English Tests for Australia: IELTS vs PTE vs OET Scores

A client in our Dubai office recently forwarded us a blog post quoting “PTE 65 = Proficient English” for an Australian skilled visa. She had already booked her test. The number was wrong. On 7 August 2025, the Department of Home Affairs overhauled the entire approved English-test list and every score table for Australian visas — Competent, Proficient and Superior English all moved, test by test, skill by skill. If you are studying an older table right now, including ones still circulating on other sites, you may be preparing for a score that no longer applies.

What changed on 7 August 2025

Home Affairs changed the full list of English-language tests approved for Australian visa purposes, along with the score tables for each level — Functional, Competent, Proficient and Superior English. This was not a minor update. It touched the score required in every skill, for every test, at every level.

The practical effect for a UAE-based applicant: if you sit IELTS, PTE Academic, OET, TOEFL iBT or Cambridge C1 Advanced today, you need to check the score table current from 7 August 2025 onward — not a table you found in an older article, and not a table a friend used last year.

Where English points fit in the wider points test

English ability is one component of the points-tested skilled visa system used for subclasses like 189 (Skilled Independent), 190 (Skilled Nominated) and 491 (Skilled Work Regional), which share the same points-table structure. Under that table, English is scored as follows: Competent English earns 0 points, Proficient English earns 10 points, and Superior English earns 20 points. You can only claim one of these three point values — they are not added together.

The rest of the points test also weighs factors such as age, skilled employment history and education, so an English score on its own does not tell you whether you qualify for a particular visa or invitation round. Our points calculator is a starting point for seeing how English fits alongside those other factors, and a 20-minute review with us can walk through your specific numbers.

There is also a lower tier, Functional English, which is not for points. It mainly applies to a partner (and any included children aged 18 or older) joining a skilled application — they need to reach Functional English by the time a decision is made on the visa, not Proficient or Superior.

The current score table (tests taken on or after 7 August 2025)

Each level requires the listed score in all four skills — Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking — not an average across them. Here is the current table for the tests UAE applicants sit most often.

Home Affairs also recognises CELPIP General, the Michigan English Test (MET) and LanguageCert Academic for Competent and Proficient English, with their own score scales. MET is not an approved test for Superior English. Whichever test you choose, IELTS and IELTS General Training results that include a One Skill Retake (OSR) are accepted for eligible visas, and MET results that include a Single Section Retake (SSR) are accepted for eligible visas too — check the visa subclass page to confirm your case.

Citizens of Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA can use a valid passport as evidence of Competent English instead of sitting a test, when submitting a SkillSelect Expression of Interest.

PTE Academic: same name, different scale

This is the trap that caught our client. “PTE Academic” is still called PTE Academic after 7 August 2025 — the name did not change. But Home Affairs is explicit that the test content and the score scale are different from the version before that date. Anyone reading an older figure such as “PTE 65 for Proficient” is reading the wrong table. Under the current scale, Proficient English on PTE Academic requires 58 (Listening), 59 (Reading), 69 (Writing) and 76 (Speaking). Before you rely on any PTE score you read online, confirm which version of the test it refers to.

OET for healthcare professionals: letters are gone

OET is built for health professionals — nurses, doctors and allied health staff are the test’s core audience, and many of our clients moving out of UAE hospitals and clinics sit it rather than IELTS or PTE. From 7 August 2025, OET moved from alphabetical grades (A, B, C and so on) to a numerical scale, shown in the table above. One detail worth knowing before test day: OET’s standard score report no longer prints an overall or total score. If you need an overall score for your application, you have to contact OET directly to request it — it will not simply appear on the report you receive after the test.

If you tested before 7 August 2025 — and other test-day details

If you already sat your English test on or before 6 August 2025, the result is not wasted. It can still be used as evidence of English proficiency for up to three years from the test date, until 6 August 2028 inclusive, with the exact window depending on the visa subclass you are applying for. For that legacy window only, here is the table that applied at the time:

A few practical points that catch people out regardless of which regime applies to them. Fully online or “remote-proctored” English tests, including at-home versions of familiar tests, are not accepted for any Australian visa purpose — you need to book a seat at an in-person test centre. If you sit TOEFL iBT, you must select “Taking TOEFL for Australia” when you register; a result not booked under that specific pathway is not eligible for Australian visa purposes.

From the UAE: what this means for you

IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced and OET are all available at test centres across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so booking is rarely the bottleneck for our clients — reading the right table before you book is. We see three recurring mistakes in our Dubai office: candidates studying to an old PTE benchmark, OET candidates assuming their report will show an overall score when it will not, and applicants assuming a test booked as an “at-home” or fully online sitting will count, when it will not.

Before you book, check the score table above against the date you plan to sit the test, and if you already have a result from before 6 August 2025, keep the certificate and note the exact test date — you will need to show it falls inside the legacy validity window for your visa subclass. If your qualifications also need assessment, our credential verification guidance is a useful companion step alongside your English test planning.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to retake my English test if I sat it before August 2025?

Not necessarily. A test taken on or before 6 August 2025 can still be used as evidence of English proficiency for up to three years from the test date, until 6 August 2028 inclusive, depending on the visa subclass. Check your test date against the legacy score table, not the current one.

Can I use OET if I’m a nurse or doctor applying from the UAE?

Yes, OET is one of the approved tests and is designed for health professionals. Since 7 August 2025 it reports numerical scores rather than letter grades, and it no longer prints an overall score on the standard report — you would need to contact OET directly if your application requires one.

Can I take an online or at-home English test for my Australian visa?

No. Home Affairs does not accept evidence from English tests delivered fully online or “remote-proctored” from home. The test must be sat at a secure, in-person test centre.

What to do next

English test scores are only one part of a wider points test, and the right test and level for you depends on your own visa pathway, occupation and timeline. We offer a free eligibility assessment to talk through where your English result — current or legacy — fits into your Australian options. Call us on 04 357 7796, book a 20-minute review, or get started through our contact page. We do not promise outcomes; every case depends on your individual circumstances and the rules current at the time you apply.

Sources

• English language — accessed 1 Sep 2026
• Competent English — accessed 1 Sep 2026
• Proficient English — accessed 1 Sep 2026
• Superior English — accessed 1 Sep 2026
• Functional English — accessed 1 Sep 2026
• Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Points table — accessed 1 Sep 2026
• Submitting your Expression of Interest — accessed 1 Sep 2026

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