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What Is NAATI? Meaning, Full Form and the CCL Test

Updated 8 October 2026 · facts checked against NAATI and Home Affairs pages on 7 September 2026

Quick answer: NAATI is the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters, Australia's national standards and certifying authority for translators and interpreters. It is a public, not-for-profit company jointly owned by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments. For migrants, NAATI matters because it runs the Credentialed Community Language (CCL) test, which can add 5 points to a skilled migration application. The CCL test fee is $814.

If you arrived here because someone told you to "do NAATI" for your visa points, the test they mean is almost certainly the CCL. This guide explains what NAATI is first, then which of its tests applies to you. If the CCL is your test, you can practise a full CCL dialogue free and see how close you are before you pay to sit it.

The full form, and what NAATI actually is

NAATI stands for the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. NAATI's own description of itself is shorter: the national standards and certifying authority for translators and interpreters in Australia.

Three facts from NAATI's own pages explain its position:

Its stated mission is to set and maintain those standards and to enable an adequate supply of appropriately certified translating and interpreting professionals, responsive to the needs of Australia's culturally and linguistically diverse society. Its vision is "a connected community without language barriers".

The scale is large. NAATI says there are over 10,000 translators and interpreters holding more than 15,000 credentials in over 175 languages, including Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and signed languages.

What NAATI does

NAATI's own summary of its services covers four areas that matter to most people who search for it.

1. Certifies translators and interpreters. NAATI certification is the industry standard for working as a translator or interpreter in Australia. People who want to work in the profession apply and meet prerequisite and testing requirements.

2. Assesses skills for migration as a translator or interpreter. Translator and interpreter are on the Department of Home Affairs' skilled occupations list, and NAATI is the skills assessing authority for those occupations. Someone wanting a migration skills assessment for these occupations needs to gain a NAATI certification through testing.

3. Runs the Credentialed Community Language (CCL) test. This is the test most migrants mean. NAATI's words: aspiring migrants can gain points towards a skilled migration application, known as the CCL points, by proving their language abilities at a community level, either by holding a NAATI certification or by passing a CCL test.

4. Runs the Community Language Aide (CLA) test. A community language aide, or bilingual worker, uses a language other than English in the course of their work to assist customers or clients. The CLA test assesses simple, direct exchanges of information on familiar and routine matters.

NAATI also publishes the online directory of certified translators and interpreters, which is covered in our guide to finding a NAATI translator.

From accreditation to certification

You will still see the word "accreditation" in NAATI's name and on older websites. NAATI's FAQ explains why: NAATI's Certification System was implemented in 2018, and it replaced the former accreditation system, which had been in place from 1977.

That matters when you read older advice online. Pages written before 2018 describe accreditation levels that no longer exist. If a page tells you to get "NAATI accreditation" for migration points, it is describing the old system. Today the route for most migrants is the CCL test, and the route for professional translators and interpreters is a certification credential.

Certified credentials also have to be kept up. NAATI says all its credentials expire after the initial three years, and practitioners recertify by showing they are maintaining their skills through ongoing professional development. The CCL works differently, as a migration assessment rather than a professional credential; how long a CCL result lasts is in our results and validity guide.

NAATI's credentials in one table

NAATI's Certification System offers eight different credentials. They fall into two categories: Certification, which includes sitting a test, and Recognised Practising, where no test is available and NAATI assesses your work practice instead.

Credential What it is for
Certified Translator Complex but non-specialised written content. Currently the only certification available for translators
Recognised Practising Translator Languages with no test available; based on work practice, no test
Certified Provisional Interpreter Entry-level generalist interpreting, usually non-specialised community dialogue interpreting
Certified Interpreter Higher-level generalist interpreting; requires passing both the CPI and CI tests
Certified Specialist Health Interpreter High-level specialist interpreting in health
Certified Specialist Legal Interpreter High-level specialist interpreting in legal settings
Certified Conference Interpreter Conference interpreting, including booth work
Recognised Practising Interpreter Languages with no test available; based on work practice, no test

None of these is the CCL. The CCL and CLA are separate tests, and passing them does not make you a certified translator or interpreter. Fees for all of them are in our NAATI test types and fees guide.

Where the CCL fits

The CCL is the NAATI test you are most likely to need. NAATI describes it as an assessment of your ability to communicate at a community level between two languages, English and another language. The key facts:

NAATI is explicit that the CCL is not a professional certification. If you pass, you are not certified to work as an interpreter or a translator.

The test itself is two dialogues between an English speaker and a speaker of your other language, which you interpret in both directions. The beginner's guide to the CCL walks through the format, the pass mark and the booking process, and the 5 points guide explains exactly what the points table says.

Which NAATI test do you need?

How NAATI is used day to day

Everything you do with NAATI runs through myNAATI, its online account at my.naati.com.au: applications, booking test dates, results and reviews. Our myNAATI login guide covers signing in, resetting a password and booking a CCL date. NAATI's FAQ also answers a common question directly: there is no NAATI app at this stage.

For CCL candidates, the practical sequence is: create a myNAATI account, submit a CCL application, wait for it to be processed, then select a date and pay. Test dates are shown live and fill quickly, so it is worth checking where seats are before you log in. Our live NAATI CCL test dates table shows the next session with seats for every CCL language.

Preparing for the CCL

Knowing what NAATI is will not get you through the CCL. The test is marked on information transfer: what you leave out, add or change costs marks. Our 2,241 practice dialogues across 50 languages are written to the CCL specification, with segments of 35 words or fewer, and the AI marking shows segment by segment what you kept and what you lost. The score is our model's estimate, not a NAATI result. Your first full dialogue is marked free on the practice page, and the Australian terms list covers the community vocabulary that costs candidates marks.

Frequently asked questions

What is the full form of NAATI?

NAATI stands for the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. NAATI describes itself as the national standards and certifying authority for translators and interpreters in Australia.

Who owns NAATI?

NAATI is a public, not-for-profit company that is jointly owned by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments. It is the only organisation that issues credentials or certification to people who wish to work as translators and interpreters in Australia.

What is the NAATI test?

There is no single NAATI test. NAATI runs certification tests for translators and interpreters, the Credentialed Community Language (CCL) test that migrants take for points, and the Community Language Aide (CLA) test for bilingual staff. The right one depends on why you need it.

Is NAATI the same as the CCL test?

No. NAATI is the organisation. The CCL is one of its tests: an assessment of your ability to communicate at a community level between English and another language, generally taken by people applying for points-based skilled migration. It is not a professional certification.

How do I get the 5 points with NAATI?

NAATI says aspiring migrants can gain the Credentialed Community Language points either by holding a NAATI certification as a translator or interpreter, or by passing a CCL test with NAATI. Most people who are not working translators take the CCL test.

How many languages does NAATI cover?

NAATI says there are over 10,000 translators and interpreters holding more than 15,000 credentials in over 175 languages, including Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and signed languages. The CCL test itself is offered in 55 languages.

Sources

Facts checked against NAATI pages on 8 October 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.