Overseas Qualification Competency Assessment Application

If you are not eligible to submit an MRA application and have evidence to demonstrate your competence as a speech pathologist, you should complete the Overseas Qualification Competency Assessment.

The Overseas Qualification Competency Assessment process assumes you have experience working as a speech pathologist. Individuals must demonstrate that they have worked for a minimum of 1000 hours or approximately 12 months to be eligible to apply. Evidence from student work will not be accepted on its own.

It is strongly suggested that you submit your application from your home country as it is easier to obtain further evidence to support your application if requested.

You should apply for Overseas Qualification Competency Assessment if:

• Your qualifications are comparable to those of speech pathologists trained in Australia.
• You have the ability to use English effectively in the Australian speech pathology context.
• You have practiced as a speech pathologist for at least 1000 hours in the last five years, if you graduated more than five years ago OR you have a minimum of 12 months practice experience if you graduated less than five years ago.

All these conditions must be met for you to be assessed for Certified Practicing Membership of the Association.

Educational requirements

Your speech pathology qualifications must be comparable to those of speech pathologists trained in Australia. This comparison is made using the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The minimum qualification accepted in Australia is a Bachelor’s degree, which is classified as AQF 7.

Your qualification(s) must:

• be specific to speech pathology practice;
• include components of supervised clinical experiences;
• be comparable with the Australian Qualifications Framework definition of AQF 7.

Compare your qualifications with the AQF definitions prior to submitting your application to confirm that they are at least equivalent to the Australian minimum.

English Language requirements

Many languages other than English are used in Australia. Speech Pathology Australia is keen to increase the number of languages in which competent clinical practice is available, but this does not replace or remove the requirement for competent professional use of English.

Speech pathologists in Australia need to work with English as the vehicle of communication and as the focus of assessment and treatment. Therefore evidence of competent professional use of English is required as part of the Overseas Qualification Competency Assessment process. This is demonstrated through the completion of the Occupational English Test (OET) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

An individual may apply for special consideration if they believe their English skills are of a “superior” level as required by Speech Pathology however the results of English language testing do not accurately reflect their skills. Please contact Manager Professional Standards for further information.

Occupational English test requirements (OET)

The OET provides a global evaluation of the applicant’s ability to use English in professionally relevant reading, writing, listening and speaking tasks. It also considers features such as naturalness and general effectiveness.

Speech Pathology Australia requires a “superior” English level with at least two subtest results in the Band 450 – 500 and two subtest results in the Band 400-500.

• You must achieve the OET requirements before submitting your application.
• OET results must be available through the OET website on the date of your application. The results must be no more than 2 years old at the date of submission.
• Test results to be accepted from one or maximum of two test sittings in a six-month period only if the applicant is tested on all four components in the first sitting and one to four components in the second sitting. Therefore, applicants can undertake a partial resit on the second sitting.
• Your application will not be accepted if you have NOT achieved the required OET results.

You will be responsible for meeting the cost of sitting the OET

Further information regarding the OET.

International English Language Testing System – Academic test requirements (IELTS)

The IELTS is a globally recognised assessment that provides an evaluation of the applicant’s English skills across writing, reading, listening, and speaking.

Speech Pathology Australia requires a “superior” English level with an overall band score of 8 required on IELTS Academic test. Two sub-band scores must be above 8.0, and no sub-band score below 7.5.

• You must achieve the IELTS requirements before submitting your application.
• Test results will be accepted if they were obtained within two years before the date you lodge your application.
• IELTS results must be available through the IELTS website on the date of your application.
• Test results must be achieved in one test sitting; or combined scores from two testing sittings within a six-month period; or from an IELTS One Skill Retake test.
• Your application will not be accepted if you have NOT achieved the required IELTS results.

You will be responsible for meeting the cost of sitting the IELTS.

Further information regarding the IELTS.

Assessment exemptions

Applicants are exempt from providing evidence of English Language Testing if they have an entry level Speech Pathology qualification conducted in English from a university in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America or the Republic of Ireland.

Fees

Fee for migration skills assessment: The application fee of $1400 (Australian dollars) must accompany the application form.

Fee for withdrawing application: If the withdrawal is requested prior to the assessment commencing, a full refund will be considered, less an administration fee of $100 (Australian dollars).

Fee for review/appeal: The fee for lodging an appeal again Speech Pathology Australia’s decision is 25% of the initial application fee or $350 (Australian dollars) which must be paid at the time of submitting the written appeal.

Payment options: The full application fee must be paid at the time of lodging a written application for migration skills assessment.

Refund policy: This fee is non re-fundable

Application process

Please submit by email all completed forms and supporting documentation.

Please ensure all supporting documentation is high quality, full colour scans, at 300dpi or greater. For official identity documents i.e. passport, and driver licence (or other photo identification), please submit a photograph, rather than a photocopy to ensure this is of adequate quality. If there are any issues with the quality of the scanned or photo identity documents, you may be asked to re-submit them.

Electronic submissions of your completed application, including supporting documentation and identity evidence, must be emailed to Speech Pathology Australia.

Preparing your portfolio of evidence

The guide for applicants provides detailed information for applicants including:

• What to include in your application
• How to present your evidence
• The assessment process.
• The appeal process.

Please read the guide carefully prior to completing and submitting your application.

Please note you are advised to refer to the web version of the Overseas Qualifications Competency Assessment (OSQCA) Guide for Applicants. Printing a hard copy is not recommended. You must submit your application based on the criteria that is on the web at the time of submission. Any major changes to requirements will be communicated to all applicants as appropriate.

Overseas Qualifications Competency Assessment (OSQCA) Guide for Applicants

Competency Based Outcome Standards (CBOS)

See the table below for an example of the type of evidence you may choose to include to address CBOS Unit 1 for a population (child/adult) and for a range of practice area (speech/language/voice/fluency/swallowing/multimodal communication). Please note that case studies may reflect clients who have difficulties with more than one range of practice area – e.g. an adult who has had a stroke may have difficulties with speech, language and swallowing and all may be covered together.

Unit 1: Assessment

Forms

The Overseas Qualifications Competency Assessment (OSQCA) Application Form

Assessment process

Once you have provided all the required documentation, your application is ready for assessment. Your application will be assessed by the Professional Recognition Panel.

The panel will provide written feedback on your submission of evidence within 10 weeks of your application being ready for assessment. Please note this is from the time you have provided all required documentation, NOT from the date you commenced your submission. If your application is not successful, your feedback will list the area(s) that did and did not meet requirements. You may submit evidence on two further occasions following feedback from the Panel.

The processing of your assessment and submissions or additional evidence must be concluded within two years of your original application.

Please refer to the Overseas Qualifications Competency Assessment (OSQCA) Guide for Applicants for further details of the assessment process.

Policy on fraudulent documents

All the documentation and evidence in your portfolio will be checked for fraudulent representation. Any evidence of this will result in refusal to process the documents and your application will not proceed futher.

Review/appeal process

Speech Pathology Australia will only consider an appeal of an outcome of unsuccessful applications under the following circumstances.

• The assessment procedures and processes as approved by Speech Pathology Australia have not been implemented or adhered to in the established manner or format.
• There is proven prejudice or bias exhibited by the Professional Recognition Panel or an individual Professional Recognition Assessor in the undertaking of the assessment.
• Significant new information or documentation becomes available after the assessment process which would add to or change the applicant’s claims and capacities to demonstrate competence in the practice of the profession.

The appeal process is not to be used by applicants as an alternative to the established assessment process. A review cannot reverse or change the decision of the Professional Recognition Panel, nor will it exempt an applicant from any component of the assessment process. The review can only request that the assessment process be repeated or that it not proceed.

An appeal will not be considered on the basis of:

• Disputing or questioning the standards set
• Disputing or questioning the assessment process as established by Speech Pathology Australia
• Contesting the nature and extent of the information and advice provided to the applicant.

The three examples provided for the rejection of an appeal are a non-exhaustive list of circumstances where the threshold requirement for an appeal is not met.

An appeal against Speech Pathology Australia’s decision must be made within 28 days of the date of receiving the letter stating that your application was unsuccessful.

You must lodge your appeal in writing and direct to the Chief Executive Officer of Speech Pathology Australia. The reason for the appeal must be clearly stated.

Please refer to the Overseas Qualifications Competency Assessment (OSQCA) Guide for Applicants for further information.