General English test criteria
It is important that all flight crew and air traffic controllers are competent in radiotelephony communications. This includes students studying within Australia to become a flight crew licence holder. From 5 September 2008, if students have not been schooled in English or been employed in a specified English speaking country, they must have their General English proficiency proven at a CASA required standard before they can apply for a Student Pilot Licence.
(Note - a proposal to delay the implementation of the general English test criteria from 5 September 2008 to 1 January 2009 is underway.)
These required standards are determined by a general English test. CASA has determined the minimum scores for several different English language tests from independent testing centres. Each testing centre has an independent scoring system that may not equate to another testing centres scoring system.
| Test | Minimum score |
|---|---|
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS) general training module (GTM) | Overall grade of 5.5 and no paper lower than 5 |
| Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) | 650 |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) internet based test | 71 |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) computer based exam | 197 |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) paper based | 530 |
Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)
The TOEIC Australia and New Zealand web site provides information and guidance on the TOEIC, including details on the test, public test centres and centres offering preparatory courses.