🇱🇰 Sri Lanka → 🇦🇺 TOEFL requirements · Australia · 2026
TOEFL for Australia from Sri Lanka (2026)
From Sri Lanka, funded study is the goal — and TOEFL is widely accepted for US and university places. Some scholarships specify IELTS, so check each. Here's the honest TOEFL picture for Australia on the new 1–6 scale.
Coming from Sri Lanka: funded study and which test the scholarship accepts
✓Named scholarships you may search: Chevening, Commonwealth, Australia Awards — most accept TOEFL or IELTS, but confirm each programme's accepted tests.
✓TOEFL is widely accepted for university admission; for any visa or PR step, check that route separately (TOEFL is not accepted for Canada PR or UK visas).
✓Recognition: UGC (University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka) — NOT Pakistan's HEC.
⚠️ TOEFL changed on 21 January 2026
TOEFL changed completely on 21 January 2026 — a new 1.0–6.0 band scale, adaptive Reading and Listening, new Speaking and Writing tasks, about 90 minutes, results in ~72 hours. Any prep from before January 2026 is obsolete. And during the 2026–2028 transition some universities still list old 0–120 requirements — check both.
How the new TOEFL score works
Your overall TOEFL score is now the AVERAGE of the four sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing), each scored 1.0–6.0 in half-band steps — not the old 0–120 sum. The scale is CEFR-aligned.
Band 6.0C2 (mastery)
Band 5.0–5.5C1 (advanced)
Band 4.0–4.5B2 (upper-intermediate) — common university target
Band 3.0–3.5B1 (intermediate)
The TOEFL score you need for Australia
On the new 1.0–6.0 scale, university programmes commonly target roughly 4.0–5.5 overall (B2–C1); the retiring 0–120 equivalent most institutions still list is about 80–100. Set per programme — confirm both during the transition. (Australian universities / Department of Home Affairs)
Study (university):Australian universities accept TOEFL for admission — set per programme.
⚠️ Visa (Home Affairs):Australian student and skilled visas still reference the OLD 0–120 TOEFL iBT scores (Home Affairs publishes section sub-scores on that scale — e.g. its Competent/Proficient English bands). Universities are adopting the new 1–6 scale first. Show both: confirm whether your visa route uses the old 0–120 figures.
TOEFL requirements change and vary by university, programme and visa route — always confirm the current figure with the official body before you rely on it. This page is honest guidance, not immigration advice.
TOEFL won't cover that route — here's what does
Where TOEFL isn't accepted (above), you'll need a different test. We sell honest practice for those too:
✓Built for the NEW (Jan 2026) TOEFL — the 1–6 band scale, adaptive Reading/Listening and the new Speaking and Writing tasks. Old-format prep is obsolete; ours isn't.
✓Honest guidance and AI-scored practice — no inflated band promises, and we send you to the official source for the live requirement.
✓Original practice material, written from scratch — never copied from ETS.
TOEFL for Australia — common questions
What TOEFL score do I need for Australia?
On the new 1.0–6.0 scale, university programmes commonly target roughly 4.0–5.5 overall (B2–C1); the retiring 0–120 equivalent most institutions still list is about 80–100. Set per programme — confirm both during the transition. (Australian universities / Department of Home Affairs). Many universities and visa authorities are still updating their thresholds during the 2026–2028 transition — confirm the current figure (and which scale, new 1–6 or old 0–120) on the official source before you rely on it.
Is the new TOEFL 1–6 score the same as the old 0–120?
No. Since 21 January 2026 the overall TOEFL score is the AVERAGE of the four sections on a 1.0–6.0 scale — not the old 0–120 sum. Both may appear on reports during the 2026–2028 transition; there is no exact one-to-one conversion, so check which scale your institution requires.
Can I use TOEFL for Australia?
Study (university): Australian universities accept TOEFL for admission — set per programme. Visa (Home Affairs): Australian student and skilled visas still reference the OLD 0–120 TOEFL iBT scores (Home Affairs publishes section sub-scores on that scale — e.g. its Competent/Proficient English bands). Universities are adopting the new 1–6 scale first. Show both: confirm whether your visa route uses the old 0–120 figures.
AlmiTOEFL — practice for the new format is launching
AI-scored practice built for the 21 Jan 2026 TOEFL is on the way. In the meantime, here's honest, sourced guidance — and our sister products if your route needs a different test.
Always confirm. TOEFL requirements change and vary by university, programme and visa route — always confirm the current figure with the official body before you rely on it. This page is honest guidance, not immigration advice.
