Skill assessment for secondary teaching in Australia: A complete guide

Secondary school teacher skill assessment is a formal check conducted by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) to assess any applicant, foreign-trained or anyone who studied in Australia, against the suitability criteria for registering as a teacher in Australia.

Note: AITSL skill assessment is only for migration purposes. For teaching in an Australian school, one must apply for separate state teacher registration. 

Education & qualifications required

• Applicant must have completed 4 years of full-time (or equivalent) higher education (university-level).

• An Initial Teacher Education (ITE) qualification equivalent to an Australian Undergraduate degree (AQF level 7) with a minimum of 1 year of full-time study specifically for secondary teaching education.

• Your degree must include a relevant secondary teaching subject for the Australian curriculum.

• A minimum of 45 days of supervised teaching practice with students aged 13 to 18 in a secondary teaching setting.

English language requirements

AITSL only accepts IELTS Academic as an English Proficiency test. The following are the minimum scores required in each component:

Note: AITSL accepts one skill retake if both tests are taken within a 6-month timeframe.

OR, 

You must complete 4 years of higher education (including an ITE qualification) in one or more English-speaking countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or USA. This can be achieved through one or more qualifications.

Documents required for secondary school teacher skill assessment

• Passport and Identity documents
• Educational certificates and academic certificates
• Supervised teaching evidence
• English language test report

Note: All documents must be in English.

Step 1. Check visa requirements: Confirm with the Australian Department of Home Affairs that your chosen visa requires a skills assessment.

Step 2. Meet criteria: Ensure you meet both qualification and English language test criteria. Read official guides to learn about skills assessment.

Step 3. Read official guides: Study the specific occupation checklist for secondary school teaching, the full application guide, and the applicant's portal user guide before you begin.

Step 4. Submit your application for assessment: Send your application through the online portal. Processing takes around 4 to 6 weeks.

Step 5. Skilled Employment Statement (SES) optional: After receiving a positive secondary school teacher skills assessment, you can request an optional SES, which summarizes your relevant employment for the visa points test.

Note: AITSL can only issue a partial refund of AUD 982 if the assessment of the application has not commenced. No refund will be issued if the application is under assessment.

• Submitting an IELTS score that doesn’t meet the requirements: If you submit an IELTS score that doesn’t meet the 7/8 standard, AITSL will assess you via the language test pathway, and you will fail the assessment.

• Not reading the official guidelines: You need to read the official guidelines and checklist, as you might miss key requirements for teaching skill assessment.

• Submitting low-quality or incomplete documents: Black-and-white scans, low-resolution or blurry pictures, or missing pages can cause delays or even rejection in teaching skill assessment.

• Submitting teaching practice evidence from an employer and not your university: AITSL only accepts official statements from the awarding university, not schools or employers for skill assessment.

If the application is in your favor

• Download your certificate of skill assessment.
• Check the validity of the certificate, which is 2 years from the issue date of the assessment.
• Lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) for skilled migration, which is required for secondary school teaching in Australia.
• Apply for state teacher registration; it is a separate process and certification that allows migrating secondary school teachers to teach in certain Australian states legally.

If the application is not in your favor

• Contact AITSL to clarify the reason why you were not found suitable.
• Request a formal appeal within 60 days from the outcome date. An independent reviewer will assess your original application and any additional information showing you met the criteria at the time of assessment.
• Submit a new application if you have new evidence or results obtained after the outcome of the secondary school teacher skill assessment. 

Search Education is a highly regarded and trusted education consultancy and migration agency based in Sydney, backed by a decade of experience. Our MARA-registered agents will help you prepare your documents, guide you through the application, and help you avoid costly mistakes, so you don't have to figure it all out alone.