How to pass the NAATI CCL test: 12 tips
NAATI marks the CCL test by deduction: each test starts with 90 marks, and marks come off for errors in accuracy, language and delivery. These tips focus on those three areas. For the format and pass mark, see the CCL test guide.
- Interpret everything. Leaving out information costs accuracy marks. Make sure every name, number, date, condition and reason in the segment is in your answer.
- Start within 5 seconds. NAATI says you must begin within 5 seconds of the chime, and long pauses may cost marks. Begin with the part you are sure of.
- Speak in the first person. Say "I have a pain in my back", not "he says that he has a pain". NAATI says indirect speech is not acceptable: it can cost marks, and a whole dialogue in indirect speech may invalidate your test.
- Do not add or explain. Interpret what was said, in the same tone. Adding information or your own explanations counts as an error.
- Use the right term. Learn the proper term for each topic in your language (for example the legal word for bail or the medical word for prescription). NAATI's language policy explains when English words are accepted in your language; where your language has a common word, use it.
- Keep the register. Match how formal the speaker is: a doctor, a lawyer and a council officer speak formally, and so should you.
- Use your free repeat wisely. One repeated segment per dialogue is free. Save it for a long segment full of numbers or names.
- Train your memory for details. NAATI suggests asking someone to read you short passages of about 20 to 40 words and reproducing them as accurately as you can in the other language, without taking notes.
- Train both directions. Each dialogue is about half English and half your language, so practise English into your language and your language into English equally.
- Correct yourself cleanly. You may correct a mistake: say something like "Sorry, I'll just say that part again" and give the correct version. Correcting yourself again and again may cost marks.
- Rehearse test conditions. Use your computer's speakers (NAATI allows no headphones), a quiet room and no text on screen. Sit full mock tests, not just single sentences.
- Study a little every day. Short daily sessions of spaced review are easier to keep up than weekend cramming. Add your test date and plan backwards from it.
Questions
How long should I prepare for CCL?
It depends on your level in both languages. NAATI says the test needs upper intermediate skills in both, equivalent to level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Build vocabulary daily, practise interpreting several times a week, and sit full mock tests in the last weeks.
Where do candidates lose marks?
NAATI deducts marks for three kinds of error: 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, formality and grammar) and quality of delivery (excessive pauses, hesitations or self-corrections).
Can I take notes in the CCL test?
Yes, on paper. NAATI's CCL candidate instructions say you may take notes with a pen and loose sheets of paper, but you cannot type notes or bring any existing notes. Read NAATI's candidate instructions for the full test rules.
Sources: NAATI, Credentialed Community Language test, NAATI, CCL candidate instructions and NAATI, CCL language policy (checked 13 October 2026).