Australia
New TOEFL or TOEFL iBT Australia: which one counts for your visa?
For an Australian visa, book TOEFL iBT Australia, not the new TOEFL. As of October 2026, the Department of Home Affairs does not accept the new TOEFL with its 1 to 6 scores.
What changed in 2026
In January 2026, ETS launched a new version of the TOEFL. Scores now go from 1 to 6 instead of 0 to 120. Universities and many licensing boards around the world already use the new scores.
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has not added the new TOEFL to its list of accepted tests yet. That is why ETS offers a separate test for Australia, called TOEFL iBT Australia. It keeps the old format and the old 0 to 120 scores, and it is the TOEFL that counts for Australian visas.
When you book, check that the test name says TOEFL iBT Australia. If you take the regular new TOEFL by mistake, your score will not count for your visa.
Which English tests count for an Australian visa?
Home Affairs accepts these tests:
- IELTS
- PTE Academic
- OET
- TOEFL iBT Australia
- CELPIP General
- Cambridge C1 Advanced
- LanguageCert
- Michigan English Test (MET)
Take your test at a test centre
For visas, your test must be taken at a secure test centre. At-home or online versions of these tests are not accepted, even when the same test is accepted at a centre.
For pharmacists: your registration has its own rules
Your visa and your pharmacist registration are two separate steps. Registration goes through the Pharmacy Board of Australia and Ahpra, and they set their own English rules.
Since April 23, 2026, OET results for registration are given as numbers. The minimum scores are Listening 350, Reading 360, Writing 350 and Speaking 360. OET@Home is not accepted for registration, so book OET at a test centre.
The good news is that if you reach the registration scores, you have usually already passed the basic English level for your visa, so one OET result can often cover both.
Before you book
Check the Home Affairs list and the Ahpra list on the day you book, because these rules change. Also check the scores your exact visa type needs, since some visas give extra points for higher English scores.
Official sources
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This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change, so always confirm with the official source before you book a test.