NAATI CCL Tips

NAATI CCL Pass Mark: How the 63 Out of 90 Rule Really Works

  • February 22, 2025
  • Com 9
Candidate checking his NAATI CCL pass mark result on a laptop at home

Ask ten CCL candidates what the NAATI CCL pass mark is and most will say “63”. They’re right, but that’s only half the rule. Every year people score 63 or more and still fail, because they missed the second condition.

This post explains the full NAATI CCL pass mark rule, how examiners take marks off, NAATI’s own pass and fail examples, and what to do if your result lands just short. All the rules come from NAATI’s CCL test page.

We’re an independent practice platform and not connected to NAATI, so treat NAATI’s pages as the final word.

naati ccl pass mark 1

The NAATI CCL pass mark in one sentence

To pass, you need 63 or more out of 90, and at least 29 out of 45 in each dialogue.

Both conditions have to be true. The test has two dialogues worth 45 marks each, so the total is 90. If either dialogue drops below 29, you fail, even with a total of 63 or higher. And if both dialogues clear 29 but the total is under 63, you also fail.

NAATI’s own pass and fail examples

NAATI publishes these four examples, and they make the NAATI CCL pass mark rule very clear:

Dialogue 1Dialogue 2TotalResultWhy
293564PassTotal is 63+ and both dialogues are 29+
453075PassTotal is 63+ and both dialogues are 29+
292958FailBoth dialogues are 29+, but the total is under 63
273663FailTotal is 63, but dialogue 1 is under 29

That last row is the painful one. A candidate hits the magic number and still fails, because one dialogue went badly.

How marks are taken off under the NAATI CCL pass mark rule

NAATI uses a deduction method. You don’t build up marks; you start with the full 90 and examiners take marks away for each error. How much comes off depends on how badly the error affects communication. Dropping “not” from “you should not take this with food” is far more serious than a slightly clumsy word choice.

NAATI names three areas where marks are lost:

  • Accuracy. Is the information correct? Have you left anything out or added anything? More than one repeat in a dialogue also falls here.
  • Quality of language. Good sentence structure, natural use of each language, clear pronunciation, the right level of formality and not too many grammar slips.
  • Quality of delivery. No excessive pauses, hesitations or self-corrections.

NAATI also asks candidates to pay particular attention to language quality, register (matching the speaker’s formality) and excessive repeats.

What a deduction looks like in practice

Here’s a segment in Urdu (the same idea applies in any language) and two English versions:

Urdu: میں نے پچھلے مہینے کرایہ دو ہفتے دیر سے دیا تھا، لیکن اب میں ہر جمعے کو وقت پر ادائیگی کر رہا ہوں۔
Version A: “I paid the rent two weeks late last month, but now I’m paying on time every Friday.”
Version B: “I paid the rent late, but now I pay on time.”

Version B sounds fine, but it drops “two weeks”, “last month” and “every Friday”. Each missing detail is an accuracy problem. Version A keeps everything, which is the habit you’re trying to build.

Try NAATI CCL Practice Test 1: GP Clinic & Emergency

Why the 29-per-dialogue rule matters so much

The second half of the NAATI CCL pass mark rule changes how you should prepare. You can’t rely on one strong topic to carry you.

Think about it in reverse. If you start with 45 in a dialogue, you can only afford to lose 16 marks before you’re below 29. Across the whole test you can lose 27 marks in total and still pass, but no more than 16 of them in either dialogue.

That has three practical effects:

  1. Prepare every topic area. The two dialogues come from different topics. If you’re great at health but weak on legal or housing vocabulary, a legal dialogue could sink you on its own.
  2. Save your repeat for when it counts. You get one free repeat per dialogue. Using it on segment two and then missing segment nine is a common way to lose marks.
  3. Reset between dialogues. Treat dialogue two as a fresh 45. Our NAATI CCL test format guide walks through what happens at that switch.

Building a safety margin above the NAATI CCL pass mark

Aiming for exactly 63 is risky. Nerves, an unfamiliar topic or one bad segment can easily cost you a few marks on the day. A better goal in practice is to sit comfortably above the NAATI CCL pass mark in both dialogues, so an off moment doesn’t decide your result.

Here’s a simple way to track that:

  1. Score each dialogue separately. Write down both numbers after every marked practice test, not just the total.
  2. Watch your weaker dialogue. Your lowest dialogue score is the one that decides whether you clear 29. Improve that one first.
  3. Tag every error. Mark each mistake as accuracy, language or delivery. After three tests, you’ll see which category costs you most.
  4. Retest the weak topic. If housing dialogues keep scoring lowest, do two more housing dialogues before anything else.

Tracking scores this way means you stop guessing whether you’re ready. The numbers tell you.

Try NAATI CCL Practice Test 5: Visa & Licence Centre

NAATI CCL results: when they arrive and what they say

Once your test is marked, NAATI checks your scores against the NAATI CCL pass mark and emails you the outcome.

Results come by email from noreply@naati.com.au, usually within four to six weeks. NAATI releases results as they’re finalised, so two friends who sat on the same day may hear on different days. Don’t panic if a friend hears first.

Your result is either a pass or a fail. If you pass, you receive the Credentialed Community Language credential letter. Credentials issued from 9 August 2022 are valid for five years.

Applying for a review if you’re just under the NAATI CCL pass mark

If you fail with a score of 58 or higher, you can apply for a review. A different examiner marks your test again, and the marks from all examiners are considered for your final result.

  • Apply through the My Test Results section of your myNAATI account.
  • You have 30 days from receiving your result.
  • NAATI lists the review fee as $187 AUD at the time of writing.

A review isn’t guaranteed to change your result, so weigh the fee against the cost of re-sitting. NAATI lists the test fee itself as $814 AUD at the time of writing.

Try NAATI CCL Practice Test 9: Faulty Phone & Student Services

Is the NAATI CCL pass mark hard to reach?

Honestly, reaching the NAATI CCL pass mark depends on your habits more than your fluency. We couldn’t find an official pass rate published by NAATI, so be wary of anyone quoting one as fact.

What we can say is where marks usually go. Fluent speakers rarely fail because they don’t know the language. They lose marks because they:

  • summarise instead of interpreting every detail
  • switch to “he says…” instead of speaking in the first person, which NAATI’s candidate instructions say can cost marks
  • fumble numbers, dates and money
  • pause for too long hunting for the perfect word
  • use the wrong register, such as تم instead of آپ with a doctor or officer

Every one of those is fixable with practice. For Urdu-specific slips, like Hindi-heavy vocabulary and number traps, see our NAATI CCL Urdu guide. For memory and delivery habits, read How to Score Higher in the NAATI CCL Test.

Practise against the real NAATI CCL pass mark

The quickest way to know if you’re ready is to be marked the same way. NAATI offers a paid assessed practice test ($165 at the time of writing) marked by its examiners, with results in four to six weeks. It uses the same 63-and-29 rule. A practice pass doesn’t earn migration points, though.

Our practice tests use the same rule too. You sit two timed dialogues, your answers are recorded, and a human marker scores each dialogue out of 45 against the NAATI CCL pass mark. You get written feedback in about three days, so you can fix problems while your test date is still weeks away.

Credits are $35 for one test, $140 for five and $227.50 for ten (AUD) on the CCL credits page. Our terms and conditions explain how marking and credits work. You can also read more about us.

Try NAATI CCL Practice Test 10: Counselling & Council

NAATI CCL pass mark FAQ

Is the NAATI CCL pass mark the same for every language?

Yes. Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and every other CCL language use the same 63 out of 90 total, with at least 29 in each dialogue.

Can I pass with 63 exactly?

Yes, as long as both dialogues are 29 or higher. A split of 29 and 34 passes. A split of 27 and 36 doesn’t.

Does a repeat automatically lose marks?

No. One repeat per dialogue is free. A second repeat in the same dialogue is where deductions start.

Do practice test scores count?

No. Neither NAATI’s practice tests nor ours count towards migration points. Only the real CCL test, or NAATI certification, does.

Can I see where I lost marks in the real test?

Your NAATI result gives your scores. If you want detailed feedback on your errors before the real thing, that’s what marked practice tests are for.

Find out where your marks are going

A marked practice test turns the NAATI CCL pass mark from a number you worry about into a target you can measure. Sit one this week, and you’ll know exactly how far you are from 63.

Take a marked NAATI CCL practice test
NAATI CCL Test Format: What Happens From Login to Last Segment
NAATI CCL 5 Points: Who Can Claim Them and How They Work for PR