iDeaL: Deakin University's English language development tool

iDeaL helps students develop language skills for academic and professional contexts. All new Deakin University students must complete the iDeaL screening test before their first week of study.

Your iDeaL results are confidential. They are not related to your units or course of study and will not appear on your student record.

Go to iDeal now.

Learn more about iDeaL:

What is iDeaL?

iDeaL is an English language development tool consisting of:

  • a short screening test to assess academic communication skills
  • diagnostic activities to identify strengths and weaknesses in specific skill areas
  • language development resources for academic and professional reading, writing, listening and speaking
  • academic and professional versions, focusing on language skills for university and workplace success.

iDeaL is not an alternative to IELTS for international students. IELTS is a proficiency test of English which is used to determine if an international student's English is acceptable for entry into university, while iDeaL is a post-entry diagnostic tool which helps students who have already been accepted into Deakin identify and improve their areas of weakness in English.

Who is iDeaL for?

  • All new students, including students entering at postgraduate level, must complete the iDeaL screening test.
  • Deakin staff are also welcome to use iDeaL if they choose.

Accessing iDeaL

If you are a current Deakin student or staff member, you can access iDeaL using your Deakin username and password. You may use iDeaL at any time during your study or employment at Deakin.

iDeaL screening test

The first time you log on to iDeaL, you complete a short screening test which takes no more than 30 minutes. Students who perform exceptionally well on the screening test are notified and told that further use of iDeaL is optional.

All students receive their screening test scores by email.

iDeaL diagnostic activities

Once the screening test has been completed, you can access diagnostic activities to assess your ability in 10 skill areas across reading, writing and listening. You can choose to take academic or professional versions, and you can re-take any section as often as you want.

Scores from each diagnostic attempt are recorded on your homepage so you can compare your results over time.

Your iDeaL homepage

Once you have completed both the screening and diagnostic sections of iDeaL for the first time, you can access your password-protected homepage.

From your homepage you can:

  • see how you scored on each diagnostic skill section (reading, writing, listening)
  • find information and resources for improving each of the diagnostic skill areas
  • find additional resources to improve speaking skills
  • access both professional and academic diagnostic versions
  • re-take any diagnostic section to check your progress
  • create your own customised language development plan.

Your results

Your iDeaL results are confidential. They are not related to your units or course of study and will not appear on your student record. Language and Learning Advisers in the Division of Student Life may access your results, but only to contact you to offer direct support if deemed appropriate — your results remain confidential at all times. Any reports from iDeaL for statistical or other purposes will contain only de-identified data so that results cannot be associated with individual students. Staff results and data are excluded from statistical reports.

More information

Check the iDeaL frequently asked questions to see if the information you want is there, or email your query to the iDeaL support team.

Enter iDeal

Please complete the login form below to access iDeal.

Login Details

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