Australia houses some of the world’s most prestigious universities that offer quality education and great academic life to students. Thus, over 6,00,000 international students have chosen Australia as their study abroad destination in 2022. All international students wanting to study in Australia need to appear for certain entrance exams as a part of the university admission process. So, let’s take a closer look at entrance exams and get to know when IELTS is required in Australia.

Key Highlights

• English entrance exams for Australia
• IELTS Australia
• TOEFL
• PTE Australia
• C1 Advanced

• Other entrance exams
• GMAT
• GRE

English entrance exams for Australia

English is the primary medium of instruction in most Australian universities. Therefore, international students from non-English speaking nations like India need to demonstrate their English language skills by appearing for some standardised exams. Furthermore, international students need to prove their English language abilities to the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for visa purposes. The approved language entrance exams in Australia are IELTS, TOEFL, and many more. Let’s discuss them one by one:

• IELTS Australia

  International English Language Testing System or IELTS is one of the most widely accepted English language exams for both visa procurement and admission purposes. The test comprises 4 sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. 2 hours and 45 minutes is the total duration of the exam. The overall score ranges from 1 to 9. Any score above 6.5 will help secure admission into your selected course in an Australian university. You can study in Australia without appearing for the IELTS exam if you have completed a previous degree from a university where English was the primary language of instruction.

• TOEFL

  TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. The TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) is accepted by all Australian universities. The test has four sections: Reading, Speaking, Writing, and Listening. The total duration of the exam is less than 2 hours. The total score ranges from 0-120. The higher the score, the better would be the chances of getting admission into your preferred university. Kindly note that from 26th July 2023, TOEFL iBT scores will not be accepted for Australian visa purposes until further notification.

• PTE Australia

  PTE, an abbreviation for Pearson Test of English, evaluates students’ English language skills in Speaking & Writing, Reading, and Listening. The test duration is 2 hours. The PTE Academic is a computer-based test accepted for various study programs by all Australian universities and for all visa categories. The score ranges between 0-90.

• C1 Advance

  C1 Advanced, formerly known as Certificate in Advanced English (CAE), is an English language exam mandatory to clear for university admission purposes and student visa applications. The exam assesses four skills: Reading & Use of English, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The exam length is about 4 hours.

It is advised to check with the university to gather information about the accepted English language exam for your selected master’s degree program.

Other entrance exams

Based on the area of study, international students need to clear standardised entrance exams. These exams are:

• GMAT

  The Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, is a popular computer-based entrance exam that measures the readiness of students for studying business and management programs. The 4 sections of the exam are Analytical Writing Assessment, Quantitative Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning. The test duration is 3 hours, 7 minutes. The score ranges from 200 to 800. Any score of 680 or above will give you a competitive advantage to secure a spot in the chosen B-schools.

• GRE

  Graduate Record Examinations or GRE is a well-known standardised exam to pursue graduate and other business programs worldwide. The GRE has three sections: Analytical Writing, Quantitative Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning. The current duration of the exam is 3 hours and 45 minutes, which will reduce to just 1 hour 58 minutes from 22nd September 2023. Although most Australian universities have made the GRE optional, students continue to take the test to strengthen their chances of studying at Australia’s top university.

Pro-Tip: Kindly note that every university has different score requirements for IELTS, TOEFL, C1 Advanced, PTE, GMAT, and GRE. Therefore, check university and course-specific guidelines before applying.

These are some of the crucial exams accepted by Australian universities for various study programs. So, start preparing for these exams from today. If financial worries are stopping you from planning a study abroad journey to Australia, there is no need to fret, as you can opt for an education loan. At Avanse Financial Services, we offer a hyper-personalised study loan for abroad programs. Taking a study loan is an ideal way to finance your education independently. Connect with us to gather important details about loans for students.