Key takeaways
- The Australian student visa accepts only nine test-centre tests, including IELTS, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT; no at-home test is accepted.
- The visa minimum is IELTS 6.0 (PTE 47, TOEFL 67), dropping to 5.5 with 10 weeks of ELICOS or a foundation program and 5.0 with 20 weeks.
- The Duolingo English Test is not on the visa list; it may help with some university admissions, but you will still need an approved test for the visa.
- Universities set higher bars than the visa: the University of Sydney requires IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0 and a result no older than two years.
- Fastest results: PTE typically within 2 days, computer IELTS within 1–2 days, paper IELTS 13 days, TOEFL 3 days after the test.
- Pick one visa-list test your university accepts and hit the admission score, so a single result covers both the offer and the visa.
In this article
- Which English tests does Australian immigration accept for a student visa?
- What score do you need for the student visa in each test?
- Which test do Australian universities accept for admission?
- Which test gives results fastest?
- How much does each test cost in Saudi Arabia, and where are the centres?
- How do you choose the right test?
- How KD International can help
For an Australian student visa, the Department of Home Affairs accepts IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT (registered as "TOEFL for Australia") and six other tests, all sat at a test centre; no at-home test is accepted (Department of Home Affairs, updated 2 February 2026). The Duolingo English Test can work for some university admissions but not for the visa. PTE and computer-delivered IELTS return results fastest; the real differences are availability and convenience, not recognition.
Which English tests does Australian immigration accept for a student visa?
For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, Home Affairs accepts nine tests, provided they are sat at a secure test centre: Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, LANGUAGECERT Academic, MET, OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT (Department of Home Affairs, updated 2 February 2026). The same list appears on the Australian Government’s site for international students (Study Australia).
At-home tests are not accepted for the visa
The department states it "does not accept evidence from English language tests that are delivered completely online", naming IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and OET@Home among the examples (Department of Home Affairs, updated 2 February 2026). The Duolingo English Test is taken at home and is not on the approved list, so do not rely on it alone if you will apply for a Student visa (subclass 500).
A note on TOEFL
From 21 January 2026 you must select "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when you register, or your result may not be accepted for visa purposes (Department of Home Affairs).
What score do you need for the student visa in each test?
For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the student visa minimum is IELTS 6.0. It drops to 5.5 if your principal course is packaged with at least 10 weeks of English (ELICOS) or a foundation program, and to 5.0 with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS (Department of Home Affairs). The table below is from the same page:
| Test | Visa minimum | With 10 weeks ELICOS or a foundation program | With 20 weeks ELICOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic / General Training | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| PTE Academic | 47 | 39 | 31 |
| TOEFL iBT | 67 | 51 | 37 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 161 | Excluded | Excluded |
| Duolingo English Test | Not on the visa list | — | — |
Source: Department of Home Affairs – Student visa, table for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. Tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 follow an older table (PTE 50 and TOEFL 64 at the standard level) and remain usable for visa purposes until 6 August 2028 (Department of Home Affairs).
How long does a result stay valid?
For the visa, the department accepts scores achieved "in the 3 years before your visa application", depending on the subclass (Department of Home Affairs – Competent English). Universities are stricter: the University of Sydney, for example, requires the test to be no more than two years old at course commencement (University of Sydney). Time your test so that it serves both the admission and the visa.
Which test do Australian universities accept for admission?
Admission is the university’s decision, and its thresholds are usually higher than the visa’s. The official example: the University of Sydney sets IELTS 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, and accepts IELTS Academic (not IELTS Online), TOEFL iBT in the Australia version only, PTE Academic, in-person LanguageCert Academic, and Cambridge C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency (University of Sydney). Its official concordance table equates IELTS 6.5 with TOEFL iBT 85, PTE 64 and Cambridge 176, and IELTS 6.0 with TOEFL 73, PTE 61 and Cambridge 169 (University of Sydney concordance table, updated 27 November 2025).
What about Duolingo for admission?
Some Australian universities accept the Duolingo English Test for admission; others do not list it at all. The University of Sydney, for instance, does not include it (University of Sydney). The practical rule: check the English requirements page of the university you want before paying for any test, and remember you will need a test from the visa list later anyway.
And for a Saudi scholarship?
The Ministry of Education’s page for the Ar-Ruwad track (مسار الرواد) of the King Salman Scholarship Program requires a final, unconditional offer from a university on the program’s list, and does not name a specific English test (Ministry of Education – Ar-Ruwad track). In other words, the test that gets you the unconditional offer is the one that serves your scholarship file. See our guide to the Ar-Ruwad scholarship track and the full guide to Saudi scholarship programs.
Which test gives results fastest?
| Test | Test length | Results | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| PTE Academic | 2 hours (Pearson) | Typically within 2 days (Pearson) | 2 years from the test date (Pearson) |
| IELTS on computer | — | Usually within 1–2 days; 80% of scores globally within 2 days (IELTS) | 2 years for University of Sydney admission (University of Sydney) |
| IELTS on paper | — | Within 13 days (IELTS) | As above |
| TOEFL iBT | — | In your ETS account 3 days after the test (ETS) | 2 years (ETS) |
| Duolingo English Test | Taken at home | Check the current turnaround on the test website | Not valid for the visa (Department of Home Affairs) |
Bottom line: if your offer deadline is close, PTE or computer-delivered IELTS gives you a result within days; paper IELTS takes about two weeks.
How much does each test cost in Saudi Arabia, and where are the centres?
Fees change and vary between centres, so use the provider’s price on the day you book:
- IELTS: delivered in Saudi Arabia by the British Council and IDP; check the current fee in SAR on either provider’s booking page.
- PTE Academic: booked through Pearson’s website, which shows the centres available in your city and the test fee (Pearson).
- TOEFL iBT: ETS displays each country’s fee when you select your test location, and service fees are fixed: rescheduling US$69, late registration US$49, and US$29 for each additional score report (ETS). In Saudi Arabia the test is administered by Amideast and booked through its eShop .
- Duolingo: taken at home; the price is published on the test website. Remember it does not replace the visa test.
Practical tip: do not pay for two tests. Choose one test from the visa list that your university accepts, and reach the admission score (usually higher than the visa score) so one result covers both files.
How do you choose the right test?
- Open the English requirements page for your university and course, and note the overall score and the minimum per skill.
- Confirm the test is on the Home Affairs list and is sat in a test centre, not at home (Department of Home Affairs).
- If your deadline is close, prefer PTE or computer-delivered IELTS for speed.
- If you fall short of direct entry, ask about a foundation program or packaged English; the visa threshold drops to 5.5 or 5.0 with a package (Department of Home Affairs), and the University of Sydney Foundation Program, for example, accepts IELTS 6.0 (Taylors College).
- Book so that your result is still valid both at course commencement and when you lodge the visa.
How KD International can help
We offer English language programs through our partners, including LSI (with a discount for KD students) and ILSC, and we guide you through visas and university admissions. Our admission service is free for students applying to scholarship-program disciplines at universities recognised by the Saudi Ministry of Education. In July 2023 we posted a reminder of the internationally recognised tests: IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, Duolingo and Pearson; what has changed since then is the visa rules, not the universities’ lists.
Start with our process steps to see the order of admission, test and visa, then submit your application and we will review with you which test suits your university and timeline, or contact us with your question.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. PTE Academic is one of the nine tests approved by the Department of Home Affairs, provided it is sat at a test centre. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 the student visa minimum is 47, dropping to 39 with 10 weeks of ELICOS and 31 with 20 weeks.
For admission, it depends on the university; some, such as the University of Sydney, do not list it at all. For the visa, no: it is taken at home and does not appear on the Home Affairs list, so you will need an approved test-centre result.
Both are accepted for the visa and by most universities. The visa requires IELTS 6.0, equivalent to TOEFL iBT 67. For University of Sydney admission, IELTS 6.5 equates to TOEFL 85 under its official concordance table. Remember to select ‘Taking TOEFL for Australia’ when registering.
PTE Academic results typically arrive within two days, computer-delivered IELTS within one to two days, paper IELTS within 13 days, and TOEFL iBT scores appear in your ETS account three days after the test.
6.0 overall for direct entry. It drops to 5.5 if your course is packaged with at least 10 weeks of English or a foundation program, and to 5.0 with 20 weeks of English. Universities usually require 6.5 or higher.
For the visa, Home Affairs accepts results achieved in the three years before the application, depending on the subclass. Universities usually require the test to be no older than two years at course start, as the University of Sydney does, and Pearson and ETS state two-year validity for their scores.
The Ministry of Education’s Ar-Ruwad track page requires a final unconditional offer from a university on the program’s list and does not name a test, so the test your university accepts is the one that serves your file. Check your track’s conditions on the Safeer platform.
Official sources
- English language visa requirements — Australian Department of Home Affairs
- Student visa (subclass 500) – English language requirements — Australian Department of Home Affairs
- Competent English – approved tests and scores — Australian Department of Home Affairs
- Language testing organisations — Study Australia (Australian Government)
- English language requirements — The University of Sydney
- English language concordance table (27 November 2025) — The University of Sydney
- Fast IELTS results and sharing — IELTS
- PTE Academic — Pearson
- Getting your TOEFL iBT scores — ETS
- TOEFL iBT test fees — ETS
- مسار الرواد – برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث — وزارة التعليم السعودية
Ready to start?
KD International helps you choose a university, prepare your admission and visa file, and answers your questions about Saudi scholarships and studying in Australia. Apply now or message us on WhatsApp.
Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
