This article reports the findings from a study that compares the assessment criteria used to measure pre-service teachers' professional competencies at Rustaq College of Applied Sciences in Oman, and at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. The study adopts a discourse analytic approach to deconstruct and critically compare the assessment criteria outlined in documents that report on graduating teachers' classroom performance used at each teacher education institution. The results of the analysis reveal a different normative vision of graduating teachers in each country. The Omani graduate pre-service teachers are likely to be 'a compliant student-trainee', whereas Australian graduate pre-service teachers are more likely to be 'professionally qualified to teach and classroom ready'. The findings are used to identify practices that may help to improve the current Omani approach to determining preservice teachers' classroom readiness to be more credible in terms of valid and equitable assessment processes.