Students can package their study and student visas with Townsville International English School (TIES) and TAFE Queensland VET courses. This pathway allows TIES students to gain a direct entry into courses offered at TAFE Queensland without the need to sit an external English exam like PTE or IELTS. Students will have to complete the minimum full-time course, for a duration for 11-12 weeks, on a continued period with a sustained attendance record of ≥80%. At the completion of the English course, students must receive a 'pass' or a higher grade in TIES internal examinations. Townsville International English School will then provide a letter of verification confirming that the student has demonstrated a certain level of English proficiency, which can be considered as equivalent to or higher than the minimum testing benchmarks used by TAFE Queensland. Please see the table below for benchmarks and course requirements.
| Academic IELTS score benchmark | Townsville International English School Course equivalent | Total course duration (minimum) | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum overall score of 5.0 with no individual band score of less than 5.0 | Successful completion of the following program: Pathway Program including General English at Upper-Intermediate level (CRICOS course code: 083114C) (8 weeks) + IELTS Preparation (4 weeks). | 20 hours a week for 12 weeks | $330/week + $350 Enrolment fee ($4310 in total for 12 weeks) |
| Minimum overall score of 5.5 with no individual band score of less than 5.0 | Successful completion of the following program including a 'Pass' or higher grade in: Pathway Program including General English at Upper-Intermediate level (CRICOS course code: 083114C) + IELTS Preparation | 20 hours a week for 11 weeks | $330/week + $350 Enrolment fee ($3980 in total for 11 weeks) |
| Minimum overall score of 6.0 with no individual band score of less than 5.5 | Successful completion of the following program including a 'Pass' or higher grade in: Pathway Program including General English at Advanced level (CRICOS course code: 083114C) + IELTS Preparation | 20 hours a week for 11 weeks | $330/week + $350 Enrolment fee ($3980 in total for 11 weeks) |
Please note: this ELICOS pathway does not cover direct entry into TAFE Queensland's HLT54121 Diploma of Nursing (109308H) program and TAFE's Higher education courses. Students will have to sit an external IELTS or PTE exam to satisfy the entry requirements for these courses.
Study Gap: the direct entry pathway is valid for three months from the date the student completes the ELICOS course at Townsville International English School. Students with more than a three month study gap since their course completion can submit evidence of continued study in Australia in an English medium. TAFE Queensland will review this on a case by case basis to satisfy the pathway requirements. Anything outside this perimeter will be at TAFE Queensland's discretion. Please refer to TAFE Queensland's website for updated information about TAFE courses and English language requirements.
Study Gap: the direct entry pathway is valid for three months from the date the student completes the ELICOS course at Townsville International English School. Students with more than a three month study gap since their course completion can submit evidence of continued study in Australia in an English medium. TAFE Queensland will review this on a case by case basis to satisfy the pathway requirements. Anything outside this perimeter will be at TAFE Queensland's discretion. Please refer to TAFE Queensland's website for updated information about TAFE courses and English language requirements.