The Credentialed Community Language Test, known as the CCL Test, is an assessment of your language abilities at a community level.
NAATI is known for testing and certifying interpreters and translators, and is the standards authority in language testing. Passing the CCL test is verified confirmation of your community language skills, in both English and another language.
As part of certain points-based visa applications made to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, individuals who pass the NAATI Credentialled Community Language Test can claim Credentialed Community Language (CCL) points. These are sometimes referred to as the ‘five bonus points.
CCL Test Format
CCL candidates must be able to:
- participate effectively in exchanges where relatively simple information is exchanged without any great deviation from the norms of pronunciation, with reasonable accuracy, standard of expression, style and register; and
- give the sense of what is said by the speakers and demonstrate good quality language in both English and the LOTE.
CCL tests are conducted from a recording which is played to the candidate by a testing officer. The candidate’s responses are recorded for marking. The recording will include two dialogues. Each test dialogue is based on a conversation between an English speaker and a speaker of your LOTE (Language other than English).
The dialogues used within the test will reflect real-life domains which typically form part of daily life in Australian society. This may include health, legal, community, immigration/settlement, education, social services, financial, housing, business, employment, insurance or consumer affairs situations.
In the test, you are required to transfer the meaning of what is said by each speaker into the other language (i.e. English into LOTE and LOTE into English). Each dialogue is approximately 300 words, approximately half in English and half in LOTE. These are divided into segments that do not exceed 35 words each.
The candidate will be played the recorded test by the testing officer. A chime will indicate the end of each segment. Candidates should wait until they hear the chime before providing their response in the other language.
The testing officer will pause the test recording at each chime and allow the candidate to complete their response to the segment. The testing officer will restart the recording and play the next segment only when the candidate has finished.
The dialogues are designed to assess the candidate’s ability to serve as a channel of communication between two persons who do not speak the same language.
How Are Tests Marked?
At least two trained examiners mark CCL tests independently. The CCL test comprises two dialogues and each dialogue is marked by the examiner using a deductive marking system.
CCL test candidates will primarily be marked on their ability to accurately transfer meaning between English and the Language other than English (LOTE). Also considered are language quality (both LOTE and English) and language register (the level of formality with which you speak) where this affects the success of meaning transfer.
Examiners consider the types of error present in the candidate’s performance and the impact of those errors in determining the deductions they will make.
Errors affecting accuracy will be more heavily penalised. In particular, errors, like distortions, omissions and insertions, affecting the meaning at the sentence or dialogue level will receive larger deductions. It may only take two or three of these significant errors per dialogue for it to be assessed as a fail.
The opinion of each examiner is taken into account in determining whether the candidate is successful. In situations where the examiners disagree about the performance of the candidate additional examiners will be involved in determining the final result.
Each dialogue receives a mark out of 45. In order to pass a candidate needs to score at least 29 out of 45 for each dialogue and score at least 63 out of 90 overall.
When NAATI issues the result for the CCL test it will be based on the mark achieved:
- PASS: 63 or higher (out of 90)
- MARGINAL FAIL: between 55 and 62.5 (out of 90)
- CLEAR FAIL: less than 55 (out of 90)
HOW TO APPLY?
- Scanned copy of your passport (pdf format)
- Your passport size photo (JPG format) Doesn’t really have to be exactly passport type photo, any headshot where your face can be seen clearly
- $800 exam fee
Once you have access to myNAATI, you can then submit an application for Credentialled Community Language Test (CCL) using the same portal.
While filling up the application form, ensure that you select option 3 when asked why are you taking the test- to obtain credentialled community language points.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
- Register yourself on myNAATI portal
- Submit an application for CCL test
- Receive an approval email from NAATI to take CCL exam.
- Go into myNAATI portal and book your test
- Student can also reschedule test date or change test location via MyNAATI login*
Please note, you can only change date or location 35 days prior to the exam. Please refer to NAATI’s official website for more details on test booking and cancellation policies.