TOEFL iBT Score for Engineers Australia: Complete Guide

Engineers Australia accepts the TOEFL iBT as proof of English for its
Migration Skills Assessment.The required TOEFL iBT scores for Engineers
Australia are 16 in Listening, 16 in Reading, 19 in Writing, and 19 in
Speaking for tests taken from 7 August 2025 under the old scoring
system.

On This Page+

1. TOEFL iBT Score Required for Engineers Australia
2. TOEFL Score Changes From 7 August 2025
3. TOEFL iBT Scoring System From January 2026
4. How the new 1–6 score works
5. What happened to the old 0–120 score?
6. What TOEFL 1–6 Score Does Engineers Australia Accept?
7. What if your TOEFL result already uses the new scale?
8. TOEFL iBT Australia: Which Test Should You Book?
9. Applying for Engineers Australia only
10. Planning to use the result for an Australian visa
11. Does Engineers Australia Accept TOEFL Home Edition?
12. TOEFL Score Validity for Engineers Australia
13. Example: A result approaching two years old
14. How to Submit TOEFL Results to Engineers Australia
15. Can you submit TOEFL MyBest scores?
16. Engineers Australia English Test Exemptions
17. Australian study exemption
18. Passport exemption
19. TOEFL for Engineers Australia Skills Assessment vs Australian Visa
20. What about Western Australia?
21. TOEFL vs PTE for Engineers Australia
22. Preparing for TOEFL Without Targeting the Wrong Score
23. Before You Submit Your Skills Assessment
24. Final Thoughts
25. Frequently Asked Questions

However, TOEFL introduced a new 1–6 scoring scale on 21 January 2026.
Engineers Australia’s published guide still uses the older section
scores, so applicants taking the updated test need to confirm how their
results will be assessed.

TOEFL iBT Score Required for Engineers Australia

Engineers Australia accepts several English tests, including TOEFL
iBT, PTE Academic and IELTS. Applicants who use TOEFL must meet the
minimum scores for the relevant test date.

The official January 2026 Engineers Australia guide publishes these
TOEFL thresholds:

These scores are expressed on the traditional TOEFL section scale of
0–30. They are not confirmed replacement scores on the newer 1–6 scale.
The assessment uses individual skill minimums. A higher score in Reading
cannot make up for a result below the Writing requirement. The official
Engineers
Australia Migration Skills Assessment guide remains the main
reference for the published English requirements.

TOEFL Score Changes From 7 August 2025

Engineers Australia changed its accepted TOEFL minimums in August
2025.

The old and revised scores are shown below.

Listening increased by four points, Reading by three and Speaking by
one. Writing moved in the opposite direction, falling from 21 to 19. For
applicants holding a result from before August 2025, the earlier table
may still be relevant, subject to the applicable validity and
verification rules.

A new test taken in October 2025, for example, would fall under the
revised thresholds rather than the older ones. The more complicated
situation begins with tests taken in January 2026 and later, when ETS
changed the way TOEFL scores are reported.

TOEFL iBT Scoring System From January 2026

On January 21, 2026, ETS launched a new scoring system for the TOEFL
iBT. Instead of showing each skill with a score between 0 and 30, the
new reports use scores from 1 to 6, and they include half-point
marks.The test results show four section scores along with an overall
score.

How the new 1–6 score works

A candidate might receive the following results:

The overall band is based on the average of the four sections,
rounded to the nearest half band. ETS also links the newer score bands
to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR),
making them easier to compare with internationally recognised English
levels. The full explanation appears in the official ETS
TOEFL score guide.

What happened to the old 0–120 score?

During a two-year transition period beginning in January 2026, ETS
also provides a comparable overall result on the previous 0–120 scale.
That does not mean the old individual section scores continue to be
reported in exactly the same way. For an Engineers Australia
application, this matters because the assessing authority’s published
minimums are based on individual skills, not merely the overall
result.

What TOEFL 1–6 Score Does Engineers Australia Accept?

This is the most important unresolved question for applicants taking
TOEFL under the new scoring system. Engineers Australia continues to
publish its minimums using the traditional TOEFL section scores. Its
current publicly available guide does not provide a separately approved
1–6 table.

ETS has published comparison data that can help readers understand
the relationship between the two scoring systems. Using that comparison,
the former Engineers Australia minimums fall within these new-score
bands:

These are indicative ETS comparisons, not officially confirmed
Engineers Australia minimums.

A score band represents a range of older scores. It is not always an
exact one-to-one conversion. Consequently, an applicant should not
assume that obtaining these four bands automatically satisfies Engineers
Australia.

The official confirmation needs to come from Engineers Australia
itself.

What if your TOEFL result already uses the new scale?

You can still obtain your official score report through ETS. The
uncertainty concerns how Engineers Australia will assess the new section
bands against its published English requirement.

Before lodging, contact Engineers Australia through its official
Migration Skills Assessment support channel and ask whether your
specific post-21 January 2026 TOEFL result meets the current
requirement.

This is especially sensible if one of your bands sits close to the
indicative minimum.

TOEFL iBT Australia: Which Test Should You Book?

Applicants planning to use TOEFL for an Australian visa need to
select the correct registration option. From 21 January 2026, the
Department of Home Affairs requires applicants to choose TOEFL for
Australia when registering for a TOEFL test intended for Australian visa
purposes.

ETS also uses the name TOEFL iBT Australia in its information for
Australian applicants. Engineers Australia’s published skills-assessment
guide does not separately confirm that this particular registration
option is compulsory for its assessment alone. That leaves two different
situations.

Applying for Engineers Australia only

The requirement is to have an accepted TOELF iBT score from a secure
test center. If you are taking the newer version of the test only for
the skills assessment, you should check with Engineers Australia to see
if the Australia-specific registration option is needed.

Planning to use the result for an Australian visa

Choose the Australian TOEFL registration option. This is the
requirement published by Home Affairs for relevant new visa-purpose
TOEFL tests.

Someone living in Pakistan, India, the UAE or another country can
arrange an eligible test at an authorised location. The test does not
have to be taken in Australia simply because the eventual application
concerns Australia.

Does Engineers Australia Accept TOEFL Home Edition?

Engineers Australia requires English tests to be completed at a
secure test centre. TOEFL iBT Home Edition is remotely supervised and
taken from home, so it does not meet that published test-centre
condition.

Do not confuse a computer-based exam with a remotely delivered exam.
TOEFL iBT can be computer-based at an authorised test centre without
being the Home Edition. The booking location and delivery method matter
more than whether the questions appear on a computer screen.

TOEFL Score Validity for Engineers Australia

The TOEFL score validity for Engineers Australia involves two
different organisations. Engineers Australia generally allows English
tests taken within three years before the Migration Skills Assessment
application, provided the results remain valid and verifiable during
processing.

ETS, however, states that TOEFL scores are valid for two years and
cannot be reported or sent after that period. This creates a practical
difficulty for older results.

Example: A result approaching two years old

Suppose someone completed TOEFL in December 2024 and plans to apply
for a skills assessment in November 2026. The result is still within
Engineers Australia’s general three-year window, but it is approaching
ETS’s two-year reporting limit.

If the assessment requires provider verification after the result has
expired in ETS’s system, the applicant may face an evidence problem. The
safest approach is to resolve the verification question before lodging
rather than assume the three-year period guarantees acceptance.

How to Submit TOEFL Results to Engineers Australia

Engineers Australia asks people applying for the Migration Skills
Assessment to show they have good English skills, unless they are
exempt.The official guide says you need to upload your test scorecard
and give the test report or registration information.

If you took the TOEFL test, you must use the official result from
ETS, not a picture you took yourself or a calculation you did.

Make sure your name and other details on the test result match what
you put in your application, and that the result can still be
checked.

Can you submit TOEFL MyBest scores?

ETS offers MyBest scores, which are made by combining good results
from certain TOEFL tests. Engineers Australia hasn’t clearly said they
accept the MyBest reporting option.

That should not be confused with Engineers Australia’s separate
provision allowing multiple English test results to be considered on a
case-by-case basis when its conditions are met. If your application
depends on combined results, request confirmation before assuming the
MyBest score will be accepted.

Engineers Australia English Test Exemptions

Not everyone who applies for a Migration Skills Assessment has to
take TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS.Engineers Australia offers certain exemption
options.

Australian study exemption

Applicants may qualify for an exemption if they have successfully
completed two academic years of study, comprising at least 92 weeks, at
a CRICOS-registered Australian institution or program at AQF level 6 or
above. The qualification, duration and registration conditions all
matter. Completing a short course in Australia does not automatically
establish eligibility.

Passport exemption

Engineers Australia also generally exempts citizens holding valid
passports from the following countries:

• United Kingdom
• United States of America
• Canada
• New Zealand
• Republic of Ireland

An exemption does not prevent Engineers Australia from requesting
additional English evidence where necessary. Applicants who think they
qualify should check the applicable conditions before paying for a new
test.

TOEFL for Engineers Australia Skills Assessment vs Australian Visa

An Engineers Australia skills assessment and an Australian visa
application are separate decisions. Engineers Australia considers
whether you meet its migration skills-assessment requirements. Home
Affairs decides whether you meet the requirements for the visa you apply
for.

The same TOEFL result may be relevant to both processes, but each
authority applies its own evidence rules. For example, someone who
obtains a suitable engineering skills assessment may later seek a
points-tested skilled visa.

The visa process may require Competent English, or the applicant may
want to claim points for a higher English level. A positive skills
assessment does not automatically award those English points.

What about Western Australia?

An engineer interested in Perth or another part of Western Australia
may consider state-nominated migration pathways, subject to eligibility.
The Engineers Australia English requirement itself does not change
merely because the applicant intends to live in Western Australia.

Western Australian nomination criteria, occupation eligibility and
visa English rules are separate considerations. This distinction also
applies to engineers living elsewhere in Australia or applying from
overseas.

TOEFL vs PTE for Engineers Australia

Both TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic are accepted English tests for
Engineers Australia, but their score reporting is currently different.
PTE Academic continues to report results on its 10–90 scale. Engineers
Australia already publishes component thresholds using that same
format.

TOEFL’s new reporting system creates additional uncertainty until the
assessing authority confirms the corresponding 1–6 requirements. This
does not establish that PTE is easier than TOEFL. Difficulty depends on
the candidate’s English skills and familiarity with the test.

For somebody choosing a test now, the more useful comparison is
whether the official acceptance rules are clear, the preferred test is
available and the result can be used for any later visa application.
PTEClasses already explains the Pearson pathway in its PTE
score for Engineers Australia skills assessment article.

Preparing for TOEFL Without Targeting the Wrong Score

TOEFL preparation needs to match the version of the test you’re
taking.If you’re taking the updated 2026 version, older study materials
might not cover the new format or scoring system completely.

A sensible starting point is to become familiar with the current
Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking tasks using ETS material
designed for the updated test. Practice results can help identify weaker
skills, but they should not be treated as official proof of Engineers
Australia eligibility.

Until the 1–6 thresholds are formally confirmed, avoid setting your
entire preparation strategy around an unofficial conversion. If you are
considering PTE Academic instead, the PTEClasses PTE practice
questions are relevant to that separate test. They should not be
presented as TOEFL-specific preparation.

Before You Submit Your Skills Assessment

Before you apply, there are three important things to decide.First,
figure out if you need to take an English test or if you are exempt from
it.Second, find out which TOEFL score system is used for your test date.
Older results and new 1–6 reports can’t be checked using the same
numbers from past reports.

Lastly, make sure your result is official and meets the current
requirements set by Engineers Australia.

If you’re still unsure about the score system, ask the official
testing body for help instead of using a third-party table.

Final Thoughts

TOEFL iBT is still an accepted English language test for Engineers
Australia.However, a change in scoring that happened in January 2026 has
caused a difference between how ETS reports scores and the minimum
requirements published by Engineers Australia. People who get their
results under the new scoring system should not use an estimated ETS
score as a real passing score. It’s better to check if their application
will be accepted before they submit it, rather than focusing on a number
that Engineers Australia hasn’t officially confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find clear answers to common questions about this topic.

Can I use TOEFL iBT for a CDR-based assessment?+

Yes, the TOEFL iBT is one of the English language tests accepted by
Engineers Australia for the Migration Skills Assessment. A CDR is about
showing how engineering skills and competencies are demonstrated; it
does not mean there is a separate TOEFL test for that purpose.

Can I use a TOEFL result taken in another country?+

A test taken outside Australia may be usable if it satisfies the
applicable test-centre, scoring, validity and verification requirements.
Engineers Australia does not require every applicant to sit the exam in
Australia.

Does a Washington Accord qualification automatically remove the English requirement?+

No, Qualification accreditation and English evidence are assessed
separately. An exemption must meet Engineers Australia’s published
conditions.

Can I request a TOEFL score review?+

ETS offers a way to check your Speaking and Writing scores again if
you qualify, but only if you follow their rules and meet the time
limits. You can only ask for a review if your score report is ready and
hasn’t been shared with anyone else yet.

What if Engineers Australia asks for another English result?+

Follow the instructions issued for your application. If your existing
evidence cannot be verified or does not satisfy the applicable
requirement, you may need to provide further evidence or complete
another accepted test.