TOEFL Scores to be Accepted for Australian Visas: ETS Announce

Key Points:

1. ETS (Educational Testing Service) announced that TOEFL scores will now be accepted for all Australian visas.

2. This decision was taken after a review by the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) last July when the TOEFL Australia scores weren’t accepted for a visa. 

3. TOEFL scores being accepted as an acceptance for Australia visa application upholds the test’s relevance and weightage amongst all others. 

4. TOEFL visa Australia validates the test’s rigour as it assesses the English proficiency of an individual. 

ETS has recently announced TOEFL Australia score to be considered a significant part of the Australia visa process from now on. The test score will be accepted for all Australian visa purposes. This will be effective going forward for TOEFL tests taken on May 5th 2024, or after that. This decision was taken after a review by the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) last July. During this, the score for TOEFL iBT Australia scores were temporarily not accepted for Australian visas. 

Australia is a preferred choice among students in India and also working professionals, around 1.2 lakh Indian students are enrolled in Australian universities till last year. Sachin Jain, Country Manager, ETS India and South Asia, has stated that “Australia offers world-class education along with top-notch infrastructure and living standards. Further on, nine Australian universities are listed in the top 100 global education institutes based on the latest QC world rankings.” This makes TOEFL one of the factors included in the Australia visa process and is an add-on for various students.

Around 12,500 higher education institutions accept the TOEFL in around 160 countries worldwide. Popular destinations for this test include universities in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, where around 98% of the universities accept it. TOEFL Australia is another major destination for students to accomplish their dream of studying abroad. “TOEFL iBT Australia score being accepted for visa is a robust measure which tells the significance of this test.” said Nishidar Borra, President of the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI) and Managing Director of Atlas Education. 

“This step by ETS has made TOEFL one of the most trusted tests worldwide, reassuring students and professionals that their language skills are assessed rigorously. This has also made TOEFL iBT to be on of the most crucial tools for career enhancement in yop educational countries around the world.” Borra added. ETS made several changes last year in the TOEFL iBT test with the aim of creating a seamless experience for those taking it. These changes include decreased test duration and candidates' ability to see their results and score release date upon completion of the test.

TL;DR

Educational Testing Service (ETS) has announced that TOEFL scores will now be considered valid for all Australian visa purposes, starting from exams taken on or after May 5, 2024. This decision comes after a review by the Australian Department of Home Affairs last July, during which TOEFL Australia scores were temporarily not accepted for the Australia visa process. The move underscores TOEFL's status as a trusted measure of English proficiency, with recognition from over 12,500 institutions worldwide. This decision is expected to benefit students and professionals aiming for educational and career opportunities in Australia.