How to Claim 5 bonus points from NAATI CCL test for Australian PR application?

What Is NAATI CCL?

The Credential Community Language (CCL) Test is a test conducted by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd (NAATI) for assessing your language skills and capabilities at the community level. 

In the NAATI CCL test, aspirants are examined on their ability to translate statements from English to any chosen ‘language other than English' (also known as LOTE) and vice-versa. Passing the CCL test is verified confirmation of your community language skills, in both English and another language.

Who Should Take The NAATI CCL Test?

If you are in the process of applying for an Australian Permanent Residency (PR), then you may be aware that every single point that you can claim, takes your closer to getting an invitation from the Australian Department of Home Affairs. As a part of a the points-based PR application, candidates who have passed NAATI CCL Test are able to claim five bonus points for Credential Community Language (CCL).

However, NAATI CCL cannot be used as a professional qualification. In other words, if you have passed the CCL test, you cannot get certified for working as a translator and interpreter.

How To Apply For NAATI CCL Test?

  1. Register to create a myNAATI account
  2. Upload the following documents for the verification process
    • A colour passport-sized photograph of yourself. 
    • A scan (in colour) of either your passport or Australian driver's license.
  3. You will get an email from NAATI after you’re done with the registration process.
  4. Upon receiving the email, you can select the location and date for the test by clicking on “Manage my tests” available in your myNAATI account.
  5. After you’re done with the selection of location and date, you are redirected to the Payment Gateway. The fees for test is $800 (including GST). You can pay by credit card r direct deposit.
  6. Once you’ve completed the payment process, you will be provided with the confirmed test date.

Format for the NAATI CCL Test

The test starts with a recording that is played which test taker needs to translate and interpret. The recording can consist of 2 dialogues of 300 words each. All these dialogues represent a conversation between the native speaker of Language Other Than English and a native speaker of the English language. 

Dialogues get divided into maximum segments of 35 words each. You can download some free NAATI practice material from the NAATI CCL website.

To pass the Credentialed Community Language (CCL) Test, candidates must show they are able to:

  1. Participate effectively in a situation where simple information is exchanged between two people; one person who speaks only English and another person who speaks only the test language. 
  2. Give the sense of what is said by each of the speakers and demonstrate accurate comprehension.  
  3. Convey this information in both English and the test language that can be understood by the test examiners using normal pronunciation, expression, vocabulary (formal, informal, conversational, or casual) and variations of grammar. 

Your responses are recorded. 

Marking

Each dialogue is marked out of a total of 45 points. In order to pass you need to score at least 29 points for each dialogue, and at least 63 out of 90 overall.

NAATI Test Results

Results for the NAATI CCL test are issued via email within 8-10 weeks of the test date. Once you’ve cleared the NAATI CCL test, you can claim your 5 bonus points by providing a copy of your official credentialing letter with your visa application.

Test results are valid for three years from the date of issue. After your test has expired, you cannot use it to claim CCL points.

Dates for NAATI CCL Test

The NAATI CCL test is usually in very high demand and test dates get filled up quickly. So make sure to register early for the test. Usually it may take several months (eg. 6-8) between submitting your application and sitting a test. If there is a high demand for a particular language then NAATI may open up more test sessions based on demand.

CCL Test will be conducted on following dates:

  • 20 JANUARY 2020.
  • 18-12 FEBRUARY 2020.
  • 08-12 APRIL 2020.
  • 17-21 JUNE 2020.
  • 21-22 AUGUST 2020.
  • 14-17 OCTOBER 2020.
  • 05 DECEMBER 2020.

Disclaimer: These exam dates are of indicative nature and the dates can change anytime. At any provided time, test slots may be fully booked. To know more about any recent changes in exam dates it is advised for users to sign in to your myNAATI account to view upcoming test dates.. 

What to expect on the test?

Passing the Credential Community Language test is possible when the candidates comply well with the following conditions:

They must efficiently participate in numerous situations where simple information gets exchanged between two parties; a person who is only able to speak in the English language and another who can only speak test language.

You must be able to present the sense of what has been said by both the speakers and also demonstrate comprehension between the two accurately.

You need to convey the information in both tests and the English language which can easily be understood by test examiners through the use of a general expression, style and register and pronunciation. 

By the style of the register, we mean that you’re able to demonstrate that you are easily able to grasp the overall setting or context. For example, all speeches here can be informal, formal, casual or conversational. The register can also be referred to vocabulary that has been selected in a particular style, situation, including different grammar variations. 

At the time of the CCL test, you are provided with audio recording by the testing authority officer. The recording has two different dialogues. All these dialogues are purely based on a conversation that takes place between a person speaking a language other than English (LOTE) and a person whose native language is English. 

All dialogues used in the test are reflecting real-life situations in Australian society. The list of topics includes:

  • Legal
  • Health
  • Settlement and immigration
  • Social services
  • Education
  • Housing
  • Finance
  • Business
  • Community
  • Consumer affairs
  • Employment 
  • Or Insurance

The test requires you to simply convey the sense of everything that the speaker of either language says (i.e. LOTE to English and English to LOTE). All your responses get recorded in the test. All dialogues consist of approximately 300 words, with around 50% of all the dialogues you get in English and other languages of the test. All these dialogues get divided into different 35-word segments of lesser. 

With a chime sound, you get to know when one short segment has ended. Before you provide a response in other languages, you must wait until you listen to chime sound. All your responses must start within the first 5 chime seconds. With each chime, the testing officer pauses the recording and lets you complete the entire response. Later on, the testing authority restarts recording and also plays another segment only upon finishing the previous one. 

From January 2020 candidates will be allotted with a maximum test of 20 minutes only. 

Conclusion

NAATI CCL is a great way to claim 5 bonus points for your Australian PR application. It is not as difficult as the IELTS or PTE test, however, you still need to prepare well to clear the test. If you need help preparing for the NAATI CCL test, contact our NAATI experts who will guide you step by step in preparing for the test.

Still need more info? Check the FAQ page of the official website of NAATI CCL

Atul Pandey

Atul has spent half his life migrating from one country to another. He moved from India to the US on a student visa to pursue his Master of Science from Penn State University. After spending a decade in the US, Atul migrated to Australia as a Permanent Resident. He is an entrepreneur and is the founder of Wisekangaroo.com. Atul is a Registered Migration Agent (MARN:2016128). Reach him via email: atul@wisekangaroo.com

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  1. October 26, 2020, 2:26 am
    1. December 8, 2020, 12:50 pm