04/06/2014
Melbourne, May 26, 2014: English language testing experts Cambridge Assessment English today commended the Federal Government for enabling greater competition in English language testing for visa applicants.
The Immigration and Border Protection Assistant Minister, Senator Michaelia Cash, has announced that the present restrictive regulations have been changed to allow more choice for visa applicants. The changes mean the Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test, which is already widely taken by student visa applicants, will be available to other visa applicants from early next year.
Cambridge Assessment English’s Regional Director, Ms Sujata Stead, said the Government’s changes were sensible and welcome. “Opening the English language testing regime to more competition and wider choice can be nothing but good for visa applicants,” Ms Stead said. “The CAE test has been used by student visa applicants since 2011 so its security and proof of high achievement have already been demonstrated in Australia. While the increased choice and competition that will come from the Federal Government’s changes will lead to greater efficiency, it is also likely to bring a wave of innovation from English language testers.”
At present, only IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and OET (Occupational English Test) are available to applicants for the vast majority of visa classes. In addition to IELTS and OET, since 2011 student visa applicants have had the option of taking Cambridge English: Advanced or two other English language tests. The Cambridge English: Advanced test for student visa applicants will be entirely unaffected by the changes and will continue to be accepted by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection for student visa applications. The department will accept test scores for Cambridge English: Advanced for all visa programs from early 2015, with the final implementation date to be confirmed. Scores from a Cambridge English: Advanced test taken before the 2015 implementation date will not be accepted by the department, except in the case of student visa applications where scores will continue to be accepted by the department.
Minimum required test scores for the Cambridge English: Advanced test will be published on the department's website (www.immi.gov.au) later this year. Cambridge Assessment English, which owns and develops Cambridge English: Advanced, is a not-for-profit department of the University of Cambridge.