The University of Canberra (UC) has acknowledged it has been affected by agents that rort the system to ensure international students are admitted to Australian universities.

A Four Corners investigation revealed impropriety amongst agents enlisted by international students to secure places at Australian universities, including one that reportedly deals with the Australian National University (ANU) and accepts forged academic transcripts.

ANU vice chancellor Ian Young said the university was investigating the allegation, but had not cancelled any contracts.

"We do have processes whereby we have independent verifiers that actually go back, wherever possible to the source materials to be able to check that," he said.

"If indeed we found that agents were falsifying that information then we would certainly terminate them."

UC, however, confirmed that it had terminated contracts because of unethical behaviour in the past.

But a spokeswoman said it would not release any details due to privacy laws.

Acting UC vice chancellor Nick Klomp said the cancellations demonstrated that the system was working.

"I see other universities have moved and terminated contracts as well, I think that's proof of the quality that's out there." he said.

The Four Corners report also raised concerns about the threshold for English skills among international students.

There are multiple measurements used to gauge an international student's English abilities, with two of the largest being the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

International students applying to universities in Australia have to comply with their chosen institution's guidelines, but most universities let applicants choose the test they take.

University of Canberra TOEFL admission scores lower than similar institutions

The University of Canberra sets its own IELTS standards, which for general courses are comparable with similar institutions.

IELTS scores are given in bands ranging from a low of zero to a high of nine, with half band scores such as 5.5 and 6.5 possible.

Students are given an overall average band mark out of nine, and individual band marks out of nine in reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

The IELTS requirements for general courses at UC - excluding some study areas such as law and pharmacy which have higher scores - are band 6.0 overall with a minimum 5.5 band score in each subset of reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

This cut-off was comparable to other institutions in NSW and the ACT.

However, Universities Admission Centre data showed TOEFL results for entry to general UC courses were some of the lowest among similar NSW and ACT institutions.

TOEFL results include an overall score out of 120, comprised of individual scores out of 30 for reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

For general courses, UC accepts students with a TOEFL reading level of eight out of 30, compared to 20 at ANU.

That figure is the lowest level for any university in the ACT or New South Wales.

The UC TOEFL requirements are seven for listening, 16 for speaking, and 18 for writing, well below most other NSW and ACT institutions.

A spokeswoman from the University of Canberra said all students, both domestic and international, were required to demonstrate appropriate English language skills to gain entry into a course.

"An appropriate IELTS score is one method by which students can demonstrate their English proficiency ... other internationally accepted English entry requirements are also used for entry," she said.