485 Graduate Visa English Requirements: Do You Need to Retake PTE or IELTS?

For the subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa you need IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each band, or, for PTE Academic tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, 55 overall with at least Listening 40, Reading 42, Writing 41 and Speaking 39. The test must have been taken within the 12 months before you apply.

That last sentence is why so many graduates end up back in a test centre. The score you used for your student visa almost certainly won’t work.

Why most 485 applicants need a new test

Two rules create the problem.

The 12-month window. Your test must be taken in the year before you lodge the 485 application. Your student visa test was probably taken two, three or four years ago, before you started your course. It’s too old. Graduating from an Australian degree doesn’t change that.

The higher score. Since March 2024 the 485 has required IELTS 6.5 overall (it used to be 6.0), and the validity window was cut from three years to one. A lot of students entered Australia with IELTS 6.0 for their course. Even if the date were fine, the score wouldn’t be.

So the typical situation looks like this: you’re finishing your final semester, assignments are due, you’re job-hunting, and you now need a fresh English result at a higher level than you’ve needed before. It’s a lot at once. It’s also very doable if you start early.

485 English scores in one table

Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders have a lower IELTS requirement (6.0 overall with 5.0 in each band).

Because the test must be taken within 12 months of applying, any PTE result you use today will be from after 7 August 2025, so the new PTE scores are the ones that apply.

Always check the Temporary Graduate visa page on the Home Affairs website before you book. The Department changed 485 English rules in 2024 and again in 2025, and it doesn’t send reminders.

Who doesn’t need a test?

Citizens of the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland who hold a valid passport from one of those countries are exempt. For almost everyone else, including graduates from India, Nepal, China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Colombia, a test result is required.

Your Australian degree doesn’t exempt you. That surprises people every semester.

Will my current result work? Five common situations

The 12-month clock runs from the test date to the date you apply, not to the date you receive the visa. If your result is 11 months old, don’t wait for “the right time” to lodge.

PTE or IELTS for the 485?

Both are accepted. What matters is your profile.

PTE often suits recent graduates. You’ve spent years typing assignments and presenting in tutorials. The computer-based format feels familiar, and results usually come back within a few days, which helps when your student visa end date is approaching. The overall 55 is achievable for most people who’ve completed an Australian degree. The trap is the individual minimums: a Reading score of 41 fails the requirement even if your overall is 60.

IELTS suits you if you prefer handwriting or typing essays for a human examiner and like the face-to-face speaking interview. The 5.5 minimum in each band is usually fine for graduates. The 6.5 overall is where people get stuck, often because Writing lands at 6.0.

IELTS also offers One Skill Retake, which lets you resit a single band instead of the whole test. IELTS Australia says One Skill Retake results are accepted for all Australian visa subclasses. If your overall is 6.0 because Writing dragged it down, that can be a cheaper, faster fix.

One thing you can’t use: a fully online or at-home test. Home Affairs doesn’t accept them for visa purposes.

When should you take the test?

This is where timing really matters.

Take it too early and the result may expire before you lodge. Take it too late and you’re cramming for PTE in the same fortnight as your final exams, with your student visa about to end.

For most graduates, the sweet spot is the final semester of study, roughly three to six months before your course completion date. The result is fresh enough to stay within 12 months, and you have time for a retake if the first attempt falls short.

Also check the 485 timing rules for your own situation, including when you must apply after completing your course. Those rules sit on the Home Affairs page, and a registered migration agent can confirm them for you.

A 4-week retake plan for busy students

This plan assumes you already have decent academic English from your degree and need to hit the test format.

Week 1: diagnose. Sit a full PTE mock or an IELTS practice test under timed conditions. Our free PTE score predictor or IELTS band calculator will show where you stand. You’re looking for the one band closest to failing.

Week 2: target the weak band. For PTE, graduates most often lose marks in Reading (the fill-in-the-blanks tasks punish slow collocation knowledge) and in Speaking (hesitation in Describe Image and Retell Lecture). For IELTS, it’s usually Writing Task 2 structure. Spend 60% of your study time here.

Week 3: mocks, mocks, mocks. Two full timed mocks. Review every mistake. If you’re consistently scoring 5+ points above each PTE threshold, or 0.5 above in IELTS, you’re ready.

Week 4: sit the test. Book early. Sydney test dates around semester end fill fast because thousands of graduates are doing exactly the same thing. Our guide to booking the PTE test in Australia walks through it.

For a longer view on timelines, see how long it takes to prepare for PTE.

Think one step beyond the 485

The 485 is temporary. Most graduates use it to get skilled work experience and then apply for another visa: an employer-sponsored visa like the 482 Skills in Demand visa, or a points-tested visa like the 189, 190 or 491.

Those points-tested visas reward higher English with extra points: 10 for proficient and 20 for superior. If you’re already preparing for the 485, it’s worth asking how far you are from proficient English (IELTS 7 in each band). Our guide to English points for PR explains the numbers. Training once for the higher level can save you a second round of test prep a year later.

Frequently asked questions

What IELTS score do I need for the 485 visa?

You need IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Hong Kong and BNO passport holders need 6.0 overall with at least 5.0 in each band.

What PTE score do I need for the 485 visa?

For PTE Academic tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, you need an overall score of at least 55, with at least 40 in Listening, 42 in Reading, 41 in Writing and 39 in Speaking.

Can I use the English test from my student visa for the 485?

Usually not. The 485 requires a test taken within the 12 months before you apply, and it needs a higher score than most student visas.

Does my Australian degree exempt me from the 485 English test?

No. Only citizens of the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland who hold a valid passport from those countries are exempt.

Is IELTS One Skill Retake accepted for the 485?

Yes. IELTS Australia confirms that One Skill Retake results are accepted for all Australian visa subclasses.

Can I take IELTS or PTE online for the 485?

No. Home Affairs doesn’t accept English tests delivered completely online. You must sit the test at an approved test centre.

Retaking your test? Let’s make it the last time.

Boston Institute’s PTE and IELTS courses run at Level 1 & 2, 208 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD, a two-minute walk from Town Hall Station. New intakes start every Monday, classes run on weekdays and weekends, and our online portal gives you unlimited practice between shifts and assignments.

Book a free trial class and sit a mock test with a trainer. You’ll leave knowing exactly which band needs work. Prefer IELTS? See our IELTS course.