All applicants wishing to undertake a course of study at the University of Canberra must meet the English proficiency requirements for that particular course.

The minimum English proficiency requirement is an Academic IELTS of 6.5 or equivalent, with no minimum band scores. Applicants should note that individual courses may have higher English requirements. 

Variations to the standard English language requirements for an individual course must be recorded in the admission requirements in the Courses and Units Database listing for that course.

Applicants meet the University’s English proficiency requirements for all courses, including those with additional English proficiency requirements if all of their study was undertaken in English in one of the following countries:

• Australia, Botswana, Canada, Fiji, Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tobago, Tonga, Trinidad, United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland), United States of America, American Samoa, Zambia or Zimbabwe;

Applicants can meet the University’s basic English proficiency requirements by the means listed below. However, applicants who have not undertaken all of their study in a country listed above may be required to provide evidence of an English test if they are applying for a course with a higher English language requirement.

1. All their study was not in one of the above countries, but they have undertaken at least two (2) years senior secondary study or at least one (1) year of full-time tertiary study in one of these countries, and the language in which they undertook the qualification was English.
2. Their tertiary studies were carried out overseas where the medium of instruction of the course is English and the applicant has completed at least two (2) years full-time study (applicants should provide an official letter from their previous university confirming study in English).
3. The study as above was not undertaken more than 2 years ago.

 

Applicants who do not meet the requirements detailed above can satisfy the University’s English proficiency by demonstrating the required results in the following Tests. The table below provides an indication of the score comparisons required for entry.

IELTS	International English Language Testing System (Academic)
TOEFL	Test of English as a Foreign Language (iBT – Internet based test)
PTE	Pearson Test of English (Academic)
CAE	Cambridge English (Advanced)
CPE	Cambridge English: Certificate of Proficiency in English

IELTS	TOEFL	PTE	CAE	CPE
9.0	118-120	86-90	93	-
8.5	115-117	82-85	87	-
8.0	110-114	79-81	80	60 (Grade C)
7.5	102-109	73-78	74	56
7.0	94-101	65-72	67	51
6.5	79-93	58-64	58	45
6.0	60-78	50-57	52	-
5.5	46-59	42-49	47	-
5.0	35-45	36-41	41	-
4.5	32-34	30-35	36	-
0-4.0	0-31	10-29	32	-

Please note: These test scores must be no more than two years old at the time of application to the University.

The University of Canberra accepts results from IELTS, PTE, CAE and CPE tests as being current for two years and results from TOEFL as being current for 18 months.

Where a student has undertaken a recognised English Language test and the test has been undertaken after the student originally met the University’s English proficiency requirements the results of the test will supersede any prior English proficiency assessment.

More Information on English Language Tests

Further information on these tests including booking arrangements can be found on the Test Centre’s websites:

• Cambridge English Advanced Exam: Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) – Advanced English language exam | Cambridge ESOL
• IELTS: IELTS - International English Language Testing System| Home
• PTE: Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) - Setting the New Standard
• TOEFL: TOEFL: Home

Meeting English Proficiency by Other Means

Applicants may meet English proficiency requirements by other means including the UCELI Offshore Placement Test (as a placement test conducted offshore). Other means can include study at English Language Institutes in Australia and overseas and English study at tertiary level within Australia. Applicants should include all transcripts and certificates at the time of application to assist assessment of English proficiency by these means.

Applicants meeting the English proficiency requirements by other means will not be required to undertake English Language Testing unless it is a requirement of the International Student Visa. For further information please refer to the Department of Immigration & Citizenship website: http://www.immi.gov.au/students/english-requirements.htm

Applicants who do not meet the University of Canberra’s English proficiency requirement

Applicants who do not meet the University’s English proficiency requirement may undertake their chosen degree via a pathway program through the University of Canberra College (UCC) or University of Canberra English Language Institute (UCELI).

University of Canberra College (UCC)

Admission to diplomas for international students have a lower English proficiency requirement. Successful completion of these diplomas will satisfy the University’s basic English language proficiency requirement.

UC English Language Institute (UCELI)

Students completing a program at UCELI will be given an IELTS equivalent that can be used to satisfy the University’s English language proficiency requirements.

Note that a student completing a UCELI program cannot achieve an equivalent overall IELTS greater than 7.0.

Students undertaking English study at UCELI to meet an IELTS requirement above 7.0 will need to sit a recognised English language test in order to demonstrate the required level.