CCL test guide · checked 13 October 2026

The NAATI CCL test: format, marking, fees and results

The Credentialed Community Language (CCL) test checks that you can communicate at a community level between English and your language. Passing it can add 5 points to an Australian points-tested skilled visa application. Here is how it works, from booking to results.

CCL test format

Two dialogues of about 300 words each: recorded conversations between a native English speaker and a native speaker of your language, about half in each language.
Each dialogue is split into segments of 35 words or fewer. After each segment a chime sounds and you interpret it.
You interpret in both directions: English into your language, and your language into English.
Start interpreting within 5 seconds of the chime. Long pauses may cost marks.
Speak in the first person, as the speaker ("I have a pain"), never "he says that…". NAATI's candidate instructions say indirect speech is not acceptable.
Each dialogue is about a different real-life topic. NAATI's list includes business, consumer affairs, employment, health, immigration and settlement, legal, community, education, financial, housing, insurance and social services.

Marking and pass mark

Each dialogue is worth 45 marks, 90 in total. NAATI starts from 90 and deducts marks for errors, more or fewer depending on how much each error affects the communication: accuracy (information left out, added or incorrect, or more than one repeated segment per dialogue), quality of language (sentence structure, natural use of the language, pronunciation, the right level of formality and grammar) and quality of delivery (excessive pauses, hesitations or self-corrections). To pass you need 63 or more out of 90, and at least 29 in each dialogue. One repeated segment per dialogue is allowed without penalty.

Fees

CCL test: A$814
NAATI's assessed practice test (marked by NAATI examiners, with feedback): A$165
Review of results: A$187 (only if you fail with 58 or more; apply within 30 days of your results)

Fees as listed by NAATI on 13 October 2026; check NAATI's CCL page before you book.

Booking and test dates

You apply through your myNAATI account. Once NAATI approves your application, you choose a test date and pay the fee. NAATI runs each language at least 4 times a year (monthly for high-demand languages), and bookings close 1 week before the test date. Test times are in Australian Eastern Time (Sydney and Melbourne time). Rescheduling is free up to 8 days before the test, and if you cancel at least 1 hour before the start you can get 75% of the test fee back.

Results and validity

Results are sent by email within 4 to 6 weeks. NAATI's validity period is 5 years for credentials issued from 9 August 2022, and 3 years for results issued before that. If you are using it for migration points, check it is still valid when you are invited to apply (see CCL 5 points).

Equipment and the online test

The test is online only, supervised through the ProctorExam program. NAATI's equipment requirements:

A laptop or computer of your own (NAATI warns that work, university and library computers often cannot reach the platform) with a working camera, built-in microphone and speakers, a power cord, and the latest Google Chrome.
A separate phone or tablet with a working camera (Android 8+ or iOS 15.8+), used as a second camera.
No headsets, headphones or earphones.
Internet of at least 10 Mbps download and 1.5 Mbps upload, with a latency (ping) of 25 ms or less. Do not use a public internet connection, such as a library, university or workplace network.

Read the full requirements on NAATI's CCL page and in the candidate instructions. NAATI also has a free practice test of the platform (one dialogue) so you can see how it works.

Languages

NAATI lists 55 CCL languages. CCL Mate covers 15 of them: Nepali, Hindi, Mandarin, Punjabi, Urdu, Arabic, Vietnamese, Filipino, Bengali, Tamil, Sinhala, Persian, Gujarati, Telugu, Malayalam.

How to prepare

Learn the key words for each topic, practise interpreting out loud after a chime, and sit full mock tests in the CCL format. Start with our tips to pass CCL, the CCL vocabulary list and a free CCL mock test.

CCL test: questions

Is the CCL test online?

Yes. NAATI runs the CCL test online only, supervised by an online proctoring program (ProctorExam). You need your own laptop or computer with a working camera, built-in microphone and speakers and the latest Google Chrome, plus a separate phone or tablet (Android 8+ or iOS 15.8+) with a working camera. Your internet needs at least 10 Mbps download, 1.5 Mbps upload and a latency (ping) of 25 ms or less, and you must not use a public internet connection, such as a library, university or workplace network.

Can I use headphones in the CCL test?

No. NAATI allows no headsets, headphones or earphones, so practise with your computer's speakers in a quiet room.

What is the CCL pass mark?

63 out of 90 overall, and at least 29 out of 45 in each of the two dialogues.

How much does the CCL test cost?

NAATI lists the CCL test fee as A$814 (checked 13 October 2026). NAATI's assessed practice test, marked by NAATI examiners with feedback, is A$165.

How long do CCL results take?

NAATI says results are sent by email within 4 to 6 weeks.

How long is a CCL result valid?

NAATI's validity period is 5 years for credentials issued from 9 August 2022, and 3 years for results issued before that.

Is the CCL test hard?

NAATI says the test needs upper intermediate skills in both languages, equivalent to level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Marking is strict: marks come off for each error, and you need at least 29 in each dialogue as well as 63 overall. Regular practice and full mock tests help you find and fix your own errors.

Sources: NAATI, Credentialed Community Language test and NAATI, CCL candidate instructions (checked 13 October 2026). CCL Mate is not affiliated with NAATI; always confirm the current rules with NAATI.