English language

A key requirement of registration is to ensure that you have the necessary English language skills to teach in a Western Australian school.

English language requirements for Full and Provisional Registration

For registration as a teacher in the categories of Full Registration or Provisional Registration (Graduate Teacher) or Provisional Registration (Returning Teacher), you must meet one of the following requirements:

Within the period of 2 years before applying for registration—

You have either:

  • undertaken the International English Language Testing System (Academic) test and achieved an average of level 7.5 or more across the 4 components of listening, speaking, reading and writing and no score below level 7 in any of those components and a score of level 8 or more in the components of speaking and listening.

Or

The teaching qualification(s) relied on to satisfy the teaching qualification requirement was completed in the English language in one or more of the following countries:

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

Or

In the opinion of the Board:

  • exceptional circumstances exist in relation to the applicant
  • the applicant's English language skills, both written and oral, are suitable for registration.

English Language Policy

English language requirement for Limited Registration 

To meet the English language requirements for Limited Registration, the nominee must meet one of the following requirements, providing evidence that they have, within the period of two years before applying for registration either:

  • undertaken an International English Language Testing System (Academic) test and achieved an average of level 7.5 or more across the 4 components of listening, speaking, reading and writing, no score below level 7 in any of those components and a score of level 8 or more in the components of speaking and listening.

Or

Undertaken all of the components of qualifications and skills that are relevant to the teaching position, in the English language in one or more of the following countries-

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

Or

If the teaching position is to teach, or to teach in, a language other than English the nominee has, within the period of two years before the application for registration is made, undertaken an Academic IELTS test above and has achieved a result that the Board is satisfied is sufficient for the nominee to adequately perform the duties of the teaching position.

Or

  • exceptional circumstances exist in relation to the nominee; and
  • the nominee's English language skills, both written and oral, are suitable for registration.

Or

If the teaching position is to teach, or to teach in, an Indigenous language, the nominee is an Aboriginal person or a Torres Strait Islander; and the applicant has informed the Board in writing that the applicant is satisfied that the nominee's English language skills are suitable for the teaching position.

Limited Registration English Language Policy

Exceptional circumstances for English language

The exceptional circumstances provision is intended for applicants with such a high level of English language proficiency that it would be unreasonable and unnecessary to require them to complete a formal English proficiency test.

This option is aimed primarily at native or near-native users of the English language, born and/or raised in a country where English is the first language, and who speak/use English as their first language on a daily basis.

The exceptional circumstances provision is intended to address the relatively rare circumstance where a native or near-native English language user has not completed their teacher education in one of the prescribed English-speaking countries1.

Exceptional circumstances will generally be considered to exist when it is abundantly clear that a person’s English language proficiency is at such a high level that to require a demonstration of their English language proficiency through a formal test of English would be unnecessary and unreasonable.

In most cases, applicants whose teacher education was completed outside of a prescribed country must demonstrate English language requirements by undertaking an IELTS (Academic) test.

It is important to note that the ‘exceptional circumstances’ avenue of meeting English language requirements does not lower the English language requirements for registration. It represents a high threshold and is intended to apply to those applicants who clearly demonstrate the requisite English language proficiency for registration as a teacher, without the need to undertake a formal test.

The Board will have regard to all factors and supporting evidence relevant to the question of an applicant’s English language. This may include, but is not limited to:

  • information relating to a person’s educational and employment history in an English-speaking environment;
  • references attesting to the applicant’s level of English language.

In the case of applications for Limited Registration, the Board will also consider the nature and context of the teaching position/s.

1These prescribed countries are Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada and the Republic of Ireland.