFL for Australia" during registration for the test to be valid for Australian visa purposes. Separately, TOEFL iBT results from tests completed between 26 July 2023 and 4 May 2024 are not accepted.