IELTS for Nurses: Band Score Requirements for Nursing Registration Worldwide

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) accepts IELTS Academic taken at a test centre, including the computer-delivered and UKVI versions. You need 7.0 in Listening, Reading, and Speaking and 6.5 in Writing. There is no overall-score requirement, and a high score in one skill cannot make up for a low one.

You can combine two sittings taken within 12 months of each other, both within two years of your application, if you reach the required score in each skill across them and no score in either sitting is below 6.5 (6.0 in Writing). IELTS Online, IELTS Indicator and One Skill Retake are not accepted. OET is accepted at grade B in Listening, Reading and Speaking and C+ in Writing.

After meeting English requirements, you’ll need to pass the Computer-Based Test (CBT) and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) before full NMC registration.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), working with Ahpra, requires IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, with 7.0 in Listening, Reading, and Speaking and 6.5 in Writing. The Writing minimum dropped from 7.0 to 6.5 when the revised English standard took effect in 2025.

You can use up to two sittings within 12 months, as long as no score in either sitting is below 6.5. One Skill Retake results are accepted. OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT are alternatives; check the NMBA's accepted-test table for their current scores.

English is only one part of registration. The NMBA also assesses your qualification and may ask you to complete an outcomes-based assessment. The ANMAC skills assessment is a separate step for migration.

Nursing is regulated by each province. Most internationally educated nurses start with the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS), which checks credentials. Since October 2022, NNAS no longer collects English test results.

You send proof of English directly to the provincial regulator, which sets its own IELTS minimum and list of accepted tests (CELBAN is also widely accepted). Check the regulator for the province where you plan to register.

Immigration is a separate step: Express Entry uses IELTS General Training, while nursing regulators set their own rules on which IELTS version they accept. Check both before you book so you do not take the wrong test.

The Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) accepts IELTS Academic with 7.0 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 6.5 in Writing.

You can reach the scores over more than one sitting, as long as all required scores are met within 12 months of your first test. OET and PTE Academic are also accepted; check the Council's English language policy for their scores.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) requires IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, with 7.0 in any three skills and at least 6.5 in the fourth. OET is accepted at grade B in three skills and C+ in one.

Scores must come from a single sitting and be less than two years old. NMBI does not accept combined results, One Skill Retake or IELTS Online.

The UAE has three health licensing authorities: the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Abu Dhabi's Department of Health (DoH) and the federal Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP). Each sets its own English rules.

Employers can ask for more than the licensing authority. Ask the hiring hospital which test and score it needs, and confirm with the authority for that emirate before you book.

The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) classifies and registers nurses. We could not find a single published IELTS minimum on its website.

In practice, the employer sets the English requirement. Ask for it in writing and check the SCFHS classification guide for any test it names.