Australia guide 路 verified 2026-07-04
Language Tests for Australia: IELTS, TOEFL and Alternatives
Language & tests
Almost every Bachelors/Masters program is taught in English, so the English-test requirement is the main language gate for Indian students. Home Affairs raised its own visa-office minimum in 2024, and it can differ from what the university itself asks for admission, always check both.
Student visa (500) minimum, main course
MandatoryIELTS (Academic) 6.0 overall, or equivalent
Raised from 5.5 to 6.0, effective for applications from 23 March 2024. Accepted equivalents include TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and Cambridge C1 Advanced, the exact concordance table is set by Home Affairs, so use the visa office's own conversion, not a generic chart.
University admission (typical), separate & usually HIGHER
ConditionalIELTS Academic 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0
This is what most Bachelors/Masters programs ask to ADMIT you, higher than the 6.0 visa floor. Nursing, teaching, law and some health programs commonly require 7.0+. Institutional norm set per program, not a national rule, the visa minimum does not get a student into the course, so quote the university's own figure. Meeting only the 6.0 visa band but not the program's band means no offer.
University foundation / pathway program
IELTS 5.5 or equivalent
Applies to a foundation or pathway program that itself delivers recognised English-language training ahead of the main course.
ELICOS (English-only course)
IELTS 5.0 or equivalent
Raised from 4.5 to 5.0 from 23 March 2024, for students undertaking ELICOS before their main course.
No change for these groups
Full-time school students, secondary exchange, ELICOS-only, postgraduate research
Home Affairs explicitly excluded these categories from the March 2024 increase, do not apply the higher figure to them.
Test validity
Taken no more than 1 year before the visa application date
- The university's own admission requirement and the visa office's minimum are set independently, a program might admit on 6.0 but the visa file still needs a test taken within the 1-year validity window at application time.
- GRE/GMAT are not required by Home Affairs; some competitive Masters/MBA programs ask for them independently, check the specific program.
- Book test slots early: near Semester 1 and Semester 2 deadlines, IELTS/PTE centres in India fill up months ahead.
Sources
- Migration (English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visas) Instrument 2025, Federal Register of Legislation, Australia
- Student visa (subclass 500), official visa page, Department of Home Affairs
- IELTS for Australian student visas, IELTS Australia (British Council / IDP)
Where this fits
This is one step of the full Australia journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on Australia
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.