International Students: Entry Requirements
This page provides the general and minimum entry requirements to study at Charter Australia. Some courses have specific course requirements, which can be found at the bottom of the individual course page.
Note: If you do not meet the admission requirements for your particular course at Charter Australia, there may be other ways to secure a place. Please contact us to enquire.
International Students: Entry Requirements
This page provides the general and minimum entry requirements to study at Charter Australia. Some courses have specific course requirements, which can be found at the bottom of the individual course page.
Note: If you do not meet the admission requirements for your particular course at Charter Australia, there may be other ways to secure a place. Please contact us to enquire.
Academic Entry Requirements
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or above for courses that require work placement.
- International students must be 18 years of age or above.
Digital Skills Requirements
Applicants must have sufficient digital skills to participate in training. They should be able to independently operate common digital tools for routine tasks, for example: send and receive emails, fill in online forms, participate in video calls and use search engines.
Work placement requirements
Many vocational courses that Charter Australia offers require a mandatory work placement component. Students are required to have:
- up-to-date immunizations including Covid-19 vaccination, and
- a valid police check.
Charter Australia organises students' work placements with suitable employers. Employers may have specific requirements for student work placements; therefore, the course entry requirements may be adjusted to ensure all enrolled students have the opportunity for work placement.
Computer requirements
Students are required to use a computer to access study materials, do research, prepare assessments, make notes and communicate with trainers, support staff and/or other students. Students are also required to bring a laptop or tablet computer while attending classes.
English Language and Numeracy Requirements
International Student (Student Visa)
International students apply through the Department of Home Affairs using external English tests. The test should be no more than 2 years old (or 3 years old, if taken before August 2025). Exemptions may apply.
This table outlines the external tests that the Australian Government accepts for student visa applications, and the minimum scores required. If a student’s scores are slightly under the minimum requirement, they might be able to undertake an ELICOS English course before their vocational course. This can be done at Charter Australia or another English college.
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External English Tests for Student Visa Applicants This table shows the minimum test scores required for entry into vocational courses on a student visa. |
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|
English Test |
B2+ Level Meets English requirements for all vocational courses |
B2 Level Can do vocational study after 10 weeks English study |
B1+ Level Can do vocational study after 20 weeks English study |
|
IELTS (General or Academic) |
6.0 |
5.5 |
5.0 |
|
PTE Academic |
47 |
39 |
31 |
|
TOEFL iBT |
67 |
51 |
37 |
|
C1 Advanced |
161 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
CELPIP General |
7 |
6 |
5 |
|
LanguageCert Academic |
61 |
54 |
46 |
|
MET |
53 |
49 |
44 |
|
OET |
1210 |
1090 |
1020 |
NOTE: The information in this table is applicable to tests done from 7 August 2025 onwards. If you completed your test before 7 August 2025, slightly different rules may apply. Please refer to the Department of Home Affairs or you can consult with your agent.
Exemptions for External English Tests
Some international students do not have to provide an English language test result. FOr example:
- You are a citizen and hold a passport from the UK, USA, Canada, NZ or Republic of Ireland.
- You have completed at least 5 years’ study in English in Australia, UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or the Republic of Ireland.
- You are enrolled in a principal course of study that is a standalone English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS).
For the full list of exemptions, please refer the Department of Home Affairs website:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500#Eligibility
Study-Work Program (Working Holiday Visa and Other Visas)
The Study-Work Program is an intensive 4-month program that includes vocational study, a work placement, plus guided support to gain employment in Australia. Students can also package this with English language study (for example, our English for Healthcare and Nursing course).
Placement Test
Study-Work Program applicants will take Charter Australia’s placement test. This can be done online while outside of Australia. Because the Study-Work Program is quite intensive, and requires a work placement, we need to ensure that applicants have a sufficient level of English to be able to thrive in this program.
The minimum English language requirements are:
- B2 English (equivalent to IELTS 5.5): You can enter the Study-Work Program. English study is optional.
- B1+ English (equivalent to IELTS 4.5-5.0): You can enter the Study-Work Program with 13 weeks of English study, e.g. English for Healthcare and Nursing. The English study is done at the same time as the vocational course.
NOTE: Besides English language, other entry requirements may apply to the Study-Work Program, for example: previous qualifications in your home country, work history, digital skills and numeracy skills.
Exemptions for the Placement Test
Not all applicants need to take a placement test. Some exemptions apply:
- The applicant completed a qualification in Australia at Certificate III level or higher.
- The applicant has completed an external English test in the past 2 years. If the result was equivalent to B2 (IELTS 5.5) or higher, English study is optional. If the result was equivalent to B1+ (IELTS 4.5), then English study is required.
Visa Rules
When studying on a visa other than a student visa, please be aware of your visa rules. For example:
- Working holiday visa: Maximum of 4 months (17 weeks) of formal study.
- Tourist visa: Maximum of 3 months (13 weeks) of formal study.
ELICOS (English language) Students
An ELICOS student is someone who is studying English in Australia as their main focus. This requires 20 hours of face-to-face English language training per week. ELICOS students should take Charter Australia’s placement test to determine the English course that is most suitable for them.
Overview
This page provides the general and minimum entry requirements to study at Charter Australia. Some courses have specific course requirements, which can be found at the bottom of the individual course page.
Note: If you do not meet the admission requirements for your particular course at Charter Australia, there may be other ways to secure a place. Please contact us to enquire.
Academic Entry Requirements
- a minimum of Year 10 level of literacy and numeracy skills, or
- A lower-level VET course
Students may be required to sit the Language, Literacy and Numeracy test.
If you do not meet the academic entry requirements for your course, you may be able to gain entry to the course via an articulated program. For example, you may be eligible to apply to the Diploma course as a stepping stone to an Advanced Diploma course. See the relevant course pages details page for more information.
Age Requirements
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or above for courses that require work placement.
- 15 years of age or above for English language course(s).
Work placement requirements
Most courses that Charter Australia offers require a mandatory work placement component. Students are required to have:
- up-to-date immunizations including Covid-19 vaccination, and
- a valid police check.
Computer requirements
Students are required to use computer to access study materials, do research, prepare assessments, make notes and communicate with trainers, support staff and/or other students. Students are also required to bring a laptop or tablet computer while attending classes.
English Language Requirements
International Student (Student Visa)
International students apply through the Department of Home Affairs using external tests no more than 2 years old. Exemptions may apply.
|
English language test providers |
Minimum test score |
Minimum test score if principal course is accompanied with either at least 10 weeks of ELICOS or a Foundation (Standard/Extended) program or an eligible Pathway program* |
Minimum test score if principal course is accompanied by at least 20 weeks of ELICOS |
|
6.0 |
5.5 |
5.0 |
|
|
TOEFL internet-based test (only accepted if test is taken on or before 25 July 2023) |
64 |
46 |
35 |
|
Cambridge English: Advanced (Certificate in Advanced English) |
169 |
162 |
154 |
|
50 |
42 |
36 |
|
|
B for each test component |
B for each test component |
B for each test component |
Reference: Subclass 500 Student visa (homeaffairs.gov.au)
Some international students do not need to provide an English language test result. Information can be found at:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500#Eligibility
"You do not need to give us evidence of an English test score with your visa application if one of the following applies:- You are a citizen and hold a passport from UK, USA, Canada, NZ or Republic of Ireland
- you are an applicant who is a Foreign Affairs or Defence sponsored student, or a Secondary Exchange student (AASES)
- you are enrolled in a principal course of study that is a registered school course
- you are enrolled in a principal course of study that is a standalone English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS)
- you are enrolled in a principal course of study registered and delivered in a language other than English
- you are enrolled in a registered post-graduate research course
- you have completed at least 5 years’ study in English in Australia, UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or the Republic of Ireland
- in the 2 years before applying for the student visa you completed the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education in Australia in English while you held a student visa
- in the 2 years before applying for the student visa you completed a substantial component of a course that would qualify you under the Australian Qualifications Framework at the Certificate IV or higher level, while you held a student visa."
Study-Work Program (Working Holiday Visa and Other Visas)
Study-Work Program applicants can use either external test results (within 2 years) or they can be tested using Charter Australia’s internal placement test (this can be done online while outside of Australia). Exemptions may apply.
In order to be admitted into a vocational course, an applicant must demonstrate that they have the following minimum English levels.
Intermediate English |
INTERNAL TEST RESULT (PLACEMENT TEST) |
EXTERNAL TEST RESULT (Not more than 2 years old) |
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|
CERF |
ACSF |
IELTS |
TOEIC |
TOEFL iBT |
PTE Academic |
Cambridge |
OET |
|
|
B1+ (Intermediate) |
2-3 |
4.5-5.0 |
501-600 |
32-45 |
30-41 |
147-161 |
D |
|
If an applicant does not have the minimum English requirement for direct entry into a vocational course, they may be eligible to concurrently enrol in the Certificate III course (vocational course) and English for Healthcare and Nursing (13-week ELICOS course). This is known as the ‘Study-Work Program’.
Exemptions for Charter Australia's Internal Placement Test:
- The applicant completed Year 12 or equivalent in Australia or another English-language education system.
- The applicant completed a qualification in Australia at Certificate III level or higher.
- The applicant achieved IELTS equivalency 4.5 or above.
ELICOS Students (Any Visa)
Applicants who only want to study English and not a vocational course will be placed into an English course that matches their needs. Applicants can use either external tests or they can be tested using Charter Australia’s internal placement test (this can be done online while outside of Australia).
