Exams Required to Study in Australia: Check Exams and Score Requirements

Highlights:

• Popular Exams for Study: Key exams for studying in Australia include IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, DET, SAT/ACT, GRE/GMAT, CAE, MCAT, UMAT, and LSAT
• Essential Exams For Visa: For student visas, English proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or CAE are essential
• Minimum Score: The minimum PTE scores required for undergraduate and postgraduate programs are 42 and 58 respectively. Alternatively, an IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL score of 90 can also be considered
• Cost Effective ELP Exam: DET (Duolingo English Test) is the most cost-effective English language proficiency test among IELTS, TOEFL or PTE. The DET registration fee is 65 USD (5,421 INR)

What are the exams required to study in Australia? This is the most common question that you are thinking about, right? There are two main bases of assessment for entry to top Australian universities namely academic merit and scores of exams required to study in Australia. The most common exams to study in Australia are mentioned below.

• IELTS
• TOEFL
• PTE
• DET
• SAT/ ACT
• GRE/ GMAT
• CAE
• MCAT
• UMAT
• LSAT

All the exams required to study in Australia mentioned above are not eligible for a student visa. IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or CAE are among the Australia exams for student visas.

Now, what are the minimum requirements? PTE is one of the most popular English language proficiency exams to study in Australia. However, it varies upon university, the minimum accepted PTE score required is 42 for under graduate studies. Postgraduate studies require a minimum PTE score of 58. There are more than 400 PTE accepted colleges in Australia. Infact, the PTE visa success rate in Australia is 85.1% – 86.7% (as of late 2023/2024). Do not have a PTE score? You can submit equivalent IELTS or TOEFL scores to compensate. SAT or ACT is not required by the majority of the Australian universities. Remember, GRE or GMAT scores are required for admission masters and MBA programs in Australia. As per the reports published by the Ministry of External Affairs India, currently 1,00,009 students are studying in the top universities in Australia.

Also Check: DET Accepted Universities in Australia

Application Fees for Entrance Exams to Study in Australia

International applicants will have to register for the necessary exams to study in Australia and submit the registration fees. Most exam fees are accepted either through debit/ credit card or online fund transfer. Late registration may attract additional fees. The fees for the top exams required to study in Australia are given in the table below

English Proficiency Score Requirements to Study in Australia

As a requirement for admission to universities in Australia, international students whose native language is not English are required to take English language tests to fulfill the English proficiency requirements. Besides admission, English language tests are also necessary for visa purposes.

PTE

Pearson Test of English or PTE is a 3-hour computer based exam conducted across various cities in India. The PTE exam tests 4 skills of candidates that include reading, writing, speaking and listening. There are more than 70 PTE accepted universities in Australia Melbourne.

• It is a 90 point test and a score of 72 or above is considered satisfactory while those between 74-84 is a competitive score for admission.
• Registering for PTE is simple and only requires creating an account on the official PTE account.
• The registration fee for PTE is 17,000 INR. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, PTE testing has resumed in India, Australia and China.

IELTS

The International English Language Testing System or IELTS is one of the most widely accepted English proficiency test scores for studying in Australia. The band requirements and individual scores depend on the level of study and area of study.

• In India, IELTS is conducted in more than 800 centers and the application fee for the same is 17,000 INR. IELTS scores are valid for 2 years from the exam date.
• An overall IELTS score of 6.0 or 6.5 is necessary for admission to Australian universities.
• Candidates with an overall band score of 7.0 or above are considered competent. Students can apply for the exam through the official website, British council website/ center, IDP Education website or offline by downloading the IELTS application form and submitting it through courier.

TOEFL

Test of English as Foreign Language or TOEFL score is a 120 mark exam divided into 4 sections each of 30 marks - reading, listening, writing and speaking. In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ETS introduced a special home edition of the TOEFL iBT (internet based test) due to the closure of testing centers.

• The fees to register for TOEFL exam in India is 11,468 - 17,919 INR depending on test location. The exam is popular in India and conducted across 4,500+ test centers.
• The application for this exam can be completed online or offline through the official website or app available on the play store.
• On an average, a score of 90 in TOEFL-iBT is required for admission to most institutions.
• Students with a score of 100-110 are in a better position to be accepted at their choice of institution.

CAE (Cambridge Advanced English Certificate)

The Cambridge Advanced English test (CAE) is offered by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. Students preparing to apply for undergraduate programs in Australia commonly appear for this exam in standard 11 or 12 of higher education. However, it must be noted that the scores are valid for 2 years only

• This exam can be taken as a paper-based or computer-based test at a local testing center. It comprises 5 papers related to reading, writing, speaking, listening and usage of English. Around 25 centers in India offer the CAE exam.
• The application for the CAE exam can be downloaded online. The registration fee in India is 41,583 INR currently. The scores of the CAE exam are published in the form of grades with a corresponding CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) level.
• A score between 60-79 receives a level C1 certificate and is considered fairly good. Scores above 80 are outstanding and correspond to level C2

Australia Entrance Exam for MS and UG

UMAT, LSAT, SAT, ACT, GRE or GMAT are among the exams required to study in Australia for UG and MS programs. The AMC (Australian Medical Council) exam is an Australian PG medical entrance exam. It is the entrance exam for MBBS in Australia.

UMAT

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) conducts the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission (UMAT) test in Australia and New Zealand. It is a 3 hour multiple choice based exam held late in July every year.

• It is a specialized exam prepared for students interested in seeking admission to undergraduate medicine, dentistry and health science degree programs in Australia.
• There are 4 sections of the paper: critical thinking, problem solving, understanding people and abstract non-verbal reasoning.
• UMAT scores are accepted by a number of reputed institutions such as University of New South Wales, University of Newcastle, University of Western Australia, Charles Darwin University, University of Queensland, Flinders University, University of Adelaide, Monash University and La Trobe University among others.

SAT

Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT is a very popular entrance test for undergraduate admission administered by the College Board. It is a multiple-choice based exam focusing on 2 sections - Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing.

• It also has an optional essay section, the scores of which are reported separately. Some colleges may specifically look for SAT Essay scores depending on their selection criteria.
• The registration for SAT must be conducted at least 5 weeks before the test date.
• The registration fee for the SAT exam in India is 7,500 INR and the application can be submitted online or via mail to the designated address.
• A SAT score above 1200 is considered good for admission. Exceptional candidates who score above 1500 in SAT are prioritized for admission.

LSAT

Law School Admission Test or LSAT is conducted on behalf of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), USA. It is an exam required for admission to law programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. It is also an entrance exam for MS in Australia.

• The only way to register for LSAT is online with an application fee of 19,856 INR.
• The test is administered in various cities across India such as Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, Jaipur, Bhopal, etc.
• It is a MCQ based exam with 4 sections including reading comprehension, analytical reasoning and 2 sections of logical reasoning. Check Exam pattern of LSAT

GMAT

Graduate Management Admission Test or GMAT is a very well-known computer-based entrance exam to study in Australia necessary for seeking admission to management based programs abroad. It comprises 4 sections: writing, integrated reasoning, verbal and quantitative skills.

• Scores of GMAT are valid for 5 years from the date of exam. The duration of the exam excluding analytical writing is 2 hours and 45 minutes.
• The GMAT registration process can be completed online by paying an application fee of 22,943 INR. The main factors affecting your performance in GMAT are time management and flexibility to use the computer system.
• With more than 2 lakh candidates appearing for the exam every year from India itself, the level of competition is tough and a very small proportion of candidates pass the exam with a score of 700 or above.
• Applicants with a GMAT score of 680 or above can expect to get admitted to some of the top business institutions in Australia. GMAT is an important component for MBA admission in Australia and therefore your performance in the test can largely affect admissions.

Study in Australia Without IELTS or TOEFL

Australia no IELTS! Sounds a bit confusing, right? But it is correct. You can study in Australia without IELTS or TOEFL as well. If you have completed your previous academic curriculum of 5 years with English as a primary mode of instruction, you are eligible to study in Australia without IELTS. Few top without IELTS colleges in Australia are mentioned below

• University of New South Wales
• Bond University
• Swinburne University of Technology and others

Indian students applying for admission to Australian Universities can submit any one of the test scores depending on their course and university. Monash University, University of Canberra are regarded as the top in the Australia PTE accepted colleges list.

FAQs

Ques: What English proficiency tests are accepted by Australian universities?

Ques: What is the minimum IELTS score required for undergraduate study in Australia?

Ques: Do I need to take the GRE to apply for a Master’s program in Australia?

Ques: Are there specific exams required for MBA programs in Australia?

Ques: What is the minimum TOEFL score required for postgraduate study in Australia?

Ques: Can I apply to Australian universities with the Pearson Test of English (PTE)?

Ques: Do I need to take any specific exams for undergraduate courses in Australia?

Ques: What English proficiency test scores are required for a student visa application to Australia?

Ques: Is there an age limit for taking exams required to study in Australia?

Ques: How long are English proficiency test scores valid for Australian university applications?