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LANTITE · Pre-Service
When to Pass LANTITE
Deadlines by Degree & University
There is no single LANTITE deadline — there are three. How the year-1 attempt rule, your university's placement gate, and the NSW 1 August 2026 change fit together, with the actual deadline for eight major universities.
Information is general in nature. University placement gates, unit codes, and program rules change year to year. Always verify current requirements with ACER, NESA, and your own university.
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When to Pass LANTITE — Deadlines by Degree & University
About this guide

Most online advice blurs the LANTITE deadlines into one, and that is exactly how students get caught out. This guide is for pre-service teachers planning when to sit the test. It separates the three timing milestones — attempt, placement, and graduation — gives the actual placement gate for eight major universities, and explains the NSW 1 August 2026 accreditation change. Timing rules are drawn from ACER and NESA; university gates from each provider's published policy.

Contents
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When to Pass LANTITE — Deadlines by Degree & University
01
Section one
The three LANTITE milestones
Attempt, placement, graduation

LANTITE has three separate timing milestones. Treating them as one is a common planning error. [Source: ACER, 2026]

A
Attempt, in year 1 (national)
From 2024, students required to sit LANTITE must have a test attempt in their first year of an accredited ITE course. You do NOT have to meet the standard to satisfy this; you only have to sit. ACER states students required to sit the test "will need to have a test attempt (but do not have to meet the test standard) in their first year of an accredited ITE course." [Source: ACER eligibility, 2026]
B
Pass, before a placement gate (provider-set)
Each provider sets a professional experience placement before which you must have PASSED both components. For some universities this is the final placement; for others it is the first or an earlier one. ACER notes that "some states and territories may require successful test results prior to commencement of your final practicum." [Source: ACER eligibility, 2026]
C
Pass, before graduation (national)
A pass in both components is required to complete an accredited ITE program. You cannot graduate teaching-qualified without it. [Source: Western Sydney University, 2026; ACU, 2026; Department of Education, 2026]

The correction to make in your own planning: do not assume "pass before final placement" is universal. It is a provider-set placement gate — often the final placement, sometimes the first. Milestone B is the one you plan around, because it almost always falls earlier than graduation.

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When to Pass LANTITE — Deadlines by Degree & University
02
Section two
The national attempt rule
Why it is not a pass deadline

Milestone A trips people up in both directions. Some students panic and think they must pass in first year. Others ignore it and assume LANTITE is a final-year problem.

Neither is right. The year-1 rule is an attempt requirement only. You must sit the test in your first year, but a fail does not breach it. [Source: ACER eligibility, 2026] This is corroborated across provider pages including Western Sydney University, UNSW, and Deakin. [Source: WSU, 2026; UNSW, 2026; Deakin, 2026]

Two facts make sitting early pure upside
1
No cap on attempts (from 2025)
The old limit of three attempts per component is gone, so a fail in year 1 carries no procedural penalty: you simply register for the next window and sit again. [Source: WSU, 2026; UNSW, 2026]
2
Results do not expire and are transferable
An early pass never goes stale, even if you change course or take a break. If you transfer to another accredited ITE program, a pass already recorded carries across, so you do not re-sit. [Source: WSU, 2026; UNSW, 2026]

The standard you have to reach is the same regardless of when you sit: ACER sets it at the top 30 per cent of the Australian adult population in each component, validated against the OECD PIAAC survey. [Source: ACER, 2026] Sitting in year 1 does not make that bar move, so there is no advantage in waiting.

The ideal outcome. An attempt in year 1 that happens to be a pass satisfies Milestone A and clears Milestones B and C years ahead of any deadline. A first-year attempt that does not meet the standard still satisfies Milestone A; you then have the remaining windows before your placement gate to pass both components.

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When to Pass LANTITE — Deadlines by Degree & University
03
Section three
The placement gate, by university
Eight universities and three patterns

This is the deadline that actually controls your degree timeline. The table below is a starting point drawn from each university's published policy or handbook, but these are exactly the rules that change most often, and unit codes, program names, and gate timing are revised year to year.

Confirm your own gate directly with your university before you plan around it. Check your program's current handbook or LANTITE page, and email your course or placement coordinator to get the answer in writing. Treat the figures here as a prompt for that conversation, not a substitute for it.

University Program When you must PASS both components
UNSWBachelor of EducationBefore the FIRST placement (EDST2002), and all later placements. Registered in EDST2003, Term 1 Year 2 [Source: UNSW, 2026]
UNSWMaster of Teaching (Primary/Secondary)Before the FINAL placement (EDST6765, PE2), Term 1 Year 2 [Source: UNSW, 2026]
UTSPrimary & Secondary (UG & PG)Before enrolling in the FIRST professional experience subject. Per-program unit codes apply [Source: UTS, 2026]
WSUM.Teach (Early Childhood & Primary)Before the FINAL PE unit (TEAC7106). M.Teach (Early Childhood) is exempt from LANTITE [Source: WSU, 2026]
AdelaideBachelor / Master of TeachingBefore the FINAL placement course. First-half-year placement: pass by Window 4 the prior year; second-half-year: pass by Window 1. B.Teach (Early Childhood) exempt [Source: University of Adelaide, 2026]
MacquarieM.Teach (Primary)Before the FINAL professional practice unit (EDST8240). Enrol in EDST8999 (LANTITE) first; meet the standard before enrolling in EDST8240 [Source: Macquarie University, 2026]
ACUITE (UG & PG)Pass before graduation. Attempt before first (UG) or second (PG) placement unit [Source: ACU, 2026]
MonashITE (commenced 2017+)Pass by the time 48 credit points have been ATTEMPTED. First attempt by 24 cp attempted; academic progress intervention if missed [Source: Monash, 2026]

If your university is not listed, the same approach applies: find the professional experience or placement unit in your course structure, then check the enrolment rules for that unit. The LANTITE requirement is almost always written as a prerequisite or enrolment condition there. When in doubt, ask your placement coordinator to confirm the exact gate in writing.

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When to Pass LANTITE — Deadlines by Degree & University
Three gate patterns

The table groups into three structural patterns. Knowing which one your program uses tells you how much planning runway you have.

1
Final-placement gate
UNSW Master of Teaching, WSU, Adelaide, and Macquarie require a pass before the final professional experience unit. This gives you a longer runway than the early-placement gates, but it is still earlier than graduation.
2
First or early-placement gate
UNSW Bachelor of Education and UTS require a pass before the first placement. ACU requires an attempt before the first (UG) or second (PG) placement unit. These shorten your window: you cannot leave LANTITE to the back end of the degree.
3
Credit-point gate
Monash is not placement-based at all. You must pass by the time 48 credit points have been attempted, with a first attempt due by 24 credit points. [Source: Monash, 2026]

If you take one thing from this section: find your program's gate, then work backwards from it, not from graduation.

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When to Pass LANTITE — Deadlines by Degree & University
04
Section four
The NSW 1 August 2026 change
Conditional accreditation and NESA

If you plan to teach in NSW, a fourth date matters. From 1 August 2026, you must have passed LANTITE to be eligible for Conditional accreditation with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). [Source: NESA, 2026] NESA states: "From 1 August 2026, you will also need to have passed Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) to be eligible for Conditional accreditation." [Source: NESA, 2026]

NESA is the NSW regulator. This is a NSW rule, not a national one, and it does not involve VIT (Victoria) or QCT (Queensland).

Three details affect your planning
1
Urgent-staffing exception
From 1 August 2026, if a school has an urgent staffing need, the principal or employer can apply to NESA on your behalf to grant Conditional accreditation before you have passed LANTITE. [Source: NESA, 2026]
2
Degree-only pathway window
Applicants via the degree-only pathway have up to 24 months to pass LANTITE AND submit their first annual update. The 24-month window covers both, not LANTITE on its own. [Source: NESA, 2026]
3
Already accredited?
Teachers already Conditionally accredited in NSW before the change are not affected. [Source: NESA, 2026]

For full detail on the accreditation pathways, see the Teacher Passport NSW teacher accreditation guide at teacherpassport.com.au/guides/nsw-teacher-accreditation.

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When to Pass LANTITE — Deadlines by Degree & University
05
Section five
How to plan your sittings
Windows, margins, and working backwards

LANTITE runs in four two-week windows a year, each with a fixed registration window that closes well before the test. For 2026 [Source: ACER test dates, 2026]:

Window Test dates Registration
19–22 Feb 20267–20 Jan
24–17 May 202631 Mar–13 Apr
33–16 Aug 202630 Jun–13 Jul
426 Oct–8 Nov 202622 Sep–5 Oct

Online proctored sittings close around five days before each window's last date. [Source: ACER test dates, 2026]

Four rules follow from the structure above
1
Work backwards from your placement gate
Plan from Milestone B, not from graduation. The gate is the deadline that blocks your degree.
2
Leave one window's margin for a resit
With only four windows a year, sitting in the last window before your gate leaves no room to fail and recover. Aim to pass with at least one spare window in hand.
3
Sit early, because there is no downside
Unlimited attempts plus non-expiring results mean an early pass is locked in for good. The first window of your degree is a reasonable target for the attempt requirement.
4
NSW Conditional-pathway: 1 August 2026 is a hard pass-by date
Treat it as a fixed deadline for that pathway, separate from your university's placement gate.

If you miss a placement gate, the placement is blocked. Because windows are fixed and spaced months apart, that can push your placement, and the rest of your degree, back by a full teaching period.

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When to Pass LANTITE — Deadlines by Degree & University
06
Section six
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the common questions
When do you have to pass LANTITE in Australia?
There are three milestones. You must attempt the test in your first year (national rule), pass both components before your provider's placement gate, and pass before you graduate. The placement gate is usually the one that controls your timeline, and it falls earlier than graduation. [Source: ACER eligibility, 2026]
Do you need to pass LANTITE before your final placement?
Often, but not always. Several providers (UNSW Master of Teaching, WSU, Adelaide, Macquarie) gate the final placement. Others gate the first or an earlier placement: UNSW Bachelor of Education and UTS require a pass before the first placement, and ACU requires an attempt before the first or second placement unit. Check your own program. [Source: UNSW, 2026; UTS, 2026; WSU, 2026; ACU, 2026]
Do you need LANTITE to graduate?
Yes. A pass in both components is required to complete an accredited ITE program. You cannot graduate teaching-qualified without it. [Source: WSU, 2026; ACU, 2026; Department of Education, 2026]
Do you have to pass LANTITE in first year?
No. You must ATTEMPT the test in your first year, but you do not have to meet the standard to satisfy that rule. Passing can come later, before your placement gate. [Source: ACER eligibility, 2026]
What happens if I miss my placement deadline?
Your placement is blocked. Because the four test windows are fixed and spaced months apart, a missed gate can delay your degree by a full teaching period. This is why you work backwards from the gate and leave a resit window spare. [Source: ACER test dates, 2026]
Does the NSW 1 August 2026 change affect when I sit?
Yes, if you intend to teach in NSW on a Conditional pathway. From 1 August 2026 a LANTITE pass is required for Conditional accreditation with NESA. A principal can apply for an urgent-staffing exception on your behalf. [Source: NESA, 2026]
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