CCL guides

NAATI CCL Online Test Setup and Equipment

Updated 7 September 2026 · facts checked against NAATI and Home Affairs pages on that date

Equipment is the one part of the CCL where a mistake costs the whole fee rather than a few marks. NAATI states plainly that it is your responsibility to make sure your equipment is suitable and will function for the entire test, and that failure to do so may result in your test being invalidated or cancelled with no refund. This page lists every requirement NAATI publishes, in the order you need to deal with them. While you are getting the room sorted, you can practise a full dialogue a day free at /practice with no account.

The whole list, in one place

NAATI publishes the same equipment specification on the CCL test page and in the candidate instructions:

• Laptop or computer with a working camera, in-built microphone and speakers, and a power cord or connector.
• No headsets, headphones or earphones during the test.
• Operating system: no minimum requirement, as long as the latest version of Google Chrome can be installed and run.
• Browser: the latest version of Google Chrome must be installed. You will be prompted to download and install the ProctorExam Google Chrome extension during your system check.
• Extensions: adblocker Chrome extensions must be disabled or removed for the duration of the test, as they can interfere with the test platform. The test platform requires the use of Google products, and you must be able to access and use these without interference.
• Personal device only. A work, university or library laptop or PC often encounters issues that block access to the platform.
• Phone or tablet in addition to the computer, with a working camera. Android 8+ and iOS 15.8+ smart devices. You will be prompted to download and install the ProctorExam app (34MB) during your system check.
• Internet: at least 10mbps download speed, 1.5mbps upload speed, latency (ping) of 25 milliseconds or less, and retransmission as low as possible.
• Not a public connection. A library, university or workplace internet connection can often block access to the testing platform due to firewalls.

NAATI also recommends connecting your devices to a power source for the duration of the test, and notes that small screens, such as laptop screens, may make it harder to see everything clearly.

The computer

Two details on the computer are easy to skim past.

The first is the microphone and speakers. Because headphones are banned, the dialogue audio plays out of your speakers and your interpreting is picked up by your microphone in the same room. That is a different acoustic situation from practising with earbuds, so rehearse exactly as you will sit.

The second is Chrome. There is no minimum operating system requirement, as long as the latest version of Google Chrome can be installed and run, but the browser and the ProctorExam extension are not optional. If your machine is too old to update Chrome, that is the constraint to solve.

The second camera

The phone or tablet is not a spare; it is a second camera with a job. NAATI's instructions say to set up your equipment using your computer or laptop to do the test and a phone or tablet as a second camera to record your equipment, and that this device must be positioned beside you so that NAATI can see you taking notes.

That tells you where to put it: off to one side, angled so the desk, your hands and your paper are visible. NAATI publishes an illustration of the expected view in the candidate instructions. The device needs a working camera and Android 8+ or iOS 15.8+, and runs the 34MB ProctorExam app you install during the system check.

The internet numbers

You can check your internet speed at speed.measurementlab.net. Test it in the room you will sit in, at roughly the time of day your session runs, on the connection you will actually use.

The ban on public internet is a separate rule from the speed. A campus connection may be fast and still useless, because the firewall blocks the platform, and the same logic sits behind the personal device rule. If you are sitting from outside Australia, the taking the CCL from overseas guide covers this.

The room: one screen, one person, nothing else on

The test is audio and video recorded, and NAATI's rules describe the environment it expects to see:

• Devices other than the ones being used to take the test, including mobile phones, headsets, laptops, tablets and smart devices such as smart watches, must be turned off and positioned in a different room.
• Only one screen is allowed at any given time. Second screens or monitors must be switched off and placed in another room.
• The desk should be clear of any unauthorised items.
• You must be in a location free of other people, and free from distractions and background noise. The test location is checked at the start of the test.
• Your face must be clearly visible at all times and virtual backgrounds are not permitted.
• Switch your mobile phone to silent.
• Have a glass of water, loose sheets of paper and pen, and your identity document ready.

You are not able to pause the test, leave the room or disconnect your cameras until your test is complete, due to security requirements. If you do, your test may be cancelled without a refund. On notes: you may take notes with pen and loose sheets of paper, you cannot bring existing notes, and no typing of notes or electronic resources (dictionaries, web browsing, live caption or transcription features) are permitted. The full rule set is in the rules, repeats, notes and pauses guide.

On identity, NAATI only accepts current passports (from any country) or Australian or New Zealand-issued ID documents, such as driver's licences or a proof of age card.

The system check, at least 48 hours out

This is the deadline people miss.

One week before your test day, you receive an email from ProctorExam with instructions on how to set up for your test. You must complete a system check, following the instructions in that email, at least 48 hours before your test. It must be completed using the same setup you will use on your test day: same computer, same phone, same location, same internet connection.

You receive the link for your actual test from ProctorExam only once you have completed your system check. No system check, no test link.

If the ProctorExam email has not arrived a week before your test, check your spam folder, then email onlinetesting@naati.com.au so NAATI can follow up. NAATI may take up to 2 business days to respond and operates between 9am and 5pm Australian Eastern Time, so do not leave this to the day before.

Test day, in order

1. Your test confirmation email tells you what time you can access the test until. NAATI recommends accessing the test at the start of the test session, as it may take up to 15 minutes to complete the test setup.
2. Set up in a quiet room, clear the desk, position the second camera beside you, and have water, pen, loose paper and your ID ready.
3. Click the test link in your email. Recording begins immediately, to capture what happens before and after the test as well as during it.
4. ProctorExam performs the pre-test administration and setup, including checking your identity and your surroundings. It may take up to 10-15 minutes, and NAATI states this will not affect your test time.
5. You sit the two dialogues. Live chat support from NAATI is available during your test, from the ProctorExam tab, for technical issues.
6. When you have uploaded all your responses, click "End Exam" on the ProctorExam tab to stop the recording.

NAATI retains the recording for a period of 3 months after the marking of your test is completed. Any test issues should be reported within 24 hours by email to onlinetesting@naati.com.au, and incidents reported after that will not be taken into consideration. A printable version of this sequence is in the test day checklist.

Hearing aids

If you use hearing aids, inform NAATI at least one week before your test date, sending pictures and the model number to onlinetesting@naati.com.au. Do it when you do your system check, given the two business day response time.

What a failure costs

There is no soft landing for an equipment problem. If the test cannot proceed due to a faulty device or slow internet, it will be cancelled, and failure to ensure your equipment is suitable may result in your test being invalidated or cancelled with no refund. Simulating technical issues is listed by NAATI as a form of cheating.

Set against an $814 fee, an hour spent on the system check in the exact conditions you will sit in is the best value hour in your preparation. The fees guide sets out what is and is not refundable.

Once the room is sorted, practise in it: same desk, speakers on, no headphones, a full dialogue. Ours is free once a day at /practice, written to NAATI's published specification with segments of 35 words or fewer, and the AI marking shows per segment what you retained, omitted or distorted. The score is our model's estimate, not a NAATI result. Australian terms are at /terms/, including Medicare and Centrelink; practice languages are at /languages.

Frequently asked questions

What equipment do I need for the NAATI CCL test?

A laptop or computer with a working camera, in-built microphone and speakers, plus a power cord; the latest version of Google Chrome; a phone or tablet with a working camera to act as a second camera; and an internet connection of at least 10mbps download and 1.5mbps upload. No headsets, headphones or earphones are allowed.

Can I wear headphones during the NAATI CCL test?

No. NAATI states that no headsets, headphones or earphones are allowed during the CCL test, and that this includes wired, wireless and Bluetooth. You must use a computer or laptop with working in-built or external speakers and microphone.

What phone or tablet works as the second camera?

A phone or tablet with a working camera running Android 8+ or iOS 15.8+. You will be prompted to download and install the ProctorExam app, which is 34MB, during your system check. The device is positioned beside you so that NAATI can see you taking notes.

What internet speed does the NAATI CCL test need?

At least 10mbps download speed, 1.5mbps upload speed, latency (ping) of 25 milliseconds or less, and retransmission as low as possible. NAATI suggests checking your speed at speed.measurementlab.net.

Can I sit the CCL test at work, at university or in a library?

No. NAATI states you must not use a public internet connection, because a library, university or workplace connection can often block access to the testing platform due to firewalls. Candidates must also use a personal device, since a work, university or library laptop often encounters issues that block access to the platform.

When do I have to do the ProctorExam system check?

At least 48 hours before your test, using the same setup you will use on test day: same computer, phone, location and internet connection. You receive the ProctorExam email with instructions one week before your test day, and you only receive the link for your actual test once the system check is complete.

How long does the test day setup take?

ProctorExam performs the pre-test administration and set-up, including checking your identity and your surroundings, and it may take up to 10-15 minutes. NAATI states this will not affect your test time, and recommends accessing the test at the start of the test session as setup may take up to 15 minutes.

What happens if my equipment fails during the test?

NAATI states it is your responsibility to make sure your equipment is suitable and will function for the entire test, and that failure to do so may result in your test being invalidated or cancelled with no refund. If the test cannot proceed due to a faulty device or slow internet, it will be cancelled.

Sources

• NAATI, CCL Test Candidate Instructions
• NAATI, Credentialed Community Language (CCL) Test
• NAATI, Fees 2026-2027

Facts checked against NAATI and Home Affairs pages on 7 September 2026.

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naaticcl.com is an independent practice site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NAATI. The AI score is this site's estimate, not a NAATI result.