No, AASW does not currently accept PTE Academic for its Migration & Eligibility Assessment. If you need to prove English through a test, the Australian Association of Social Workers currently accepts IELTS Academic, including an eligible IELTS One Skill Retake. PTE may still be useful later for an Australian visa, but it cannot replace AASW’s own English-language evidence for a social work skills assessment.
On This Page
- Does AASW Accept PTE for Social Work Skills Assessment?
- Current AASW English Requirement
- Can You Use Two IELTS Test Sittings?
- AASW Now Accepts IELTS One Skill Retake
- Be careful with older AASW pages
- How Long Are IELTS Results Valid for AASW?
- Can You Avoid IELTS Through an Education Exemption?
- What Evidence Is Needed for the Education Exemption?
- Why Doesn’t AASW Accept PTE?
- PTE Can Still Matter for Social Worker Migration
- What Else Does AASW Assess?
- Does an Australian Social Work Degree Automatically Remove the IELTS Requirement?
- AASW Is Reviewing Its English Language Policy
- What Should You Do If You Already Have a PTE Result?
- 1. If you qualify for the exemption
- If you do not qualify
- Final Thoughts
- Frequently Asked Questions
Does AASW Accept PTE for Social Work Skills Assessment?
The answer is no under the current AASW English Language Policy. AASW states that Academic IELTS is the accepted English proficiency test for migration and employment assessments. Its current policy does not list PTE Academic as an alternative. That is why searches such as AASW PTE accepted can be misleading. PTE is widely used for Australian migration, but AASW has its own professional English standard.
The distinction is simple:
- AASW assesses social work qualifications for migration and employment purposes.
- Home Affairs sets visa English requirements.
- A test accepted for a visa is not automatically accepted for the AASW assessment.
Current AASW English Requirement
If you use the test pathway, the standard target is IELTS Academic 7.0 in each of the four skills.
| IELTS Academic skill | Required score |
|---|---|
| Listening | 7.0 |
| Reading | 7.0 |
| Writing | 7.0 |
| Speaking | 7.0 |
AASW allows this to be achieved in one sitting or, under its current policy, across up to two qualifying sittings. This is the core AASW English requirement for applicants who do not qualify for an education-based exemption.
Can You Use Two IELTS Test Sittings?
Yes, AASW permits results from a maximum of two IELTS Academic sittings within six months, provided:
- you achieve 7.0 in every skill across the two sittings; and
- no individual component falls below 6.5 in either test.
For example:
Test 1
- Listening 7.5
- Reading 7.0
- Writing 6.5
- Speaking 7.0
Test 2
- Listening 6.5
- Reading 7.0
- Writing 7.0
- Speaking 7.5
This can satisfy the policy because Writing reaches 7.0 in the second test and no component drops below 6.5.
AASW Now Accepts IELTS One Skill Retake
This is a relatively recent change. From 20 May 2026, AASW started accepting IELTS One Skill Retake for qualifying applicants.
To use this route:
- The original test must be a full computer-delivered IELTS Academic test at an eligible centre;
- Three skills must already be at least 7.0;
- The weaker skill cannot be below 6.5;
- The retake must reach at least 7.0;
- The One Skill Retake needs to be finished within 60 days after the first test.
- The retake result must fall within the AASW timing rules for the assessment application.
This is useful for someone who misses only one band rather than needing another complete IELTS attempt.
Be careful with older AASW pages
Some older or less recently updated AASW pages still display wording saying One Skill Retake is not accepted. The current Migration & Eligibility Assessment page and current English policy state that it has been accepted since 20 May 2026. For a current application, use the latest policy page rather than an older cached FAQ.
How Long Are IELTS Results Valid for AASW?
AASW currently requires the relevant English test results to have been obtained within three years before submitting the qualification assessment application.
The timing is different for IELTS One Skill Retake. Where that pathway is used, AASW also says the One Skill Retake result must have been obtained within 12 months of the Migration & Eligibility Assessment application.
That means two dates can matter:
- the date of the original IELTS test; and
- the date of the One Skill Retake, if used.
Can You Avoid IELTS Through an Education Exemption?
Possibly, AASW allows an English-test exemption where the applicant meets both the secondary and tertiary education conditions.
You need to show that you:
- completed your secondary education, Years 7 to 12, in English; and
- completed at least three years of full-time tertiary study at bachelor level or higher in English.
The education must have been completed in one or more of these countries:
- Australia
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Republic of Ireland
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
- United States of America.
So having a degree taught in English by itself is not enough.
If your secondary schooling does not meet the country and language conditions, the exemption may not be available even if your university qualification was taught entirely in English.
What Evidence Is Needed for the Education Exemption?
AASW may ask for documents showing where and how your education was completed.
This can include:
- secondary school results
- a letter from the school or education authority
- tertiary academic results
- evidence that teaching and assessment were conducted in English
Where secondary records cannot be obtained, AASW may accept a statutory declaration in some circumstances. It can still request IELTS if it is not satisfied with the evidence.
Why Doesn’t AASW Accept PTE?
AASW sets its own English language policy for professional social work practice. Social work depends heavily on communication, interviewing, documentation, counselling, case work and interaction with vulnerable people. For that reason, AASW applies a high English standard to applicants seeking migration or employment recognition.
Its current policy uses Academic IELTS as the standardized test route. This does not mean PTE is an inferior English test. It means AASW has chosen a specific test framework for its own assessment purpose. If you are deciding between the two tests for other Australian purposes, PTEClasses has a separate PTE vs IELTS Australia guide.
PTE Can Still Matter for Social Worker Migration
A negative answer to does AASW accept PTE does not mean PTE has no place in a social worker’s migration plan. The AASW assessment and the visa stage are separate. Once you have a suitable skills assessment, Home Affairs applies the English rules relevant to the visa you are pursuing.
That can create a situation where someone uses:
- IELTS Academic for the AASW skills assessment; and
- PTE Academic later for visa English or migration points.
Whether that is worthwhile depends on the visa pathway and the English level you want to claim.
The PTEClasses PTE for Australia PR guide covers that visa-side question separately.
What Else Does AASW Assess?
English is only one part of the social work assessment.
For an international qualification, AASW also looks at whether:
- the qualification is specifically in social work;
- it is recognised as a professional social work qualification in the country of training;
- its learning outcomes are comparable with Australian accredited social work education; and
- the field education component includes at least 1,000 hours across at least two placements with contrasting practice areas, including direct practice.
A strong IELTS result will not fix a qualification or placement problem.
Likewise, a strong social work degree does not remove the English criterion unless the education exemption applies.
Does an Australian Social Work Degree Automatically Remove the IELTS Requirement?
Not automatically, AASW states that international graduates of accredited Australian social work programs still need to satisfy its English Language Policy for migration purposes.
That catches some graduates by surprise. University admission English and AASW professional English are different standards. A university may admit a student under one English threshold while AASW later applies another requirement for migration recognition.
AASW Is Reviewing Its English Language Policy
There is a current development worth watching. As of October 2026, AASW is reviewing its English Language Policy and is seeking stakeholder feedback. The consultation closes on 22 October 2026 at 11:59 pm AEDT.
That means the policy could change in the future. For now, however, the published rule remains that AASW accepts Academic IELTS and qualifying IELTS One Skill Retake, not PTE. This article should therefore be rechecked if AASW announces a revised policy after the consultation.
What Should You Do If You Already Have a PTE Result?
Do not discard it. It may still be useful for the visa stage. But for the AASW assessment itself, first check whether you qualify for the education exemption.
1. If you qualify for the exemption
You may not need IELTS.
If you do not qualify
You will need to plan around AASW’s Academic IELTS pathway. Trying to convert your PTE result into an IELTS equivalent will not solve the assessment requirement because AASW does not accept the conversion as evidence.
Final Thoughts
AASW does not accept PTE for assessing social work skills. People who need to take an English test must use IELTS Academic under the AASW English Language Policy.They need a score of 7.0 in Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.They can use two test results, and IELTS One Skill Retake has been accepted since May 2026.PTE might still help with an Australian visa later, but the AASW assessment and Home Affairs English requirements are separate steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find clear answers to common questions about this topic.
Does AASW accept IELTS General Training?
No, AASW only accepts IELTS Academic for its English test.
Can I take IELTS online for AASW?
No, AASW requires IELTS Academic to be taken at an official test center with supervision.Online IELTS is not accepted by AASW.
Is South Africa included in the AASW education exemption countries?
Yes. South Africa is one of the countries recognised under the current education-exemption pathway, provided the secondary and tertiary study conditions are met.
Can employment experience replace the English requirement?
No, Work experience does not substitute for the AASW English Language Policy. The English criterion must be met through the accepted evidence route.
Is the AASW English test requirement the same as the Australian visa requirement?
No, AASW explicitly notes that its professional English requirement can differ from Home Affairs migration requirements.
Does an AASW-accredited Australian degree guarantee a positive migration assessment?
No, Australian graduates still need to satisfy the applicable migration assessment criteria, including AASW’s English-language requirement.
