Yes. Australia's Department of Home Affairs accepts CELPIP General for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 at a secure test centre, and CELPIP Online is not accepted. That puts CELPIP General on the same list as IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT and the other English tests Australia uses for visa applications.
Being on the list is only the first check. Each visa sets its own English requirement, so the score you need and how recent your result must be come from that visa's page. This guide covers what Home Affairs lists, what CELPIP says about Australian visas and permanent residency, the CELPIP levels CELPIP lists for Australia's English categories, and the practical details of fees, validity and booking.
Does Australia accept CELPIP? What Home Affairs lists
The Department of Home Affairs publishes its accepted tests on its English language page, under a heading that applies to tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. Tests on that list must be taken at a secure test centre. Home Affairs also names the online versions it does not accept.
| Test family | Accepted (taken at a secure test centre) | Online version not accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | C1 Advanced | No online version named |
| CELPIP | CELPIP General | CELPIP Online |
| IELTS | IELTS Academic; IELTS General Training, including One Skill Retake | IELTS Online |
| LANGUAGECERT | LANGUAGECERT Academic | LANGUAGECERT Academic Online |
| MET | MET | MET Digital at-home |
| OET | OET | OET@Home |
| PTE | PTE Academic | No online version named |
| TOEFL | TOEFL iBT | TOEFL Home Edition |
Source: Home Affairs, English language, for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.
So the short answer to "does Australia accept CELPIP" is yes, for CELPIP General sat in person at a test centre. The test centre condition applies to every test on the list, CELPIP included.
What Australia does not accept
Two exclusions come up most often for CELPIP candidates.
CELPIP Online. Home Affairs lists CELPIP Online among the online tests it does not accept, alongside IELTS Online, LANGUAGECERT Academic Online, MET Digital at-home, OET@Home and TOEFL Home Edition. If you are taking CELPIP for an Australian visa, the result needs to come from CELPIP General taken at a test centre.
PTE Core. Australia's list includes PTE Academic only. PTE Core, which Canada accepts for immigration, is not on the Australian list.
Is CELPIP accepted for Australia PR?
CELPIP's own Australian page says the test is "officially accepted by the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for a number of visa streams, including for permanent residency (PR)." On its PR English requirements page, CELPIP groups the visas it covers into:
- permanent residency visas
- skilled and employer-sponsored visas
- the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
- other visas
CELPIP's CELPIP-General page also describes the test as one used for Australian Department of Home Affairs visas, as well as for Canadian permanent residence and professional designations.
Treat CELPIP's page as the test provider's summary. The decision about your application sits with Home Affairs, and each visa subclass page sets out which tests and scores it accepts. Before you book, open the page for your visa subclass on the Home Affairs website and confirm that CELPIP General meets its English requirement.
CELPIP scores for Australia: the levels CELPIP lists
CELPIP's test results page gives CELPIP levels for three Australian English categories: Competent, Proficient and Superior. CELPIP lists these equivalents:
| English category | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competent | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Proficient | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| Superior | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
A few points help when reading this table:
- Each component is checked on its own. Competent means CELPIP 7 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking. A high level in one component does not cover a lower one in another.
- The levels are uneven above Competent. Proficient asks for more in listening and writing than in reading and speaking, and Superior asks for CELPIP 12 in writing, the top of CELPIP's scale.
- The category comes from your visa. This table tells you which CELPIP levels CELPIP pairs with each category. It does not tell you which category your visa requires. That requirement is on your visa's page on the Home Affairs website.
If you want to know what each CELPIP level means in practice and how it compares with CLB and IELTS, see the CELPIP score chart.
Is CELPIP valid for Australia PR? How long results last
CELPIP's Australian PR English requirements page says CELPIP results are valid for two (2) years for Australian purposes. Your visa's own page is the final word on how recent your test must be, so confirm the period there before you lodge an application.
You may also see a five-year figure on CELPIP's test results page, where CELPIP keeps your score report available for five years. For a visa application, the period that counts is the one on your visa's page.
Canada uses its own rule. For Express Entry, IRCC requires results to be less than 2 years old both when you complete your profile and when you submit your permanent residence application. For more on how each authority counts the time, see how long CELPIP is valid.
CELPIP tests taken before 7 August 2025
The Home Affairs list of accepted tests applies to tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. If your CELPIP General test is older than that, check the Home Affairs English language page and your visa's page to see what applies to your result before relying on it.
Which CELPIP test to book for an Australian visa
CELPIP offers more than one test, so book the right one.
- CELPIP General is the test Home Affairs names. It covers all four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking) and is taken on a computer at a test centre. The full format is in our guide to what CELPIP is.
- CELPIP General LS covers listening and speaking only. CELPIP describes it as the test for Canadian citizenship. Home Affairs' list names CELPIP General.
Home Affairs also names CELPIP Online as not accepted; it is not listed on CELPIP's current site.
The four CELPIP General sections run in this order: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The whole test takes just under 3 hours (CELPIP lists about 2 hours 50 minutes).
CELPIP fee in Australia
CELPIP's Australian visas page lists the fee as AUD $355 plus applicable taxes. CELPIP's Canadian prices are in Canadian dollars, and CELPIP says international pricing varies, so treat the amount shown when you register as the final price. Our CELPIP test fee guide covers prices in Canada and the cancellation and transfer rules.
Results usually appear in your CELPIP Account within 2 to 4 business days after your test date (some CELPIP pages say 3 to 4), and the official score report is a PDF you download from your account.
How Australia's list differs from Canada's
CELPIP General is accepted in both countries, but the two lists are not the same. If you are weighing up both destinations, these differences matter.
| Point | Australia (Home Affairs) | Canada (IRCC, Express Entry) |
|---|---|---|
| CELPIP | CELPIP General, at a test centre, on or after 7 Aug 2025 | CELPIP-General |
| IELTS | IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training | IELTS General Training only |
| IELTS One Skill Retake | Listed as accepted with IELTS General Training | Not accepted |
| PTE | PTE Academic | PTE Core |
| Score requirement | Set on each visa page; CELPIP lists equivalents for Competent, Proficient and Superior | CLB levels per ability |
| Validity | 2 years per CELPIP's Australian page; confirm on the visa page | Less than 2 years old at profile and at PR application |
Sources: Home Affairs, IRCC language test page and IRCC language testing page.
For Canada, a CELPIP level equals the same CLB level, one to one. Our CELPIP and CLB for Express Entry guide covers the Canadian requirements in detail.
Using CELPIP for an Australian visa: step by step
- Find your visa's English requirement. Open your visa subclass page on the Home Affairs website and note which English category it asks for and any time limit on results.
- Match the category to CELPIP levels. Use the table above. Competent, for example, is CELPIP 7 in each component.
- Book CELPIP General at a test centre. CELPIP Online is not accepted, and Home Affairs names CELPIP General.
- Check your dates. Your test must be on or after 7 August 2025 to fall under the current list, and your result needs to be recent enough for your visa when you apply.
- Prepare for your weakest component. Since each component is checked separately, the one furthest below your target usually decides the outcome. You can practise under timed conditions with PrepAmigo mock tests to see where you stand before booking.
Frequently asked questions
Is CELPIP accepted in Australia for PR?
Yes. CELPIP says CELPIP General is accepted by the Department of Home Affairs for a number of visa streams, including permanent residency. Check your visa subclass page on the Home Affairs website to confirm the English requirement for your application.
Does Australia accept CELPIP Online?
No. Home Affairs lists CELPIP Online among the online tests it does not accept. You need CELPIP General taken at a secure test centre.
What CELPIP score equals Competent English for Australia?
CELPIP lists Competent English as CELPIP 7 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking. Your visa page tells you whether Competent is the level you need.
What CELPIP score do I need for Proficient or Superior English?
CELPIP lists Proficient as listening 9, reading 8, writing 10 and speaking 8, and Superior as listening 10, reading 10, writing 12 and speaking 10.
Is CELPIP valid for Australia PR for two years?
CELPIP's Australian page says results are valid for two years. Confirm the period on your visa's page on the Home Affairs website, since that page sets the rule for your application.
Can I use CELPIP for a 485 Temporary Graduate visa?
CELPIP's Australian page lists the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) among the visas it covers. Check the subclass 485 page on the Home Affairs website for the score you need.
Is PTE Core accepted in Australia?
No. The Home Affairs list includes PTE Academic, not PTE Core.
How much does CELPIP cost in Australia?
CELPIP lists the Australian fee as AUD 355 plus applicable taxes. The price shown at registration is the one you pay.
Sources and further reading
- Department of Home Affairs: English language, accepted tests for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the secure test centre condition and the online tests not accepted.
- CELPIP: Australia PR English requirements, acceptance for a number of visa streams including PR, the visa groups covered and the two-year validity statement.
- CELPIP: Australian visas, the AUD $355 plus applicable taxes fee.
- CELPIP: Test results, the Competent, Proficient and Superior equivalents, results timing and score report availability.
- CELPIP: CELPIP-General, uses of CELPIP-General including Australian visas.
- CELPIP: Test overview, computer-delivered format.
- IRCC: Language test equivalency charts for Express Entry, Canada's accepted tests, IELTS General Training only and the 2-year rule.
- IRCC: Language testing for Express Entry, IELTS One Skill Retake not accepted for Express Entry.