Overseas qualification competency
assessment application

If you are not eligible to submit an MRA application you may be eligible to submit an application for an Overseas Qualification Competency Assessment (OSQCA).

The OSQCA process assumes you have experience working as a speech pathologist. Applicants must demonstrate that they have worked for a minimum of 1000 hours in the past 5 years to be eligible to apply.

It is strongly suggested that you submit your application from your home country as it is easier to obtain further evidence to support your application if requested.

You should apply for OSQCA if:

• Your qualifications are comparable to those of speech pathologists trained in Australia.
• You have the ability to use English effectively in the Australian speech pathology context.
• You have practised as a speech pathologist for at least 1000 hours in the last five years.

All these conditions must be met for you to be assessed for Certified Practicing Membership of the Association.

Speech Pathology Australia is providing advance notice to overseas qualified applicants with regard to planned changes to assessment standards from 2024.

All potential applicants are advised to consult the website prior to preparing and submitting an application.

The Association will ensure that any changes to the assessment standards will not disadvantage applicants already in the process of being assessed.

Notice added February 2022

Phase 1 Eligibility

Education

Educational requirements

Your speech pathology qualifications must be comparable to those of speech pathologists trained in Australia. This comparison is made using the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The minimum qualification accepted in Australia is a Bachelor’s degree, which is classified as AQF 7.

Your qualification(s) must:

• be specific to speech pathology practice.
• include components of supervised clinical experiences.
• be comparable with the Australian Qualifications Framework definition of AQF 7.

Compare your qualifications with the AQF definitions prior to submitting your application to confirm that they are at least equivalent to the Australian minimum.

Recency of practice

The Overseas Qualification Competency Assessment process assumes you have experience working as a speech pathologist. Individuals must demonstrate that they have worked for a minimum of 1000 hours in the past 5 years to be eligible to apply.

It is strongly suggested that you submit your application from your home country as it is easier to obtain further evidence to support your application if requested.

English Language Testing + English Language Testing exemptions

Special Consideration

English Language requirements

Many languages other than English are used in Australia. Speech Pathology Australia is keen to increase the number of languages in which competent clinical practice is available, but this does not replace or remove the requirement for competent professional use of English.

Speech pathologists in Australia need to work with English as the vehicle of communication and as the focus of assessment and treatment. Therefore, evidence of competent professional use of English is required as part of the Overseas Qualification Competency Assessment process. This is demonstrated through the completion of the Occupational English Test (OET) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Occupational English test requirements (OET)

The OET provides a global evaluation of the applicant’s ability to use English in professionally relevant reading, writing, listening and speaking tasks. It also considers features such as naturalness and general effectiveness.

Speech Pathology Australia requires a “superior” English level with at least two subtest results in the Band 450 – 500 and two subtest results in the Band 400 - 500.

• You must achieve the OET requirements before submitting your application.
• OET results must be available through the OET website on the date of your application. The results must be no more than 2 years old at the date of submission.
• Test results to be accepted from one or maximum of two test sittings in a six month period only if the applicant is tested on all four components in the first sitting and one to four components in the second sitting. Therefore, applicants can undertake a partial resit on the second sitting
• Combined scores from two testing sittings within a six month period are accepted
• Your application will not be accepted if you have NOT achieved the required OET results.

To find out more click here.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Academic Test requirements

The IELTS is a globally recognised assessment that provides an evaluation of the applicant’s English skills across writing, reading, listening, and speaking.

Speech Pathology Australia requires a "superior" level of English. On the IELTS Academic Test, applicants must complete the test in-person and achieve:

• Two sub-band scores of 8.5 or above
• Two sub-band scores of 7.5 or above
• An overall score of 8.0 or higher.
• You must achieve the IELTS requirements before submitting your application. 
• Test results will be accepted if they were obtained within two years before the date you lodge your application. 
• IELTS results must be available through the IELTS website on the date of your application. 
• Test results must be achieved in one test sitting; or combined scores from two test sittings within a six-month period; or from an IELTS One Skill Retake test.

To find out more about IELTS, click here.

English Language testing Exemptions

Applicants are exempt from providing evidence of English language testing if they have an entry level Speech Pathology qualification conducted in English from a university in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America or the Republic of Ireland.

Application form

Click here

Application process

• You can apply up to 3 times for each phase within a 2-year period

Application Guide

Please submit all electronic submissions of your completed application, including supporting documentation and identity evidence by email.

Please ensure all supporting documentation is high quality, full colour scans, at 300dpi or greater. For official identity documents i.e. passport, and driver licence (or other photo identification), please submit a photograph, rather than a photocopy to ensure this is of adequate quality. Please ensure the entire document is visible in all photographs, including all edges. If there are any issues with the quality of the scanned or photo identity documents, you may be asked to re-submit them.

You can upload your documents into a Dropbox folder, we do not accept Google Drive folders.

Phase 2 Portfolio

Submitting an application: 

• Preparing your portfolio of evidence, click here

Application process:

• You can apply up to 3 times for each phase within a 2-year period.
• You cannot apply for this phase without having received a successful outcome for your Phase 1: Eligibility application. Once you receive a successful phase 1: eligibility outcome, you will be invited to apply for Phase 2: Portfolio. This will include a link to your folder to upload your portfolio submission.

Application form

Fees

All fees are in Australian dollars

Fee for migration skills assessment:

• Phase 1 Eligibility $230: submitted with the application form
• Phase 2 Portfolio $1250: Submitted alongside your application form and portfolio of evidence

You can apply for each Phase up to 3 times within a 2-year period. Each application submission will require its own fee.

Fee for withdrawing application: If a withdrawal is requested prior to the assessment commencing, a full refund will be considered, less an administration fee of $100 (Australian dollars).

Fee for review/appeal: The fee for lodging an appeal against Speech Pathology Australia's decision is 30% of the portfolio fee or $375 which must be paid at the time of submitting the written appeal.

Fee for replacement assessment advice: N/A

Payment options: You must pay the full application fee at each stage of the application process.

Refund policy: This fee is non-refundable.

Policy on fraudulent documents

All the documentation and evidence in your portfolio will be checked for fraudulent representation. Any evidence of this will result in refusal to process the documents and your application will not proceed further.

Review/appeal process

Speech Pathology Australia will only consider an appeal of an unsuccessful outcome under the following circumstances.

• The assessment procedures and processes as approved by Speech Pathology Australia have not been implemented or adhered to in the established manner or format.
• There is proven prejudice or bias exhibited by the Professional Recognition Panel or an individual Professional Recognition Assessor in the undertaking of the assessment.
• Significant new information or documentation becomes available after the assessment process which would add to or change the applicant’s claims and capacities to demonstrate competence in the practice of the profession.

The appeal process is not to be used by applicants as an alternative to the established assessment process. A review cannot reverse or change the decision of the Professional Recognition Panel, nor will it exempt an applicant from any component of the assessment process. The review can only request that the assessment process be repeated or that it not proceed.

An appeal will not be considered on the basis of:

• Disputing or questioning the standards set.
• Disputing or questioning the assessment process as established by Speech Pathology Australia.
• Contesting the nature and extent of the information and advice provided to the applicant.

The three examples provided for the rejection of an appeal are a non-exhaustive list of circumstances where the threshold requirement for an appeal is not met.

An appeal against Speech Pathology Australia’s decision must be made within 28 days of the date of receiving the letter stating that your application was unsuccessful.

You must lodge your appeal in writing, directed to the Chief Executive Officer of Speech Pathology Australia. The reason for the appeal must be clearly stated.

Please refer to the Overseas Qualifications Competency Assessment (OSQCA) Guide for Applicants for further information.