Australia resumes accepting TOEFL scores for visa applications

TOEFL results will once again be accepted for consideration in the processing of all Australian visa applications, according to a Monday announcement made by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the organization that administers the test. This is a follow-up to the July suspension of TOEFL score acceptance by the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) awaiting review.

Tests taken on or after May 5, 2024, for the TOEFL are eligible for the reinstated acceptance. The importance of this choice was underlined by Sachin Jain, Country Manager, ETS India and South Asia, particularly for Indian professionals and students. “Australia remains the preferred choice for Indian students and working professionals, with over 1.2 lakh Indian students studying in Australia last year,” Jain said.

The TOEFL iBT was momentarily inaccessible as of July 25, 2018, because ETS, the Educational Testing Service, was making changes to the exam. The Australian Department of Home Affairs declared the halt. The department is presently analyzing the test modifications, though.

Around this time, the English proficiency test results from substitute assessments were accepted by the Australian government, such as:

1. International English Language Testing System (IELTS), including One Skill Retake (OSR).
2. Pearson Test of English (PTE).
3. Cambridge English (CAE), also known as C1 Advanced.
4. Occupational English Test (OET), specifically designed for health professionals.

In order to improve the efficiency of the test-taking process for candidates, ETS recently announced adjustments to the TOEFL test last year, including a reduction in test time to less than two hours.