TOEFL iBT tests are valid for Australian visa purposes once again, ETS, the company behind the assessment, has announced.
The test has not been accepted since July 26, 2023, when ETS launched a new version of the test which authorities then had to review.
From May 5, TOEFL iBT scores from secure test centres have been accepted by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
Other tests the department accepts includes IELTS, including One Skill Retake, Pearson Test of English, Cambridge English/ C1 Advanced and the Occupational English Test for health professionals.
Home Affairs does not accept scores from any ‘at-home’ or ‘online’ tests for Australian migration purposes.
While tests taken between July 26, 2023 and May 4, 2024, are not valid for visa purposes, they have been accepted for admissions and any exams taken before July 26 last year are valid for visas for two years, ETS noted.
“We appreciate the DHA’s exacting standards for English proficiency and their recognition that the TOEFL iBT upholds them,” ETS said in a statement.
“TOEFL, the premiere test of academic English proficiency, continues to be accepted by 100% of Australian universities and more than 12,500 institutions worldwide.”
The testing provider also looks forward to “supporting learners looking to study in Australia as well as skilled workers in Australia through TOEFL as we continue to open doors for everyone, everywhere”, it added.
When the new test was announced last year, ETS said it had “been designed to improve the test taker experience, reducing the test time and streamlining the registration process, while maintaining the rigour and reliability the test is known for”.
While ETS doesn’t share how many people take its tests annually, the top five countries TOEFL test takers come from are: India; China; US; Japan; and Korea.
As well as TOEFL tests, ETS offers the TOEIC – the test at the heart of the decade-long testing scandal in the UK – the GRE and Praxis exams.
Its investment arm, ETS Strategic Capital, has also acquired testing company PSI, as well as video interview platform Vericant.
ETS has also backed several companies in the international education sector, including ApplyBoard, CIEE, CollegeDekho, MPOWER Financing, UpGrad and Leverage Edu.
