TOEFL for Australia: which test to book and the scores a visa needs

1. The short answer

• A TOEFL iBT counts for an Australian visa only if you chose "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when you registered. The Department of Home Affairs says results not registered under this pathway are not eligible for Australian visa purposes.
• It must be sat at an authorised test centre. The Home Edition is not accepted.
• Home Affairs sets a minimum for each section, on the 0 to 30 scale. There is no single total to aim for, except at the Functional English level.
• It is not the same sitting as the standard 2026 TOEFL iBT. Home Affairs reads its section scores out of 30, while the standard test has reported 1 to 6 bands since 21 January 2026.

2. The registration step that decides everything

On each of its English-level pages, Home Affairs puts the same sentence next to the TOEFL iBT: "To ensure your TOEFL iBT result is valid for Australian visa purposes, you must select 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' when registering for your test."

When you sign in to your ETS account and start a registration, the option appears as its own box, headed "Taking TOEFL for Australia?", with the line "If you plan to take the TOEFL test approved for Australian visa purposes" and its own register button. Use that button. If you register through the ordinary route, you will sit a real TOEFL, and Home Affairs will not count it.

ETS calls the result of that route the TOEFL iBT Australia test.

3. How TOEFL iBT Australia differs from the standard test

ETS's Australia page states the length and the test-centre rule but does not list the sections or question types. The clearest public statement we found is from New Zealand's qualifications authority, NZQA, which wrote on 21 April 2026 that "the current Australia test, which uses the old format and scoring system, can also be accepted". That fits what Home Affairs publishes: its minimums are section scores out of 30, the scale the test used before 2026.

What this means for your preparation. Our practice tests follow the TOEFL iBT format introduced on 21 January 2026. If your Australia sitting uses the earlier format, the tasks will not match one for one: the earlier format has longer reading passages, lectures and conversations, four speaking tasks and an integrated writing task. Check the format shown in your ETS account and in ETS's own Australia prep material before you choose what to practise with.

4. The scores Home Affairs asks for

For a TOEFL iBT taken on or after 7 August 2025, these are the minimums in each of the four test components:

Functional English is different: Home Affairs asks for a total score of at least 26, with no section minimums listed.

Which level you need depends on the visa. Home Affairs states the level on each visa's own page, and it is the only source that counts. Note how uneven the Superior row is: 30 out of 30 in Writing.

5. If you took the test on or before 6 August 2025

Home Affairs keeps a second table for older results. A test taken on or before 6 August 2025 may be used until 6 August 2028 inclusive, depending on the visa, against these minimums:

One gap to know about: TOEFL iBT tests taken from 26 July 2023 to 4 May 2024 were not approved for Australian visa purposes at all.

6. Cost and where to sit it

ETS's fee list shows US$293 for Australia (read 19 October 2026). The other ETS charges, such as rescheduling and extra score reports, are in our TOEFL fees guide.

The test is offered at authorised centres only. Seats and dates are shown in your ETS account once you pick the Australia route, and that list is the one to trust.

7. Universities are a separate question

ETS states that the TOEFL iBT Australia test is accepted by 100% of Australian universities. A university's minimum is its own decision and has nothing to do with the Home Affairs tables above, so you may need to meet two different sets of numbers: one for admission and one for the visa.

We keep the published TOEFL minimums for the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney, UNSW Sydney, Monash University, the University of Queensland, the Australian National University and Macquarie University.

8. Questions people actually ask

Is TOEFL accepted for an Australian visa?

Yes, with a condition. The Department of Home Affairs lists the TOEFL iBT among its approved English tests, and says that to ensure your result is valid for Australian visa purposes you must select 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' when registering for your test. Results not registered under this pathway are not eligible for Australian visa purposes.

Is the TOEFL Home Edition accepted for Australian visas?

No. Home Affairs names the TOEFL iBT Home Edition in its list of online tests it does not accept for visa purposes, and ETS says the TOEFL iBT Australia test must be taken at an authorised test centre.

What TOEFL score do I need for Competent English?

For a test taken on or after 7 August 2025, Home Affairs asks for at least 16 in Listening, 16 in Reading, 19 in Writing and 19 in Speaking, each on the 0 to 30 section scale. Every section has to meet its own minimum; a high total does not make up for one low section.

How long is the TOEFL iBT Australia test?

ETS says the TOEFL iBT Australia test takes approximately 2 hours to complete. The standard TOEFL iBT introduced on 21 January 2026 has about 90 minutes of scored sections.

Is TOEFL iBT Australia the old TOEFL format?

ETS's Australia page gives the length but does not list the sections. New Zealand's qualifications authority, NZQA, wrote on 21 April 2026 that the current Australia test uses the old format and scoring system. Confirm the format in your ETS account before you prepare.

Can I use a TOEFL I took before 7 August 2025?

Home Affairs says results from a test taken on or before 6 August 2025 may be used for visa purposes until 6 August 2028 inclusive, depending on the visa, with a separate table of minimum scores. TOEFL iBT tests taken from 26 July 2023 to 4 May 2024 were not approved for Australian visa purposes.

How much does the TOEFL cost in Australia?

ETS's fee list shows 293 US dollars for Australia when we read it on 19 October 2026. ETS changes its fees without notice, so check the price shown in your ETS account when you register.