Are you aware that passing a Credentialed Community Language Test in a language other than English (LOTE) can get you 5 General Skilled Migration (GSM) points for Australian Immigration?
Yes!! CCL test is the most sought after by all the PR aspirants whether onshore/offshore as it directly adds five extra points to your overall skilled points which thus increases your chances of receiving an invitation.
This article will discuss:
CCL Test
The CCL Test is an assessment of a candidate’s language abilities. The National Accreditation Authority for Translators & Interpreters (NAATI) is the body that conducts (Online/offline) CCL Test in Australia.
Please note that passing a CCL test doesn’t give any certification to work as a translator/interpreter.
Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, all CCL tests are now being conducted online which means anyone from outside Australia can also appear for the exam.
Format
This test is to assess the candidate’s ability to communicate effectively in both languages.
It has two dialogues between a native English speaker and a LOTE (language other than English) speaker where each dialogue is of 300 words each and is further divided into different segments of 35 words each.
A recording is played where the candidate has to interpret and translate it which is recorded for the scoring part.
The dialogues are based on day-to-day conversations in an Australian Society and may include topics like Migration, Health services, employment, education, and financial services among others.
We suggest to choose the language that you are most comfortable with in your daily life.
The maximum time of the test is 20 minutes.
Example:
Most people in south Asian sub-continent countries India, Pakistan and Bangladesh speak various versions of Hindi and Urdu and may think that they know the language well.
This is not true as authentic Hindi might be difficult to understand if you have not practiced it.
In our day to day life, we normally use a twisted version of the language with a mix of English, Hindi, Urdu and other such words. So, it is important that you choose a language that you think you can understand pretty well for NAATI test to have a good chance of passing it comfortably.
Scoring
The total mark for this exam is 90 where each dialogue is marked out of 45.
You have to get a minimum of 29 marks in each dialogue and an overall score of a minimum of 63 in order to pass.
The result for the CCL Test will be given as:
- Pass: 63 or higher (marks out of 90)
- Marginal Fail: between 58 and 62.5 (marks out of 90)
- Clear Fail: less than 58 (marks out of 90)
The test results will be informed to the candidate within 8-10 weeks of the test date and will be valid for 3 years.
Free Practice Material
NAATI provides free practice material to help you understand the exam and get good score. You can download the material directly from NAATI website here under ‘Practice Materials’ section:
Fee & Test Dates
The fee for the CCL test is AUD $800.
- If you are not satisfied with the results, you can opt for a result with a payment of AUD $165 per application.
- A paid review of the CCL exam can only be done for those candidates whose initial marks are 58 or more than that.
The CCL test is available throughout the year from Monday to Friday.
However, due to the increased demand for the test, the slots become full well in advance. So one should book their test at least 3-4 months from the date they intend to write the exam. The test dates can be checked on the NAATI official site here.
Chance of Invite with NAATI 5 points
Your chances of selection in the Australia PR draw increase by 30% if you can get extra 5 points over and above other people in the same ANZSCO code.
Example:
If you are a software engineer or a tester with ANZSCO 261313 at 75 points, you will gain advantage over other in the same EOI pool waiting for an invite.
If you get extra 5 points using NAATI exam for your native language like Tamil, Telugu, Gujrati, Hindi, etc., your chances of invite in the next round will increase substantially.
FAQs
You can apply for NAATI CCL test online. NAATI has allowed it due to the global pandemic.
You do not need an agent to apply for NAATI test. The registration process is very simple and one can easily register for the exam.
Yes. All rescheduling of tests can be done one week before the exam.
If the test date is less than 7 days, you won’t be able to reschedule it.
For rescheduling, you will have to reject the first test and will need to select a fresh date.
No need to worry. This is completely normal because the test papers are allocated to different examiners at random and the results are published as and when received from the examiners.
Hence, some candidates receive the results earlier and some later. The official time frame of publishing results is 8-10 weeks.
We do not recommended taking NAATI test in a cyber café as there is a probability that the test might be canceled/restricted because of background noise or presence of other people in the same room.
Please check your spam/junk folder if you don’t have it in your primary inbox. If still not received, mail [email protected] regarding the same.
Yes, you can take notes during the exam using paper notebook and a pencil or a pen. You are not allowed to use any electronic devices like a mobile to take notes.
It is also recommended so as not to forget important events (date/time/numbers).
Make sure that you only write keywords in clear and legible handwriting so it is easier to read later.
You can change the NAATI test language if the test date is more than 7 days from the date of change. There is no fee to change and no penalty.
If the test date is within 7 days from the date of change, a 100% penalty (i.e. $800) will be applicable.
Language requests can be submitted to [email protected].
To change the language a second time, you should withdraw your application, submit a refund form (eligible refund is 75%) to [email protected] and then submit a new application.
ProctorExam
ProctorExam is nothing but a process to check your laptop and verify your own identity before the NAATI exam starts.
They also monitor your test environment during the exam so that there are no cheaters or spoofing to provide a level playing field for all test takers.
Here is an official video on what to expect from ProctorExam:
Open video in new Window
You do not need to worry as everything is handled automatically by ProctorExam team and the time consumed by ProctorExam team is not deducted from NAATI exam time.
Languages Available
As of today, the following languages are available for CCL testing around the world.
| Albanian | Korean |
| Arabic | Lao |
| Assyrian | Malay |
| Bangla | Mandarin |
| Bosnian | Nepali |
| Bulgarian | Pashto |
| Burmese | Persian |
| Cantonese | Polish |
| Croatian | Portuguese |
| Czech | Punjabi |
| Dari | Romanian |
| Dutch | Russian |
| Filipino | Serbian |
| Finnish | Sinhalese |
| French | Somali |
| German | Spanish |
| Greek | Swahili |
| Hazaragi | Tamil |
| Hindi | Thai |
| Hungarian | Tigrinya |
| Indonesian | Turkish |
| Japanese | Urdu |
| Khmer | Vietnamese |
| Gujrati | Malayalam |
