What IELTS score do nurses need?
Quick answer
The UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council asks for IELTS Academic with at least 7 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 6.5 in Writing, and names no overall score. Australia's Ahpra, read on 11 November 2026, asks for the same skill scores plus an Overall 7 on tests taken on or after 23 April 2026.
Practise what this page describes in the app: Speaking and Writing marked on the four official criteria as a band range, Reading and Listening tests marked the moment you finish.
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Part of The IELTS test, answered
Requirements change, and each regulator’s page is the authority. What follows is the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) pages “Accepted English language tests” and “IELTS Academic”, both showing “Last updated: 08/03/2024”, and the Ahpra page “Accepted English language tests”, showing “Page reviewed 23/04/2026”. All were read on 11 November 2026.
The two IELTS figures side by side
| UK, NMC | Australia, Ahpra | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | No overall score named | 7 |
| Listening | At least 7 | 7 |
| Reading | At least 7 | 7 |
| Writing | At least 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Speaking | At least 7 | 7 |
The Ahpra figures are for tests taken on or after 23 April 2026, when the National Boards updated the minimum scores. The table for tests up to 22 April 2026 asks for the same IELTS figures. The difference that matters is the overall: Australia also asks for an overall 7, while the UK names none. Each skill is reported as a whole or half band, and the band score calculator shows an overall band from four skill bands.
Which IELTS versions count
The NMC accepts two tests, IELTS Academic and OET: “These are the only tests we can accept.” It accepts paper-based and computer-based IELTS Academic at a test centre, and IELTS Academic UKVI. It does not accept IELTS Indicator, IELTS Online or IELTS One Skill Retake. Ahpra lists five accepted tests, and IELTS Academic, paper or computer at a test centre only, is one of them. See Academic and General Training compared and what One Skill Retake is.
Combining two sittings
| NMC | Ahpra | |
|---|---|---|
| Window | Within 12 months of each other, both no more than two years before the NMC assesses the complete application | Within 12 months |
| Across the two | One score of at least 7 in Reading, Listening and Speaking, and one of at least 6.5 in Writing | At least 7 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 6.5 in Writing |
| Every score in both | At least 6.5 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 6 in Writing | None below 6.5; overall 7 in each sitting |
| Mixing tests | IELTS with IELTS only, not with OET | Read the Ahpra page |
The NMC’s worked example is Test 1 with Listening 7, Reading 6.5, Writing 6 and Speaking 7, and Test 2 with Listening 6.5, Reading 7, Writing 7.5 and Speaking 8. The NMC accepts it. NMC results are valid for two years; for the general rule see how long IELTS results are valid.
Other countries and professions
Other countries and other professions set their own figures, and this page gives none for them. Read the regulator’s own page for the place and the profession you are applying under, and check its date. A published minimum does not promise registration, because regulators have other requirements.
What this means for your score
The NMC's own example combines two sittings. Test 1 is Listening 7, Reading 6.5, Writing 6 and Speaking 7. Test 2 is Listening 6.5, Reading 7, Writing 7.5 and Speaking 8. Across the two the scores reach 7 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 6.5 in Writing, and no score is below the floor, so the NMC accepts the combination.
Frequently asked questions
Is IELTS General Training accepted for nurses?
The NMC page for IELTS names IELTS Academic, and the NMC says IELTS Academic and OET are the only tests it can accept. Ahpra's table names IELTS Academic as one of its five accepted tests. Neither page, as read on 11 November 2026, lists General Training for nurses, so check the regulator's page before you book.
Can I combine two IELTS results?
Both regulators allow it under conditions. The NMC wants the sittings within 12 months of each other and IELTS with IELTS only. Ahpra wants them within 12 months, with an overall 7 in each sitting. Each regulator also sets a floor for every score in both sittings, which is given in the table below.
Does the NMC accept IELTS One Skill Retake?
No. The NMC does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake, and says that "you must be tested in all four domains at the same time". It also does not accept IELTS Indicator or IELTS Online. It accepts paper-based and computer-based IELTS Academic at a test centre, and IELTS Academic UKVI.
Is the Australian score the same for every health profession?
The Ahpra tables apply to all the National Boards, and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia is one of them. The IELTS Academic figures are therefore the same for nurses and for the other registered health professions. Read the Ahpra page for any rule specific to a profession.
Sources
- Accepted English language tests — Nursing and Midwifery Council
- IELTS Academic — Nursing and Midwifery Council
- Accepted English language tests — Ahpra and the National Boards
- IELTS scoring in detail: band scores explained — IELTS.org
Last verified 11 Nov 2026
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