Band scores
Competent, Proficient and Superior English, and what each is worth in points. With a practice exercise.
IELTS for Australian PR is scored against three named levels rather than a single overall band. Competent, Proficient and Superior English each require a minimum in every skill, and each is worth a different number of points in the skilled migration system.
The gap between them is large enough to decide an application. Superior English is worth twenty points, which is more than several years of work experience, and it is the single most achievable way for many candidates to raise their score.
The three levels
Every skill must reach the level. There is no averaging.
6.0 in each of the four skills. This is the minimum for most skilled visas and is worth no points on its own.
7.0 in each of the four skills. Worth ten points in the skilled migration points test.
8.0 in each of the four skills. Worth twenty points, and the most reliable way for many candidates to lift their total.
A 7.0 average with a 6.5 in writing is Competent English, not Proficient. The lowest of your four skills decides the level.
General Training is accepted for skilled migration. Academic is also accepted, so take whichever you will score higher in.
IELTS results are normally valid for three years for Australian skilled visa purposes, which is longer than most other countries allow.
Method
Six points about scoring for skilled migration.
Superior English is worth the same as roughly eight years of skilled work experience overseas. For many applicants it is the cheapest points available.
Unlike Canada, Australia does not score each skill separately. One 7.5 among three 8.0s makes the whole application Proficient rather than Superior.
If three skills sit at 8.0 and one at 7.0, all your preparation time should go to that one skill. Improving the other three earns nothing.
It is required to apply at all, but it earns zero points. Aiming only for Competent leaves twenty points on the table.
Nursing, teaching and engineering registration bodies often require 7.0 in each skill regardless of the visa requirement.
Points allocations and thresholds are set by the Department of Home Affairs and change from time to time. Confirm before you book.
Practice
Work out the level and the points.
Competent English: 6.0 in every skill · 0 points
Proficient English: 7.0 in every skill · 10 points
Superior English: 8.0 in every skill · 20 points
The lowest of your four skills decides your level.
1Listening 8.0, Reading 8.0, Writing 7.5, Speaking 8.5. What level is this?
Proficient, not Superior. The 7.5 in writing decides it. Three scores at 8.0 or above earn nothing extra, which is why targeting the weakest skill matters.
2Listening 8.5, Reading 8.0, Writing 8.0, Speaking 8.0. How many points?
20 points. Every skill is 8.0 or above, so this is Superior English.
3Three of your skills are 8.0 and writing is 7.0. Where should your preparation time go?
Entirely on writing. Raising the other three earns nothing, because the lowest skill decides the level.
4Which module is accepted for Australian skilled migration?
Either. Both Academic and General Training are accepted, so take whichever you are likely to score higher in.
5How many points is Competent English worth?
Zero. Competent English lets you apply but earns no points, so stopping at 6.0 leaves twenty points unclaimed.
It is the usual pattern, and it is almost always writing. Ten points sit behind a single half band.
The complete IELTS course on IELTStestONLINE has video lessons on every question type, many more exercises like this one, and your own support tutor you can ask when an answer does not make sense. Take a look at the complete course
You can measure reading and listening yourself. Finding out whether your writing is a 7.0 or a 7.5 is a different problem.
IELTStestONLINE keeps every score you get in one place, gives you an estimated band as you work, and assesses your writing and speaking against the four criteria so you can see where you stand before test day. See what full membership includes
Competent English, 6.0 in each skill, is the usual minimum to apply. Proficient English is 7.0 in each skill and Superior English is 8.0 in each skill.
Twenty points in the skilled migration points test, which for many applicants is the most achievable points available.
No. Every skill must reach 8.0. An average of 8.0 with one skill at 7.5 is Proficient, not Superior.
Either is accepted for skilled migration. Take whichever module you expect to score higher in.
Normally three years for Australian skilled visa purposes, which is longer than most other countries allow.
Full membership
When a single skill decides the level, knowing exactly which one is short, and by how much, is worth more than another practice test.
IELTStestONLINE assesses your writing and speaking against the four IELTS criteria, instantly and as often as you like, using a system built by a former IELTS examiner and examiner trainer. It keeps every score in one place with an estimated band, and it carries no advertising.
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