Yes, Australia accepts CELPIP. The Department of Home Affairs lists CELPIP General as an approved English test; the approved list changed on 7 August 2025. In short:
Take CELPIP General at a test centre. Home Affairs does not accept CELPIP Online or CELPIP General LS.
Competent English is CELPIP 7 in every skill. Proficient is Listening 9, Reading 8, Writing 10, Speaking 8. Home Affairs uses five levels in all, from Functional to Superior.
The fee is AUD $355 + applicable taxes. Cancel or transfer at least 9 calendar days ahead, and space sittings 30 days apart.
Score timeframes vary: Functional English generally uses 12 months, many other levels use 3 years, and some visas set their own window. Your visa's page has the final word.
Verified 9 October 2026 against Home Affairs and celpip.ca.
Published and fact-checked by CELPIP Test Prep.
Home Affairs lists CELPIP General among the English tests it accepts for visa applications. Its level pages refer to tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the date the approved tests changed. celpip.ca lists the visas it is used for: permanent visas, skilled and employer-sponsored visas, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) and other eligible visas.
Your visa sets the English level, so start there: open it on Home Affairs' visa list, find the level it asks for (Functional, Vocational, Competent, Proficient or Superior), then read your CELPIP targets off the table below.
The five Home Affairs English levels do not replace visa-specific requirements. Some visas use their own overall scores, component scores or evidence timeframes, so always check the current subclass page.
Skilled and permanent visa pathways can use Competent English for eligibility and Proficient or Superior English for points, depending on the subclass and applicant. Start with the official visa list, then use the score table below for the English level it names.
The 482 visa has its own minimum component-score rules rather than the skilled-migration points table. Check Home Affairs' current sufficient English requirements for subclass 482 before you book.
The 485 visa uses an overall minimum and minimum scores for each skill, with some evidence rules depending on the applicant. Confirm the current scores and timeframe on the official subclass 485 page.
Home Affairs accepts CELPIP General for Student visa applications. The required overall score can change when a course includes eligible English-language or pathway study, and test evidence is generally from the 2 years before application. Check the official subclass 500 requirements.
From Vocational up, you need at least this CELPIP level in each skill. A level below the line in any one skill means you have not met that English level.
| English level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Functional | Overall score of at least 5 | |||
| Vocational | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Competent | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Proficient | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| Superior | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
Source: the Department of Home Affairs English language pages (the same bands are on celpip.ca's score chart), checked 9 October 2026. If your visa is points-tested, Home Affairs' points table sets what each English level is worth.
Writing
Writing is the highest bar at Proficient and Superior: 10 and 12, against 8 to 10 in the other skills. Superior Writing, 12, is the top of the CELPIP scale. If you are aiming for Proficient or Superior, plan your time around Writing.
Functional
Functional English is the level secondary applicants are often asked for, and it is the only one read from the overall score rather than skill by skill. When a test is used as evidence, Home Affairs generally requires it from the 12 months before the visa application.
CEFR
For comparison, on celpip.ca's chart CELPIP 7 to 9 sits at CEFR B2 and 10 to 11 at C1. For how CELPIP levels line up with CLB, IELTS and PTE Core, see the CELPIP score chart.
CELPIP General only.
Home Affairs lists CELPIP General. CELPIP General LS, which tests Listening and Speaking, is not on its list.
At a test centre.
Home Affairs does not accept tests delivered completely online and names CELPIP Online among them. Book a centre sitting.
How recent your score must be.
The timeframe depends on the requirement and visa. Functional English generally uses test evidence from the previous 12 months; many other English levels use 3 years, while Student visas generally use 2 years. Check the current subclass page.
Keep your own copy.
celpip.ca's Australia page says your CELPIP Account shows your scores for 2 years from your test date. Download the PDF score report as soon as it is posted.
Results.
celpip.ca's Australia page says scores reach your CELPIP Account 3–4 business days after the test.
The test itself is the same CELPIP General sat in Canada: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, on a computer, in one sitting of under 3 hours. Speaking is eight tasks recorded on the computer, with no examiner in the room. CELPIP test format.
celpip.ca's Australia page lists test centres in:
celpip.ca's "where we test" page lists fewer cities, so confirm your city has dates before you plan around it. celpip.ca keeps the current address and dates for each centre on its Australia page.
AUD $355
CELPIP General costs AUD $355 + applicable taxes in Australia (celpip.ca). You book and pay through a CELPIP Account on celpip.ca.
In Australia, celpip.ca's rules are stricter than in Canada:
Cancel at least 9 calendar days before the test and you get 50% of the fee back. Inside 9 days, no refund.
Transfer to another date at least 9 calendar days ahead: CA$50 + tax per transfer. There is no free transfer on the Australia page.
More than one sitting: all your sessions must be at least 30 calendar days apart.
Source: celpip.ca, Australia, checked 9 October 2026. Canada's rules (7 days) are on our CELPIP test booking page and do not apply here.
Home Affairs accepts more than one English test, and its page lists which versions of each test count and the score each needs. What differs is the format:
CELPIP is one sitting on a computer and records your Speaking rather than interviewing you. Levels are whole numbers per skill, so the table above is easy to read against your result.
IELTS Speaking is a face-to-face interview with an examiner, possibly on another day within 7 days of the other parts.
PTE is taken on a computer and scored automatically by Pearson. Pearson points Australian visa applicants to PTE Academic; PTE Core is its test for Canada.
Check the Home Affairs list for the exact PTE and IELTS versions it accepts. Our side-by-side pages are written for Canada, but the format differences carry over: CELPIP vs PTE · CELPIP vs IELTS.
Read your visa's English level off its Home Affairs page, then the CELPIP level for each skill from the table above.
Sit a CELPIP mock test: all four sections in the official order, timed like the test. Compare your Listening, Reading and Writing results against your targets, and note which skill is furthest away.
Practise each skill one part at a time. For Speaking, work through the eight tasks on the prep and speaking timers until the timing feels normal.
Ten years of CELPIP teaching, online wherever you are in Australia. 75 full-length mock tests, designed by Paragon-certified teachers with perfect CELPIP scores. All mocks come with a plan. Mock tests: use a desktop or tablet.
Yes. The Department of Home Affairs lists CELPIP General among the English tests it accepts; the approved tests changed on 7 August 2025. celpip.ca lists permanent, skilled and employer-sponsored visas, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) and other eligible visas. The English level each visa needs is set on that visa's Home Affairs page, so check it before you book.
Competent English is CELPIP 7 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Proficient is Listening 9, Reading 8, Writing 10 and Speaking 8. Superior is Listening 10, Reading 10, Writing 12 and Speaking 10. Vocational is 5 in each skill, and Functional is an overall score of at least 5. These are the Department of Home Affairs' own figures, also on celpip.ca's chart.
Yes. Home Affairs accepts CELPIP General for Student visa applications. The required overall score depends on whether the principal course is accompanied by eligible English-language or pathway study, and test evidence is generally from the 2 years before application. Check the current subclass 500 page because course and evidence rules can change.
No. Home Affairs does not accept English tests delivered completely online, and it names CELPIP Online among them. Take CELPIP General at a test centre.
No. Home Affairs lists CELPIP General only. CELPIP General LS, which tests Listening and Speaking, is not on its list, so book CELPIP General.
celpip.ca's Australia page lists Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Parramatta, Perth and Sydney. Another celpip.ca page lists fewer cities, so check celpip.ca for current centres and dates in your city before you plan around one.
Yes, but the Australian rules are stricter than in Canada. celpip.ca's Australia page says to cancel or transfer at least 9 calendar days before the test: a cancellation refunds 50% of the fee and each transfer costs CA$50 plus tax. Inside 9 days there is no refund. If you book more than one sitting, they must be at least 30 calendar days apart.
It depends on the requirement and visa subclass. Functional English generally uses test evidence from the 12 months before application; many other English levels use 3 years, while Student visas generally use 2 years. Separately, celpip.ca says your account shows scores for 2 years from the test date, so download the official PDF score report when it is posted.
CELPIP General costs AUD $355 plus applicable taxes in Australia, according to celpip.ca.
Take the one whose format suits you, as long as Home Affairs accepts that test version for your visa. CELPIP is one sitting on a computer, with Speaking recorded and no examiner in the room. For PTE, Pearson points Australian visa applicants to PTE Academic, not PTE Core. Check the Home Affairs list for the versions and scores it accepts.
Yes, CELPIP General is one of the approved tests listed by Home Affairs for subclass 482. The visa has its own minimum component-score rules, which can depend on when the test was taken and the stream or exemption. Check the current subclass 482 sufficient English page before booking or applying.
Subclass 485 uses an overall CELPIP General minimum plus minimum scores in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Some evidence rules differ for certain passport holders, and requirements can change, so confirm the current figures and timeframe on the official subclass 485 page.