CCL guides

NAATI CCL Pass Mark: 63 out of 90, Explained

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

The CCL pass mark is two rules, not one, and candidates lose tests to the second rule every sitting. This page sets out the arithmetic, the four worked examples NAATI publishes, what examiners actually take marks off for, and where the 58 line sits. If you want to see how your interpreting holds up segment by segment, our free daily dialogue at /practice is AI-marked and needs no account.

The two conditions you have to meet

Each dialogue is worth 45 marks, for 90 marks in total. To pass the CCL test, you must achieve a score of 63 or more, and at least 29 marks in each dialogue.

Written as a rule: total ≥ 63 and dialogue 1 ≥ 29 and dialogue 2 ≥ 29.

You will receive either a pass (63 or over, including more than 29 marks per dialogue) or a fail (below 63, or less than 29 marks in one or both dialogues). There are no grades and no partial credentials. The result is binary.

The second condition is what makes the CCL unforgiving. A strong performance on a topic you know cannot rescue a collapse on a topic you do not. You cannot bank marks across dialogues past a point, because the floor applies separately to each one.

NAATI's own worked examples

NAATI publishes four examples of what a pass or fail result looks like and why.

The last two rows are the ones worth memorising. Clearing the floor in both dialogues is not enough on its own, and hitting the total is not enough on its own. The fourth example is a candidate who reached 63 and still failed.

Marks come off, they do not go on

NAATI assesses CCL tests using a mark deduction method. Each test begins with 90 marks, and marks are taken off if the candidate makes errors during their test. Each error will result in a different number of marks being taken off, depending on how much it impacts on the overall communication.

This changes how you should think about the test. You are not accumulating credit for good phrasing; you are protecting a starting balance. An elegant sentence earns nothing extra. A dropped detail costs, and it costs in proportion to how much damage it does to the message.

It also explains why two errors that look equally "wrong" on paper can cost very differently. Mispronouncing a word that the listener still understands is not the same as leaving out the date of an appointment or the amount of a bill. The measure is impact on communication.

What examiners deduct for

NAATI names three areas and asks candidates to pay particular attention to language quality, language register and excessive repeats.

Accuracy. How correct the information is, not removing or adding any information, and not more than one repeated segment per dialogue. Two failure modes sit here: omitting something the speaker said, and inserting something they did not. Both are accuracy errors even when the result sounds fluent.

Quality of language. Using good sentence structure, natural use of the language and pronunciation, the right level of formality, not making many grammatical errors. Register is called out separately by NAATI: matching the formality of the speaker when you transfer the meaning of what they say to the other person. A doctor's careful explanation and a tenant's frustrated complaint should not come out sounding like the same person.

Quality of delivery. No excessive pauses, hesitations or self-corrections. This is the area candidates underestimate, because it is not about knowing the language at all.

NAATI also directs candidates to its language policy to understand how examiners assess language use, including allowances for regional variation and for English words that are regularly and commonly used by LOTE speakers in Australia.

Time, pauses and the flow penalty

Candidates must begin interpreting within five seconds of the chime sound. Long pauses may result in marks being deducted, particularly if it results in the total test recording going for longer than 20 minutes.

NAATI is explicit about why: if you take long pauses or repeatedly correct your interpreting, this will distract from the flow of the "conversation" being assessed, and marks may be deducted by the examiners.

Self-correction is allowed but not free. If you realise you have made an error, you may correct yourself before continuing, and you should preface the correction with an explanation such as "Sorry, I'll just say that part again." One clean correction is a repair; a habit of circling back is a delivery problem.

The ceiling matters too. Your test performance must be less than 20 minutes, covering the dialogue recordings and your performance only, and NAATI may stop assessing your performance when the recording reaches 20 minutes if your test runs longer.

The repeat rule, in marks

You can repeat a segment by pressing "Finish attempt" then "Start" again, and the whole segment replays. You can only repeat one segment per dialogue without penalty. If you repeat more than one segment per dialogue, marks will be deducted from your score.

Note where NAATI files this: excessive repeats appear under accuracy, not under delivery. That is one free repeat per dialogue, two across the test. The rules on repeats, notes and pauses covers the mechanics.

The whole-test risk: indirect speech

Most deductions are local. One is not. Direct speech, speaking in the first person, is what NAATI expects; indirect or third-person style is not acceptable in interpreting. If you interpret a sentence or a segment in indirect speech, marks may be deducted. If you interpret the entire dialogue or dialogues in indirect speech, your test may be invalidated.

That is a different category of outcome from a low score, and it is entirely avoidable by habit. Say what the speaker said, as the speaker: "I need to see a specialist", not "she says she needs to see a specialist".

Who marks it

The CCL test is marked by trained, impartial examiners, who assess each candidate's ability to communicate in both tested languages. Marking happens after NAATI staff review your test session for adherence to NAATI's policies and note any technical issues. Results are sent by email, and NAATI issues individual results as they are finalised, which is why people who sat on the same day can receive results on different days. The timing is covered in the results and validity guide.

If you fail with 58 or more

The 58 line is worth knowing before results day. If you fail the test and receive a result that is 58 or higher, you can apply for a review of your results. A test review means a separate examiner marks your test again, and the marks from all examiners are taken into consideration to determine your final result.

If you are eligible, you apply from the "My Test Results" section of your myNAATI account within 30 days of receiving your results. The review fee is $187 per application. Below 58, review is not available and the path is to sit the test again at the full $814 fee; the fees guide has the full list.

Turning the marking scheme into practice

If marks only come off, then practice should be diagnostic rather than encouraging. The useful question after a dialogue is not "did that sound good" but "what did I drop, what did I add, and where did I stall".

That is the shape our marking takes. The free daily dialogue at /practice is written to NAATI's published specification, two speakers with segments of 35 words or fewer and around 300 words per dialogue, and the AI marking shows per segment what was retained, omitted or distorted. The score it gives is our model's estimate, not a NAATI result, and no practice result can be used to claim migration points. Where marks tend to leak is on Australian institutions with no clean equivalent, so work through /terms/ alongside the dialogues, starting with entries like Medicare, Centrelink and superannuation. Practice languages are listed at /languages.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass mark for the NAATI CCL test?

To pass the CCL test you must achieve a score of 63 or more out of 90, and at least 29 marks in each dialogue. Both conditions have to be met. A result below 63, or less than 29 marks in one or both dialogues, is a fail.

Can I pass the CCL with 63 marks?

Only if neither dialogue is below 29. NAATI publishes a fail example scoring 27 and 36 for a total of 63: the total is 63 or more, but one dialogue received less than 29 marks, so it is a fail.

How are CCL marks calculated?

NAATI assesses CCL tests using a mark deduction method. Each test begins with 90 marks and marks are taken off if the candidate makes errors. Each error results in a different number of marks being taken off, depending on how much it impacts the overall communication.

What do examiners deduct marks for?

Marks are deducted in three areas: accuracy (how correct the information is, not removing or adding information, and not more than one repeated segment per dialogue), quality of language (sentence structure, natural use of the language and pronunciation, level of formality, grammatical errors), and quality of delivery (no excessive pauses, hesitations or self-corrections).

Do long pauses cost marks in the CCL test?

Yes. Candidates must begin interpreting within five seconds of the chime sound, and long pauses may result in marks being deducted, particularly if it results in the total test recording going for longer than 20 minutes.

Who marks the NAATI CCL test?

The CCL test is marked by trained, impartial examiners who assess each candidate's ability to communicate in both tested languages. NAATI recommends reading its language policy to understand how examiners will assess your use of language.

What happens if I score 58?

58 is a fail, but it is the lowest score from which you can ask for a review. If you fail and receive a result that is 58 or higher, you can apply for a review of your results from your myNAATI account within 30 days of receiving them. A separate examiner marks your test again and the marks from all examiners are taken into consideration.

Sources

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

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

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