Community Language Skills

 

To claim points for community language skills, there are three pathways that you can take:

  • Attempt a translator or interpreter accreditation test directly with NAATI
  • Pass the Credentialed Community Language Test (CCL Test)
  • Complete an approved course in Australia (generally only available for a limited range of languages)

 

NAATI is known for testing and certifying interpreters and translators, and is the standard authority in language testing. CCL Test is an assessment of your language abilities at a community level. Passing the CCL test is verified confirmation of your community language skills, in both English and another language. 

 

How to pass the NAATI or CCL test?

To pass the Credentialed Community Language (CCL) Test, candidates must show they are able to:

  1. Participate effectively in a situation where simple information is exchanged between two people; one person who speaks only English and another person who speaks only the test language. 
  2. Give the sense of what is said by each of the speakers and demonstrate accurate comprehension.  
  3. Convey this information in both English and the test language that can be understood by the test examiners using normal pronunciation, expression, register and style.* 

 

* Register or style means that you can demonstrate that you understand the context or setting. For example speech could be formal, informal, conversational, or casual. Register refers to vocabulary chosen in a particular situation, style includes variations of grammar.   

During your test, an audio recording is played to you by a test officer. The recording will include two dialogues. Each dialogue is based on a conversation between an English-speaker and a person speaking the Language Other Than English (known as the LOTE).   

The dialogues used will reflect real-life situations in Australian society. The topics may include:

  • health
  • legal
  • community
  • immigration and settlement
  • education
  • social services
  • finance
  • housing
  • business
  • employment
  • insurance or
  • consumer affairs

 

Types of errors including grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary and register lead to deduction of points. Each dialogue is marked out of a total of 45 points. In order to pass you need to score at least 29 points for each dialogue, and at least 63 out of 90 overall. NAATI will issue your results (via email) within 8-10 weeks of the test date.

 

Differences between NAATI test and CCL test

  1. Passing the CCL test does not allow you to work as an interpreter or translator, while obtaining a NAATI certificate means you are eligible to work as an interpreter or translator. Passing the CCL test can only help claim the 5 bonus points.
  2. You do not need to take ethical and Intercultural test for CCL test  as for NAATI test.
  3. price

There are a number of institutions providing NAATI and CCL training to increase your possibility of successfully passing the test. S&W partners with a list of them and we can give you suggestions on which courses and institutions you should choose and help you enrol in them. 

 

 

Professional Year

 

Professional Year (PY) is a program designed to enhance the employability of international graduates studying in Australia. Available in three disciplines: Engineering, Information & Communication Technology, and Accounting. PY program has a minimum duration of 44 weeks, which includes 30 weeks in-class training and 12 weeks internship placement. 

By the end of the PY program, students will:

  • be eligible to apply for additional 5 migration points in support of your Australian permanent residency application
  • understand the Australian employment market and workplace culture
  • learn how to communicate effectively and professionally in the workplace with colleagues, managers and customers
  • gain valuable work experience through an internship placement that exposes you to Australian work practices