Migration to Australia under a PR visa is an attraction to many international students. In the list of visas falling within this category, the visa subclass 189, 190, and 489 are some of the most favoured visas. Incidentally, these visas are point-based and require the applicant to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect. This application is judged by the Ministry of Immigration on the basis of points awarded by them.
The points depend on the age, skills and experience gathered and mentioned in the application. The EOIs to reach 65 points are invited to apply for the visa. Therefore, any credential which helps in the increase of the points is welcome assistance.
Why this interest in NAATI courses?
As said earlier, due to the point-based system of this visa, any credential that adds points to the chart of their PR visa is being pursued by the applicants. In 2018, the government boosted the minimum point for being eligible for application to 65. This step made the prospective applicants for these PR visas more inclined toward the NAATI Perth tests, because of its ease of inspection and the simplicity of the conversational approach. However, it must be kept in mind that qualifying in the NAATI course is not a certification test and it does not provide the applicant the permission to work as an interpreter. It is just a language proficiency course that adds 5 points to the point-list. The tests are nowadays applied for by almost 50% of the applicants of the PR visa.
What is this NAATI test?
To be correct, NAATI is not a test, it is the organization that provides the test. NAATI stands for National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters, the organizing concern of the CCL or the Credentialed Community Language test which provides an extra five points to the point-index of the international students. The NAATI interpreter test comprises of answering questions based on a recorded conversation between two persons, speaking English and another language other than English (LOTE).
The answers are evaluated and the points awarded. According to the working migration experts, interest is being observed more in the NAATI accredited course present in an institution that other courses, because of the easier format of inspection that other tests like IELTS, which are more academic in nature.
The test format
The NAATI CCL Test Format comprises of two tasks involving dialogues with interchanging sections of a conversation between an English speaker and a speaker of another language. The sections are essentially pre-recorded excerpts of a conversation. Each of these tasks is made up of approximately 300 words with each segment comprising 35 words. The test has to be completed within 30 minutes.
The process
A test supervisor will be provided by the testing authority who will be present during the entire test to manage the electronic equipment along with the management of the time of the test and any other unexpected matters. The supervisor will only be there to record the test for calculation purposes and will not participate in any dialogue regarding the task or your performance. As a candidate, you are required to follow the directions of the test supervisor for the total duration of the test, otherwise, you may be disqualified from the CCL test.
The examinees’ lookout
As an applicant, you will need to prove your skill in both languages in the given time. the assessment is evaluated on the basis of the ability of the applicant to understand and put down the statement said in the target language while keeping with the linguistic standards and conventions of both languages. So, enrolling yourself in a diploma in interpreting courses (CRICOS Course Code 095310M) can be an intelligent decision, in this regard.
It has been observed that several examinees are appearing without proper preparation. Although for these tests, you would not need an advanced diploma of translating, still knowing the curriculum and putting enough time to practice will be beneficial in this regard. According to an experienced NAATI accredited translator, mastering the basics of the test languages, and not overconfidence will be the ticket to crack the test.
Choosing the appropriate institution
Naati offers a huge list of languages for the examinees to give the test on. You can find languages like Albanian, Arabic, Assyrian, Bangla, Cantonese, Czech, Croatian, Dari, Punjabi, Urdu, and even Tamil. The topics of the test generally come from the daily-life in Australian society like Education, Social Services, Health, Legal, Business, Financial, Employment, Insurance, Immigration, housing, and many others. so, not only the knowledge of the language but being at par with the terms in either of them will give you the expertise of a NAATI interpreter and help you in scoring the required points. You can always enrol in translation courses Australia if you are unsure about your proficiency in your chosen language.