You can view the specific admission requirements for your course in our course catalogue.
If you would like specific detail about these requirements, please contact a TAFE International WA (TIWA) regional manager.
Academic requirements
If you have completed schooling to the equivalent of Australian Year 10 or 11, you will probably start your TAFE study at a Certificate III level.
If you have completed schooling to the equivalent of Australian Year 12, you may be able to start at a Certificate IV or Diploma level.
Each study area can have different academic requirements. For full details please refer to our course catalogue.
View list of equivalent levels by country
| Country | Year 10/11 equivalent | Year 12 equivalent | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Education Polimodal (General Education or Integrated technical education) / General or bachillerato school/technical and specialised school | Bachillerato/Tecnico de Nivel Medio/Bachillerato Especializado | N/A |
| Bangladesh | Secondary School Certificate – pass | Higher Secondary Certificate (minimum GPA 3.5 60% in HSC first division pass ) two subject passes at GCE A-Level |
|
| Bhutan | Bhutan Middle Secondary School Certificate | Bhutan Higher Secondary School Certificate or Middle Secondary School Certificate plus two-year relevant vocational diploma |
|
| Brazil | Certificado de Ensio Medio | Certificado de Ensio Medio from 2011 (Year 12 equivalent) ** Certificado de Ensio Medio plus one-year Diploma or Higher qualification (pre-2011) | N/A |
| Chile | Educacion Media | Educacion Media (Year 12 equivalent) Licencia de Educacion Media Tecnico-Profesional or Tecnico | N/A |
| China | Senior secondary school Year 1 (Year 10 equivalent) Senior secondary school Year 2 (Year 11 equivalent) | Senior Secondary Certificate (senior school Year 3) | N/A |
| Colombia | Bachillerato upper secondary schooling (Year 11 equivalent) | Bachillerato plus Curso Tecnico or one-year Diploma or higher qualification | N/A |
| Cuba | Secundari Basica/Basic Secondary (Completion of Year 11) | Diploma de Bachiller en Ciencias y Letras/Título de Bachiller (nivel medio superior de la Education General Politecnica Laboral) or Certificado de Fin de Estudios Secundarias/Técnico Medio/Maestro Primario, etc. (Certificado de Fin de Estudios Secundarias) | N/A |
| France | Upper secondary school certificate | Baccalaaureat | N/A |
| Germany | Realshule or Hauptschule | Gymnasium | N/A |
| Hong Kong | Secondary 4 or Secondary 5 or Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) | Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) or Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) | All courses:
|
| India | CBSE or CISCE 60% average across all academic subjects
| CBSE or CISCE 60% average across all academic subjects or State education boards 65% average across all academic subjects. TIWA assesses state education boards on a case-by-case basis. Some state education boards are not accepted. |
|
| Italy | Diploma di scuola secondaria di primo grado Diploma di Qualifica | Diploma di Scuola Superiore Diploma di Maturità | N/A |
| Indonesia | Secondary School: SMU 2 | Senior Secondary School Certificate of Completion (ijazah/STTB SMA/STTB SMK/STTB MA) | N/A |
| Japan | Completion of Kotogakko Year 1 Lower Secondary Leaving Certificate | Kotogakko Shomeisho / Upper Secondary School Certificate | N/A |
| Kenya | KCSE pass or four passes at GCE O-Level | KCSE C grade average or Two passes at A-Level or One A-Level pass and two AS-Level passes or IB Diploma | C grade in KCSE English |
| Malaysia | Four passes D grade or higher at SPM, O-Level or UEC Senior Middle 2 | Two passes at STPM or A-Level or Two Bs and Two Cs in UEC academic subjects | B grade in SPM 1119 English or C grade in SPM 1119 GCE-O English |
| Mauritius | Four passes at GCE O-Level | Two passes at A-Level or One pass at A-Level pass and two passes at AS-Level or IB Diploma | N/A |
| Myanmar | Matriculation/Basic education high school (BEHS) (completion of Year 10 or Year 11) 45% or higher or
| Matriculation/Basic Education High School (BEHS) plus minimum completed two years at professional college or secondary technical college or GCE A-Level (two subject passes) or A level (one A and two AS level passes) | N/A |
| Nepal | Higher Secondary Education Board Certificate Grade 12 with 60% average | Higher Secondary Education Board
|
|
| Nigeria | Pass grade in senior secondary school exams (WAEC/NECO)
| Five subject passes with C-grade average in senior secondary school exams (WAEC/NECO)
| N/A |
| Pakistan | HSS Intermediate Certificate 55% average across all academic subjects | HSS Intermediate Certificate D-grade minimum. 55% avg. across all academic subjects
|
|
| Peru | Secundaria / Education Secundaria (completion of Year 11) | Secundaria / Education Secundaria (completion of Year 11) plus a technical diploma or entrance to university | N/A |
| Philippines | Post 2016 – Certificate of High School Graduation/Year 10/11 High School Diploma | Post 2016 – Certificate of High School Graduation /Year 12 High School Diploma | N/A |
| Singapore | Four passes D grade or higher GCE O-Levels | GCE A-Levels (two subject passes) | N/A |
| South Africa | Year 10/11 pass in Senior Certificate or IEB
| Senior Certificate or two passes at A-Level or 1 A-Level pass and two AS-Level passes or IB Diploma or IEB leaving certificate
| N/A |
| South Korea | 10 or 11 years of school | General/Academic Senior High School Certificate/Diploma (Kodung Hakkyo Choreupchang) | N/A |
| Sri Lanka | Four passes GCE O- levels | Sri Lankan passes A-Level three passes or Cambridge A-Level two passes
| N/A |
| Taiwan | Senior high school (1st or 2nd Year) | Senior high school Diploma or senior vocational school Diploma | N/A |
| Thailand | Upper secondary school (Matayom 5/ Matayom 4) | Upper secondary school (Matayom 6 or Certificate in Vocational School) | N/A |
| United Kingdom | Four subject passes at GCE O-Level | Two subject passes at GCE A-Levels | N/A |
| Venezuela | Educacion Media (10 years of secondary schooling minimum) | Educacion Media – Academic or Tecnico (Medio) | N/A |
| Vietnam | Upper secondary schooling (Year 10 or 11 equivalent) | Diploma of General Education Vocational Education Graduation Diploma | N/A |
| Zambia | Four passes ZSC Year 12 or Four passes GCE O-Level | Five passes C grade minimum in ZSC Year 12 or or one A-Level pass and two AS-Level passes or Diploma in relevant area one-year minimum | N/A |
| Zimbabwe | Four passes GCE or ZGCE O-Level | Two passes at A-Level or one pass at A-Level and two passes at AS-Level or IB Diploma | N/A |
Please note that entrance may also be possible for mature aged students, without the grades listed above, based on appropriate work experience.
English language requirements
The basic level of English proficiency required for entry into most TAFE courses is the equivalent of Academic IELTS 6.0, with no band lower than 5.0. Some courses may require a higher level of English such as IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent). Should TIWA require confirmation of your current English level that cannot be demonstrated through other accepted means (eg other tests, certifications, or previous English/Schools studies that are sufficient), you may be eligible for a TIWA English Placement Test. Note that certificates are never shared with test-takers.
An IELTS test result is only valid for two years. If you need to improve your English, you can package an English course with your TAFE course.
View IELTS equivalent results
| English provider | IELTS (academic) 6.0 with no band score less than 5.0 |
|---|---|
| TOEFL | TOEFL 60 – no band lower than 15 (iBT) |
| Pearson | Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic – Minimum level 50 (no band lower than 42) |
| Password | Password score of 6.0 |
| Eiken | Eiken Grade 1 |
| English medium course | Successful completion of at least two years of study at an acceptable grade in an English medium course completed within the previous two years or
|
| International Baccalaureate | International Baccalaureate (IB) Minimum of 4 in English A1 or A2 |
| Cambridge English | Completion of the Cambridge C1 Advanced (formerly known as Cambridge Advanced English [CAE]) |
| English for Academic Purposes | Successful completion of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at pre-advanced level or equivalent at a recognised English college |
| Duolingo | Duolingo score 105–115 overall with no individual subscore less than 80 |
Folio requirements
For some courses, you need to submit a folio of your work to be assessed for course entry. You may also need to submit a folio when you want to continue into the related diploma or advanced diploma course.
View list of folio requirements and submission dates
CUA50920 Diploma of Photography and Digital Imaging [PDF 316 KB](PDF document - opens in a new tab) – folio submission for 2025 is due Monday 18 November 2024.
TIWA reserves the right to alter any admission requirement without prior notice.
Please note the Department of Home Affairs may require different or higher English levels for visa purposes. Please check the visa requirements for your passport nationality(opens in a new tab).