Every week someone sits across from us in our Dubai office holding an English test result that will not do the job they booked it for. An IELTS Academic score when Express Entry wanted General Training. A standard PTE Academic certificate when the UK needed the UKVI version. The brand was right; the version was wrong. This guide sets out which test each country actually accepts, as at September 2026, using only what the official pages say.
At a glance
- Canada (Express Entry): IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core. Results must be less than 2 years old at profile and at PR application.
- Australia: the approved list changed on 7 August 2025. It now includes 9 tests for Proficient English, including CELPIP General and OET. Tests delivered completely online are not accepted.
- United Kingdom: only a Secure English Language Test (SELT) counts. Outside the UK that means IELTS for UKVI, IELTS Life Skills, PTE Academic UKVI, PTE Home, LANGUAGECERT or PSI. CELPIP and OET are not on the list.
- New Zealand: Immigration New Zealand accepts IELTS. We could not confirm other tests or score tables on the official site during our research.
- In the UAE: IELTS is sat at British Council Abu Dhabi, CELPIP is sat in Dubai, OET is recognised by UAE healthcare authorities, and Pearson lists the UAE as a country where PTE is available.
Four tests, four different jobs
Think of these tests as four different keys cut for different doors. They all measure English, but immigration departments accept them selectively, and often only in one specific version.
IELTS has four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. Academic and General Training share the same Listening and Speaking sections; Reading and Writing differ. Our IELTS page explains how the test fits into a skilled migration file.
PTE Academic is a computer-based four-skills test taken at an authorised test centre in about 2 hours. Pearson states it cannot be taken at home. PTE Core is the separate option Canada accepts for Express Entry, and PTE Home is a separate product used only for UK settlement purposes.
CELPIP General is a four-skills test that takes approximately 3 hours. Many readers assume it is Canada-only. It is not: the test owner and Australia’s Department of Home Affairs both confirm it is accepted for Australian visas as well. A shorter CELPIP General LS test exists, but it is a two-skill test accepted only for Canadian citizenship, not for Express Entry or Australian visas.
OET is built for healthcare professionals. It is tailored to 12 healthcare professions and assesses communication in real workplace healthcare settings rather than general English. For doctors, nurses and the other listed professions it can be the right choice, but it is not accepted everywhere for visa purposes.
Country by country: which tests are accepted
| Country | Accepted tests (visa purposes) | Note from the official source |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Express Entry) | IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core | IELTS Academic and IELTS One Skill Retake are not accepted. Results must be less than 2 years old. |
| Australia (Proficient English) | IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, PTE Academic, CELPIP General, OET, Cambridge C1 Advanced, LANGUAGECERT Academic, Michigan English Test, TOEFL iBT | List changed on 7 August 2025. Each test has its own minimum per-skill scores. Fully online tests are not accepted. |
| United Kingdom (SELT) | Providers outside the UK: PSI Services (UK) Ltd, IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT, Pearson | Book the SELT-branded version only. CELPIP and OET are not on the approved list. |
| New Zealand | IELTS | Immigration New Zealand accepts IELTS. Other tests and score tables could not be confirmed on the official site. |
Canada: the version matters more than the brand
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) accepts three English tests for Express Entry, and each comes with a condition. For IELTS you must take the General Training option, and IRCC does not accept the IELTS One Skill Retake. For CELPIP you must take CELPIP-General. For Pearson you must take PTE Core, not PTE Academic.
Validity is strict. Your results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and again when you submit your application for permanent residence. We see UAE applicants time this badly: a test sat early in a long planning phase can expire before the invitation arrives.
Scores are converted to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels. On IRCC’s equivalency table, CELPIP-General maps one to one, so a 7 in each of the four skills equals CLB 7. For IELTS General Training, CLB 7 requires 6.0 in each of Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The Canada pathway page shows where CLB sits in the wider points picture.
Australia: the list changed on 7 August 2025
On 7 August 2025, the Department of Home Affairs changed the English tests approved for Australian visa purposes. If you took a test before that date, your result may still be valid as proof of Proficient English for up to 3 years, depending on the visa subclass.
The current Proficient English table lists 9 approved tests: IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, PTE Academic, CELPIP General, OET, Cambridge C1 Advanced, LANGUAGECERT Academic, Michigan English Test and TOEFL iBT. Each has distinct minimum scores per skill. Three examples from the official table:
| Test | Minimum per-skill scores for Proficient English |
|---|---|
| IELTS General Training | 7 listening, 7 reading, 7 writing, 7 speaking |
| CELPIP General | 9 listening, 8 reading, 10 writing, 8 speaking |
| PTE Academic | 58 listening, 59 reading, 69 writing, 76 speaking |
One rule catches people who test from home: the department does not accept evidence from English tests delivered completely online, also called remote-proctored or at-home formats. Book a test centre sitting. Our Australia page and Australia points calculator show how the English level feeds into your points.
United Kingdom: book the SELT version, not the ordinary test
For UK visa and settlement applications that require a Secure English Language Test, applicants outside the UK can only test with four providers: PSI Services (UK) Ltd, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson. CELPIP and OET are not on that list.
The trap is the product name. The IELTS SELT Consortium offers IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills. Pearson offers PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home. A standard IELTS or a standard PTE Academic is not the same product as the SELT-approved version and will not be accepted for a UK visa. Test results are valid for 2 years from the date the test is awarded.
There is also a future change to note. Statement of Changes HC 1691, laid before Parliament on 5 March 2026, raises the English requirement for settlement from CEFR level B1 to B2 for routes including Skilled Worker, Scale-up Worker, Global Talent, Innovator Founder and UK Ancestry. It applies to applications made on or after 26 March 2027. As at September 2026 this rule is not yet in force. It affects the settlement stage only, not the initial visa application, and it applies to people already on a pathway to settlement as well as new applicants.
New Zealand: what we can confirm and what we cannot
Immigration New Zealand accepts IELTS results as evidence of English ability for a visa application, as confirmed on the IELTS test owner’s official page. What we could not confirm during this research is the list of other accepted tests or the score tables for specific visas, because the New Zealand government’s own English requirement pages did not render for our extraction tool. If New Zealand is your target, treat IELTS as the safe choice and let us check the current score requirement against the official page during your assessment.
From the UAE: what this means for you
Every one of these tests can be sat, or is recognised, without leaving the country. IELTS is offered at the British Council test centre in Abu Dhabi, listed on the official IELTS test centre locator. CELPIP test sittings in the UAE are currently available in Dubai. Pearson’s own country list names the United Arab Emirates as a country where PTE is available. OET is accepted by healthcare authorities in the UAE and for residency programmes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Three practical points from our Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices:
- Match the version to the country before booking. General Training for Canada, a SELT-branded test for the UK, a test-centre sitting for Australia. A wrong version means a second fee and a second wait.
- Watch the 2-year clock. Canada and the UK each apply a 2-year validity, independently of one another.
- Sequence the test with your other documents. Attestation queues and reference letters from former employers take time. Book the test so the result lands when the rest of the file is ready, not two years before it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use one IELTS result for both Canada and the UK?
Not usually. Canada requires the IELTS General Training option. The UK requires a SELT-branded version such as IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills, taken with an approved provider. The two are different products, so check the booking carefully before assuming one result serves both files.
Is CELPIP only for Canada?
No. CELPIP General is accepted for Canadian Express Entry and, since the 7 August 2025 change, is on Australia’s approved list for Proficient English. It is not accepted for UK SELT purposes. CELPIP sittings are available in Dubai.
I am a nurse. Should I take OET or IELTS?
OET is designed for healthcare professionals and is on Australia’s approved test list, so it can serve an Australian visa file. It is not on the UK SELT provider list and is not among the three tests IRCC accepts for Express Entry. Settle the destination first and the test second.
What to do next
Start with a free eligibility assessment, and we will tell you which test and which version your target country needs before you spend anything on a booking. Call us on 04 357 7796 or book a 20-minute review through our contact page. Our consultants are individually registered with CICC and MARA, our Google rating is 4.8 from 2,551 reviews, and we never promise an outcome: the decision always rests with the immigration authority.
Sources
- IRCC – Express Entry: Language test results — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Pearson PTE – PTE Core — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- IRCC – Take a language test (CLB/NCLC equivalency tables) — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Australian Government Department of Home Affairs – Proficient English — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- UK Home Office – Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- UK Home Office – Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 1691 — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- IELTS.org – IELTS guide for test takers — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- IELTS.org – Test centre: British Council Abu Dhabi — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Pearson PTE – PTE Academic — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- Pearson PTE – Countries who accept PTE — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- CELPIP – Canada country page — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- CELPIP – Official CELPIP Test Locations — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- OET – OET Test — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- OET – United Arab Emirates recognising organisations — accessed 13 Sep 2026
- IELTS.org – IELTS for New Zealand visas, study and work — accessed 13 Sep 2026
Not sure which route fits you? Book a free eligibility assessment with our Dubai or Abu Dhabi team. No obligation.
Call +971 4 357 7796WhatsApp us
