Many students have been asking me privately:

"If I only completed a 2-year secondary teaching course in an English-speaking country, do I have to take the IELTS and score 7788 to pass the AITSL assessment?"

"IELTS is too difficult. Are there other ways to meet the language requirement?"

What should secondary teaching graduates do if their study in an English-speaking country was less than 4 years? For those wanting to use the 'teacher registration pathway' to waive the IELTS 7788 requirement for the AITSL skills assessment, there are 2 routes that can help students obtain registration and successfully pass the skills assessment!

Pathway One: Take the ISLPR

The ISLPR is a professional language test in Australia, officially recognized by AITSL as proof of language proficiency for teachers.

The requirement for Secondary Teachers is to achieve Level 4 in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.

Advantages:

No need for IELTS.

Assessment focuses more on practical language use ability.

Applicable for teacher registration across all states.

Disadvantages:

Limited test availability; spots are competitive.

The process is professional but strict, requiring thorough preparation.

Many students report that the ISLPR is not significantly easier than IELTS and still presents considerable difficulty.

Pathway Two: Obtain Western Australian Teacher Registration (TRBWA) → Waive IELTS / ISLPR for Registration

This is the true hidden gem route!

As is well known, regulations can vary between Australian states. Currently, TRBWA (the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia) is the only state authority where just 1 year of study in an English-speaking country can be sufficient to obtain teacher registration. This means:

As long as you have completed an Australian secondary teaching qualification (even a one-year Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education), you can apply directly for TRBWA registration (you can apply remotely, even if you don't live in WA!).

So far, we have over ten successful cases using this pathway. These applicants have subsequently received invitations for 189/190 visas, with some already granted their 189 visa!

Key Benefits of this Pathway:

No need for IELTS 7788.

No need for ISLPR.

TRBWA registration can be used for mutual recognition/interstate teacher registration.

You can directly use the "Teacher Registration Pathway" for your AITSL skills assessment.

This is why everyone is choosing the Western Australian option. The advantages of TRBWA are:

More Flexible Language Requirements (can be waived based on completion of Australian Initial Teacher Education).

Recognizes a wide range of Australian Master of Education and Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education graduates.

Fast Processing Times (approximately 1 month).

Cross-state Application Possible (You don't need to live in WA!).

It saves significant time and effort, allowing applicants to focus their energy on finding relevant teaching work and preparing for other EOI points tests like PTE/CCL.

Who is this suitable for?

Those currently studying a Master of Teaching (Secondary).

Those planning to study a Master of Teaching (Secondary).

Those who want to pursue migration via the secondary teaching pathway but wish to avoid the high-difficulty language tests.

NEWPOINT
Conclusion

IELTS 7788 is not the only path for secondary teacher migration.

Both achieving ISLPR (Level 4) and obtaining Western Australian Teacher Registration (TRBWA) are fully recognized, conventional pathways by AITSL.

Particularly the TRBWA route has now become the most efficient, stable, and fastest solution for secondary teachers to complete their skills assessment without the stringent language tests.

If you want to know:
Can your undergraduate degree be matched to secondary teaching? Are you eligible for the WA teacher registration pathway? Which path is most suitable for you?