Accepted English qualifications and tests
You may use one of the following accepted qualifications to satisfy our English language requirements.
English language courses and programs
Qualifications for an undergraduate degree
Results must have been released within five years of your application, with the exception of GCSE, IGCSE, GCE AS and A Level, International Baccalaureate Diploma, and approved secondary qualifications undertaken and awarded in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America.
| Country | Accepted Qualifications | English Requirement | Must be completed within 5 years of application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-country specific | GCSE/IGCSE/GCE Ordinary Level GCE Advanced Subsidiary Level | Grade C or better in one of the following subjects: English, English Literature, English Language, First Language English, English General Paper or English as Second Language | No |
| GCE Advanced Level | Grade E or better in one of the following subjects: English, English Literature, English Language, First Language English, English General Paper or English as Second Language | No | |
| International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma | Grade of 4 or above in one of the following subjects: | ||
| – English A: Literature (SL) or (HL); | |||
| – English A: Language and Literature (SL) or (HL); | |||
| – Literature and Performance (SL); | |||
| – English A1 (SL) or (HL); | |||
| – English A2 (SL) or (HL); | |||
| – English B (HL). | |||
| Prior to 2013: | |||
| – English A1 (SL) or (HL); | |||
| – English A2 (SL) or (HL)” | No | ||
| Global Assessment Certificate (GAC) | Completion of GAC in Australia with a final GPA of 2.6 | Yes | |
| Australia | ACT Year 12 Certificate | Scaled mark 125 or above in one of the following courses (taken as a Major, Major/Minor or a Double Major): – 0110 English – 0117 English international – 0113 English as a Second Language – 0130 Advanced ESL T | |
| New South Wales Higher School Certificate (HSC) | English (Standard) – Performance Band 2 or above – English Extension 1 – Performance Band E2 or above – English Extension 2 – Performance Band E2 or above – English as a Second Language -Performance Band 2 or above Notes: 1. For courses offered prior to 2001, a mark of 50 or more in 2-unit courses or 25 or more in a 3-unit course is required. 2. In Year 12 grades for each subject are divided into one of six bands: Band 6 indicates the highest level of performance and the minimum standard expected is 50. | No | |
| Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) | Sound Achievement (SA) or above in one of the following QCAA Authority subjects: – English – English Extension – English for ESL Learners Notes: Subject grades are reported on a 5 level scale where the order from the highest are: VHA, HA, SA, LA and VLA. | No | |
| South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) & Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET) | A grade of C− or above in one of the following 20 credit TAS subjects (from 2011) or Subject Achievement Score of 10 or above in a former HESSG (prior to 2011): – English Literacy Studies – English as an Additional Language – English Studies – English Communications – English as a Second Language – English as a Second Language Studies – English (prior to 2011) | No | |
| Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) | Study score of 25 (out of 50) or above in one of the following studies (Unit 3/4 sequences): – English – English language – Literature – English as a Second Language/ English as an Additional Language | No | |
| Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) | An award of Satisfactory Achievement (SA) or above (or P or above for HSC subjects) in one of the following subjects: – English Communications – English Literature – English Writing – English as a Second Language or Dialect – English – English Studies – World Literature – Writer’s Workshop Note: Subjects in italics were offered in a previous year(s). | No | |
| Western Australia Certificate of Education (WACE) | A scaled mark of 50 or above in one of the following subjects: – English ATAR (from 2016) – Literature ATAR (from 2016) – English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR (from 2016) – Stage 2 or 3 English – Stage 2 or 3 Literature – Stage 2 or 3 English | No | |
| Western Australian Universities’ Foundation Program (WAUFP) | A score of 50% in English Language and Australian Cultural Studies (ELACS) | No | |
| Canada | High School Graduation Diploma (except Quebec) | Grade of 60% or better in final year English subject | No |
| Denmark | Bevis for Studentereksamen (STX) (Secondary Education Graduation Certificate); Bevis for Højere Forberedelseseksamen (HF) (Higher Preparatory Examination Certificate); Bevis for Højere Handelseksamen (HHX) (Higher Commercial Examination); Bevis for Højere Teknisk Eksamen (HTX) (Higher Technical Examination Certificate) | – English Level B: a grade of 7 – English Level A: a grade of 4 | Yes |
| Finland | Ylioppilastutkinto / Studentexamen (Matriculation Examination) | Grade of “Cum laude approbatur” in English (Advanced) | Yes |
| Germany | Abitur (Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife) | Grade of 4 or better in English or Leistungskurs English (refer to score stated in Block II: performance in school-leaving exam) | Yes |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) | Level 4 or above (4, 5, 5* or 5**) in the core subject English Language Level 5 or aboive is required for Bachelor of Science (Physiotherapy) | Yes |
| India | Indian School Certificate; or All India Senior School Certificate | 60% in English subject | Yes |
| Kenya | Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) | Grade of B or better in English subject | Yes |
| Malaysia | SPM | Prior to 2021: C6 or better in GCE-O Level 1119 Bahasa Inggeris (English) From 2021: SPM 1119 Bahasa Inggeris with a grade of A+ and CEFR C1 to meet IELTS 6.5/6.0 only. | Yes |
| Mauritius | Cambridge School Certificate / Cambridge GCE Ordinary level Cambridge International AS Level Cambridge Higher School Certificate Professional (HSC Pro) | Grade C in one of the following subjects: English Language, Literature in English Grade C in English General Paper Grade C in Global Perspectives (8030) | No |
| Netherlands | Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO) | Grade of 8 in English | Yes |
| New Zealand | Bursary | Total Mark of 50 in English | No |
| NCEA Level 3 | A minimum of 10 achieved credits at Level 2 or above in English, or English for Academic Purposes, with 5 credits achieved in Reading and 5 credits in Writing | No | |
| Nigeria | West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC) Senior School Certificate | C6 or better in English | Yes |
| Norway | Vitnemål For Videregående Opplæring | Grade of 4 or better (4, 5 or 6) in English subject | Yes |
| Republic ofIreland | Irish Leaving Certificate | Ordinary Level English: Grade 4 or C3 (before 2017) Higher Level English: Grade 7 or D3 (before 2017) | No |
| Scotland | Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) National Course | • Grade 1 or 2 in Standard Grade Credit English (SCQF Level 5) (discontinued); • Grade 1 or 2 in National 5 English (SCQF Level 5); • At least Grade C in Higher English (SCQF Level 6); • At least Grade D in Advanced Higher English (SCQF Level 7). | No |
| Singapore | Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level and A Level | Grade of C or better in ‘O’ level English, English Literature or English Language; General Paper (H1 Level) or Knowledge and Inquiry (H2 Level) | No |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lankan General Certificate of Education Ordinary level or Advanced level | C (Credit Pass) in English, General English | Yes |
| South Africa | National Senior Certificate | Level 4 (50%) in English Home Language or Level 5 (60%) in English First Additional Language | No |
| Sweden | Högskoleförberedande Examen (from 2014) | Grade C in English 6 | Yes |
| Avgångsbetyg / Slutbetyg (Prior to 2014) | VG grade in English C | Yes | |
| Tanzania | Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (CSEE) | Grade of C or better in English subject | Yes |
| Uganda | Uganda Certificate in Education (UCE) | Grade 6 or better (Grade 6 to 1, 1 is the highest) in English subject | Yes |
| USA | ACT | Composite Score of 21 | No |
| Advanced Placement (AP) examinations | A grade of 3 or higher in English Language and Composition; or English Literature and Composition | No | |
| SAT (test sat from 2016) | A combined score of at least 1000 out of 1600 in the Evidence based Reading and Writing and Math in the SAT from the same sitting, with a minimum of 400 in Evidence-based Reading and Writing section and 400 in Math section. | No | |
| SAT (test sat between 2005-2015) | A combined score of at least 1500 out of 2400 in the Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing sections in the SAT Reasoning Test from the same sitting, with a minimum of 460 in each section | No | |
| Zambia | Zambia General Certificate of Education | Grade of 6 or better (5, 4, 3, 2 or 1, 1 being the highest) in English | Yes |
| Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe Certificate of Secondary Education at Ordinary Level | Grade C or better in English subject | Yes |
The following vocational qualifications must have been taught solely in English.
| wdt_ID | Country | Accepted qualifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | AQF Diploma, AQF Advanced Diploma, Associate Degree awarded by an Australian registered training organisation |
| 7 | Canada | Two year full-time Diploma, two year full-time Associate Degree awarded by a recognised institution |
| 8 | Ireland | Level 6 Advanced Certificate; National Certificate, National Diploma (awarded before 2006) |
| 9 | New Zealand | National Diploma (awarded before 2003); Diploma NQF Level 5 or above (awarded from 2003) |
| 10 | Singapore | Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Specialist Diploma awarded by a Polytechnic Three year full-time Diploma awarded by BCA Academy |
| 11 | South Africa | National Higher Certificate, National Diploma, National Higher Diploma |
| 12 | United Kingdom | Higher National Certificate; Higher National Diploma; Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) Level 4 or 5 Diploma; National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 4 or 5 qualification; Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) level 4 or 5 qualification |
| 13 | United States of America | Two year full-time Associate degree awarded by a regionally-accredited institution |
Undertaken in Australia
Successful completion of one semester full-time (equivalent to 0.5 EFTSL) of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree level study at a recognised University in Australia.
Undertaken outside of Australia
The following options must have been taught in English outside of Australia:
- Successful completion of at least one semester full-time or equivalent of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree level study at a recognised University in New Zealand, Republic of Ireland or United Kingdom; or
- Successful completion of at least one year full-time or equivalent of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree level study at a recognised University in Canada, Singapore, South Africa or United States of America; or
- Successful completion of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree from a recognised overseas University, assessed by Curtin University as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Bachelor or Master Degree in which Curtin University recognised English is the sole language of instruction. The degree must have been awarded within five years of application, with the exception of qualifications undertaken and awarded in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America.
Qualifications for postgraduate and research degrees
Undertaken in Australia
Successful completion of one semester full-time (equivalent to 0.5 EFTSL) of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree level study at a recognised University in Australia.
Undertaken outside of Australia
The following options must have been taught in English outside of Australia:
- Successful completion of at least one semester full-time or equivalent of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree level study at a recognised University in New Zealand, Republic of Ireland or United Kingdom; or
- Successful completion of at least one year full-time or equivalent of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree level study at a recognised University in Canada, Singapore, South Africa or United States of America; or
- Successful completion of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree from a recognised overseas University, assessed by Curtin University as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Bachelor or Master Degree in which Curtin University recognised English is the sole language of instruction.
Current AHPRA registration
Holder of current registration on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
English proficiency tests
The following tests satisfy our minimum English language requirements for undergraduate, postgraduate and research (HDR) courses.
The test must have been undertaken within two years of application, however, they may be used for entry until the next semester intake.
The results from multiple English language proficiency tests will not be combined to meet the required standard.
If you have taken a different test, download the English competency equivalents table.pdf [210kB] to view the equivalent scores or marks you need to match the IELTS score for your course.
Note: The test scores below do not satisfy English requirements for courses that have specific or higher English language requirements.
| wdt_ID | Accepted English proficiency tests | Minimum criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IELTS Academic IELTS UKVI (International English Language Test System IELTS One Skill retake (OSR) Online Version | Listening 6.0 Reading 6.0 Writing 6.0 Speaking 6.0 Overall score 6.5 |
| 2 | PTE AcademicPTE Academic UKVI (Pearson Test of English) Online Version | Listening 59 Reading 59 Writing 59 Speaking 59 Overall score 69 |
| 3 | TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language – Internet Based Test)
TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition (where TOEFL iBT testing is not available) |
Reading 13 Listening 13 Speaking 18 Writing 21 Overall score 79 |
| 4 | TOEFL PBT (Paper Based Test) | 570 and 4.5 in TWE |
| 5 | OET (Occupational English Test) | Test taken from September 2018: Listening 250 Reading 250 Writing 250 Speaking 250 Calculated average score of all components 300 Test taken prior to September 2018: Listening C+ Reading C+ Writing C+ Speaking C+ |
| 6 | C1 Advanced Formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) | 176 with 169 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. |
| 7 | C2 Proficiency Formerly known as Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) | 190 with 176 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. |
| 12 | Linguaskill General – Please note we only accept results of Linguaskill booked through Curtin University. To apply for the test, please contact us. | IELTS 6.0 (6.0 in all bands): Average overall 169, each skill score 169 IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in all bands): Average 176, each skill score 169 IELTS 6.5 (6.5 in all bands): Average 176, each skill score 176 |
| 14 | Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) Written English section where only the Written English component was taken, results are valid for two years from the date of testing, however maybe used for entry until the next immediate semester intake. | STAT format from 1 May 2010: 140 Previous STAT format between 1996 to April 2010: 145 |
| 15 | Malaysian University English Test (MUET) | Band 4 is required to meet IELTS 6.0 (6.0); Band 4 and no less than 200 in aggregate score is required to meet IELTS 6.5 (6.0); Band 5 is required to meet IELTS 7.0 (7.0). |
| 16 | Germany DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) | B2 (4 stars) in meeting minimum English (i.e. IELTS 6.5 with no band less than 6.0); or with C 1 (5 stars) in meeting higher English criteria. |
| Accepted Test | Skill | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Curtin English – English Language Bridging | B- | |
| IELTS Academic or IELTS UKVI (International English Language Test System or Online Version) | Overall score | 6.0 |
| Reading | 6.0 | |
| Listening | 6.0 | |
| Speaking | 6.0 | |
| Writing | 6.0 | |
| TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language – Internet Based Test) | Overall score | 68 |
| Reading | 13 | |
| Listening | 13 | |
| Speaking | 18 | |
| Writing | 21 | |
| PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English) or Online Version | Overall score | 59 |
| Individual bands | 59 | |
| Germany DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) | B2 (4 stars) in meeting minimum English | |
| C1 Advanced | 169 with 169 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking | |
| C2 Proficiency (Formerly known as Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)) | 190 with 175 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking | |
| Malaysian University English Test (MUET) | Band 4 is required to meet IELTS 6.0 |