Australian Early Childhood Skills Assessment (ACECQA): A Key Step for Skilled Migration and Career Development
When applying for Australian skilled migration or pursuing a career in early childhood education, passing the ACECQA (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority) skills assessment is a critical step.
Whether you’re a graduate of early childhood education or planning to transition into the early childhood sector, the ACECQA assessment directly determines your migration occupation code and visa pathway.
Newstars specialises in Australia and New Zealand education and migration, offering applicants expert guidance on early childhood skills assessment, document optimisation and migration pathway planning.
Free Assessment →What is the ACECQA Skills Assessment
ACECQA is the official Australian authority responsible for assessing whether overseas qualifications meet Australia’s early childhood education standards. The assessment is primarily used for skilled migration applications and corresponds to the following occupations:
Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher
The occupation code for Australian early childhood (0–5 years) teachers — the main assessment occupation for early childhood category visa applications under skilled migration.
Child Care Centre Manager
The childcare centre manager occupation, with ACECQA assessing how overseas qualifications match Australian early childhood education standards.
Passing the Assessment ≠ Teacher Registration
Passing the ACECQA assessment means your qualifications and practicum meet Australia’s early childhood education framework — but it doesn’t equate to teacher registration (registration requires a separate application to the relevant state education authority).
The Difference Between AITSL and ACECQA
When planning Australian teacher migration, many applicants encounter both AITSL and ACECQA. The differences are as follows:
| Comparison | ACECQA | AITSL |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment Occupation | Early Childhood (0–5 years) | Primary / Secondary Teachers |
| Corresponding Occupation | Early Childhood Teacher | Primary / Secondary Teacher |
| English Requirements | IELTS Academic 7/7/8/8, with exemption routes | Typically IELTS 7/7/8/8 required |
| Qualification Requirements | Primarily early childhood-focused coursework | Must include a formal pedagogy/education framework |
When planning your Australian teacher migration strategy, you’ll need to choose the right assessing authority based on your qualifications, course structure and career plans.
ACECQA Assessment Requirements
ACECQA assesses applicants across three dimensions — qualifications, practicum and English — and each must be checked off in detail; none can be missing.
1. Qualification Requirements
Bachelor’s degree or higher (Early Childhood Education or related major). The course must cover the following core modules:
- Child Development
- Pedagogy
- Curriculum Studies (Early Childhood)
If the proportion of early childhood content in your course is insufficient, your qualifications may be deemed not to meet ACECQA assessment standards.
2. Practicum Requirements
In-course early childhood practicum is a hard requirement of the assessment and must satisfy all three of the following:
- At least 45 days of supervised teaching practice
- Practicum must focus on children aged 0–5 years
- Must be formal in-course practicum (not work experience)
3. English Requirements
Evidence of English language proficiency is mandatory and can be demonstrated in any one of four ways — one of them is one year of full-time tertiary or higher education study in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States.
- IELTS Academic: 7.0 or above in reading and writing, 8.0 or above in speaking and listening, taken in the last three years
- One year of full-time tertiary or higher education study in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States removes the need for an IELTS result
ACECQA Early Childhood Skills Assessment Process
ACECQA’s published timeframe is 80 calendar days from an assessment-ready application, and ACECQA states that current volumes mean this is taking longer than usual.
Document Preparation
- Qualifications and academic transcripts
- Course descriptions (syllabi)
- Practicum evidence documents
Course descriptions are one of the most critical documents in the ACECQA assessment; missing or incomplete descriptions lead to a request for further information.
Submit ACECQA Application
- Submit your application online
- Upload documents and pay the application fee
Assessment Stage
- 80 calendar days from an assessment-ready application (ACECQA’s published timeframe; currently taking longer)
- You may receive a Request for Further Information
Receive Assessment Outcome
- Suitable (passed)
- Not Suitable (not passed)
ACECQA Assessment Cost Estimate
The overall budget for an ACECQA assessment typically falls between AUD 1,300 and AUD 2,000, depending on the complexity of your documents and translation requirements.
Cost Items (AUD)
Overall budget typically ranges between AUD 1,300 and AUD 2,000.
Common Reasons for Failure
Understanding the most common reasons for rejection helps you mitigate risks and strengthen your documents before applying.
1. Insufficient Course Alignment
An insufficient proportion of early childhood content in your course is the most common reason for rejection.
2. Practicum Doesn’t Meet Requirements
Examples: practicum is shorter than 45 days; not focused on 0–5 year-old children; unable to provide complete evidence.
3. Missing Course Descriptions
Without detailed syllabi, the assessing authority cannot evaluate what you actually studied.
4. Wrong Field of Study
Applying directly with a non-early-childhood major without any supplementary coursework to support the application.
Who Should Apply for the ACECQA Assessment
If any of the following describe you, the ACECQA early childhood skills assessment could be the key that opens the door to Australian skilled migration.
Who This Suits — Checklist
- Graduates of preschool or early childhood education programs
- Those looking to apply for Australian skilled migration through the early childhood occupation
- Applicants hoping to transition into the Early Childhood Teacher pathway
- Those planning to pursue state-nominated (Subclass 190/491) teacher occupations
Not sure whether you meet ACECQA or AITSL assessment requirements?
If you’re unsure whether you meet ACECQA or AITSL assessment requirements, we recommend a professional pre-assessment first. Newstars can provide you with:
- Early childhood skills assessment eligibility and document-risk review
- Document review and course-alignment optimisation
- One-on-one Australian migration strategy design
Get in touch now:
- Free assessment of my background
- Get an Australian migration strategy
- Enquire about early childhood skills assessment
FAQ | ACECQA Early Childhood Skills Assessment
What is the ACECQA skills assessment, and why do early childhood teachers need one?
ACECQA — the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority — is the approved assessing authority for the Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teacher occupation (ANZSCO 241111) under the Skilled Migration Program. A skills assessment determines whether your qualifications and skills meet the Australian standard for that occupation, and a successful assessment must be lodged with your visa application to the Department of Home Affairs.
Whether you need an assessment, and which type, is determined by the assessing authority listed against your occupation on the Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation list.
Wasn’t this assessment handled by AITSL? Which authority handles it now?
From 7 December 2024 the skilled migration assessment function for this occupation transferred from AITSL to ACECQA. Applications received by AITSL up to the end of 6 December 2024 were completed by AITSL; every application from 7 December 2024 onwards is assessed by ACECQA.
ACECQA sets its own assessment standards for the occupation, so AITSL’s primary and secondary teaching standards do not carry across.
What are the qualification requirements for an ACECQA assessment?
You need an ACECQA nationally approved early childhood teaching (ECT) qualification, or a qualification ACECQA has assessed as equivalent.
If your qualification is not on the approved list, ACECQA assesses it for equivalence as part of the same skills assessment application — there is no separate application and no additional fee. ACECQA’s online qualifications checker can help you check whether your qualification is already approved. Work experience cannot substitute for a formal qualification.
How many days of supervised professional experience are required, and does on-the-job experience count?
An early childhood teaching qualification must include 45 days of supervised professional experience, made up as follows:
- at least 10 days with children aged birth to under three years (0–35 months)
- typically at least 25 to 30 days in early childhood settings with children aged three until they start formal schooling
- the remaining balance may be completed with school-aged children
The placement must be a supervised and assessed component of your qualification — on-the-job or unsupervised work experience does not count. For the birth-to-three component only, ACECQA will consider alternative evidence: typically three to six months of relevant work experience, an ACECQA approved certificate III (or higher) early childhood qualification, or relevant non-award units.
What are the English language requirements — is IELTS compulsory?
Evidence of English language proficiency is mandatory, and can be demonstrated in any one of four ways:
- one year of full-time tertiary or higher education study (part-time equivalent accepted) in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States
- IELTS Academic taken in the last three years: 7.0 or above in reading and writing, and 8.0 or above in speaking and listening
- ISLPR teacher-focused assessment taken at an approved testing site in the last three years: Level 4 in all four skill areas
- a professional reference from an employer in one of the six countries above, considered case by case
Applicants who have completed at least one year of tertiary or higher education study in Australia may be able to rely on the first option. ACECQA reserves the right to ask for an IELTS Academic result where there is uncertainty about an applicant’s level of English.
Do I need to provide evidence of employment experience?
No. The assessment standards for the Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teacher occupation cover qualifications and English language proficiency only.
The Child Care Centre Manager and Child Care Worker (group leaders only) occupations — also assessed by ACECQA — do require evidence of relevant and current employment experience, including a formal employment contract, a position description and employer reference templates.
What does an ACECQA assessment cost, and how long does it take?
The skills assessment application fee is AUD 1,100 (incl. GST) and a review application is AUD 990; fees are indexed each 1 July, so check ACECQA's current published fees. Fees are not refunded if an application is unsuccessful, or if it is withdrawn after assessment has commenced.
ACECQA’s published timeframe is 80 calendar days from receipt of an assessment-ready application, and ACECQA states on its website that current application volumes mean this is taking longer than usual. ACECQA generally does not fast-track applications — exceptional circumstances may be considered, but fast-tracking is not guaranteed. Receipt of your application is confirmed by email within 10 business days.
Does a successful assessment mean I can teach in Australia?
No. A skills assessment is for migration purposes only and is valid for three years, after which you need to re-apply.
Working as an early childhood teacher in Australia also depends on the teacher registration or accreditation requirements of your state or territory: Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales all require it, while other jurisdictions depend on the type of setting.
A skills assessment outcome is not a visa outcome — visa decisions are made by the Department of Home Affairs on the merits of each application.
Start Your Australian Early Childhood Migration Journey Today
The ACECQA assessment is just the first step of skilled migration. The expert Newstars team provides an end-to-end service — from qualifications review through to state-nomination planning — so your early childhood migration journey is more efficient and more secure.
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