IELTS for Social Workers: Band Score Requirements for Social Work Registration Worldwide

Social Work England requires IELTS Academic Band 7.0 in all four components — Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. There is no overall-only threshold; each component must individually meet 7.0.

You may combine results from two IELTS sittings taken within six months, but each sitting must score at least Band 6.5 in every component. Social Work England also accepts OET with Grade B in all four skills.

After meeting English requirements, internationally qualified social workers must have their qualifications assessed by Social Work England and may need to complete an adaptation period or aptitude test.

The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) requires IELTS Academic Band 7.0 in each component — Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking — achieved in a single test sitting within the past two years.

Accepted alternatives include PTE Academic (65 in each communicative skill), TOEFL iBT (overall 94 with L24, R24, W27, S23), and Cambridge C1 Advanced (185 in each skill).

AASW conducts qualifications assessments for skilled migration (subclass 189/190). English proficiency is assessed as part of this process — you cannot lodge a migration application without meeting AASW language requirements.

Canada regulates social work provincially. Each province has its own college or board: Ontario's OCSWSSW, BC's BCCSW, Alberta's ACSW, and others. Most align with IELTS Academic Band 7.0 overall, though some accept 6.5.

For immigration via Express Entry, IELTS General Training is used to calculate Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. However, provincial social work regulators require IELTS Academic for professional registration.

The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) provides credential assessment for internationally educated social workers, but registration decisions rest with provincial regulators.

The Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) requires IELTS Academic Band 7.0 overall and Band 7.0 in each component — from a single test sitting within the past two years.

OET (Grade B in all four skills) and PTE Academic (65 in each skill) are also accepted. SWRB does not allow combining scores from multiple sittings.

CORU (Health and Social Care Professionals Council) registers social workers in Ireland. CORU requires IELTS Academic Band 7.0 overall, with no individual band below 6.5.

Test results must be less than two years old. CORU does not accept combined scores from multiple test sittings. OET is not currently listed as an accepted alternative for social work.