IELTS for nurses and midwives

IELTS for nurses: the Writing score you need, country by country

In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, nurses need IELTS Academic with 6.5 in Writing and 7 in the other skills, plus 7 overall in Australia. Ireland asks for 7 overall and 7 in each skill, but any one skill can be 6.5.

Practice Academic Writing free See the Task 1 chart checker

Up to 10 essays free, no card. Need more?

01 / The rules

The official IELTS rules for nurses, with their links.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

IELTS Academic, on paper or computer at a test center (UKVI Academic too)

Listening: 7.0
Reading: 7.0
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 7.0
Overall: Not set

Two tests within 12 months can count together, if neither has a score below 6.5 (below 6 for Writing).
Scores last 2 years.
One Skill Retake: not accepted.
IELTS Online and IELTS Indicator: not accepted.

Official page Last checked: 19 October 2026

Also from: NMC: accepted English language tests

Australia

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (through Ahpra)

IELTS Academic, at a test center

Full Ahpra rules

Listening: 7.0
Reading: 7.0
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 7.0
Overall: 7.0

Up to two tests within 12 months can count together, each with 7 overall and no score below 6.5.
Results last 2 years before you apply.
One Skill Retake: accepted.
At-home tests: not accepted.

Official page Last checked: 19 October 2026

New Zealand

Nursing Council of New Zealand

IELTS Academic

Listening: 7.0
Reading: 7.0
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 7.0
Overall: Not set

More than one sitting can count, if you reach the scores within 12 months of your first one.
Every sitting must be in the 3 years before you apply.
One Skill Retake: not mentioned.
Online tests: not accepted.

Official page Last checked: 19 October 2026

Ireland

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI)

IELTS Academic or Academic for UKVI

Listening: 7.0
Reading: 7.0
Writing: 7.0
Speaking: 7.0
Overall: 7.0

Any one skill may be 6.5 instead of 7.0, Writing included.
One test result only. Results cannot be combined.
NMBI accepts only results less than 2 years old.
One Skill Retake and IELTS Online: not accepted.

Official page Last checked: 19 October 2026

Canada (Ontario)

College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO)

IELTS General Training or Academic

Listening: 7.0
Reading: 6.5
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 7.0
Overall: 7.0

All scores from one complete test.
One Skill Retake: accepted. A retake within 60 days replaces that one score.
General Training: from the 2 years before you apply. Academic: within 2 years of registering.
NNAS no longer collects test scores. The test center or test organization must send your results straight to CNO.

Official page Last checked: 19 October 2026

Also from: NNAS: frequently asked questions

Canada (British Columbia)

British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)

IELTS Academic, in person only

Listening: 7.0
Reading: 6.5
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 7.0
Overall: 7.0

Results must be no more than 2 years old.
Combining tests and One Skill Retake: not stated.
If you studied nursing outside Canada and apply after 31 January 2023, Inspire Global Assessments checks your English. Send your proof of English to Inspire.

Official page Last checked: 19 October 2026

TruMerit VisaScreen

IELTS Academic

Listening: Not set
Reading: Not set
Writing: Not set
Speaking: 7.0
Overall: 6.5

For registered nurses and other bachelor-level health jobs. Below bachelor level: 6 overall and 7 in Speaking.
These scores apply to tests taken on or after 12 May 2026.
At-home tests: not accepted.
VisaScreen is for the US visa. Your state board of nursing may ask for its own English proof.

Official page Last checked: 19 October 2026

Also from: TruMerit: the new English test scores

02 / Your case

One test or two? Each country has its own rule

Missed one score? Check if two tests can count together before you book again.

UK: two tests within 12 months, with no score below 6.5 (6 for Writing).
Australia: up to two tests within 12 months, each with 7 overall and no score below 6.5.
New Zealand: more than one sitting, if you reach the scores within 12 months of your first.
Ireland: one test only.
Ontario: one complete test. A One Skill Retake can replace one score.
British Columbia: not stated.
UK employer route: your UK employer may be able to give extra evidence of your English, which the NMC accepts only together with other evidence. It may be open to you if you missed the score in one skill by 0.5 or less over two tests. It may also be open if your nursing or midwifery training was taught and tested in English in a country where most people do not speak English. Either way, you need at least 12 months full time (or the same hours part time) in a UK health or care job that does not need registration. That job must be with the employer you still work for, with the same line manager for at least 6 months and no more than two line managers in that time.

From: NMC: using two tests, NMC: the employer route

03 / Why Writing

For nurses, Writing often holds the band back.

In IELTS's own 2024-2025 data, Writing had the lowest average of the four skills in IELTS Academic, the version every regulator here accepts. IELTS test taker performance data, 2024-2025.

One Skill Retake: accepted in Australia and Ontario. Not accepted in the UK or Ireland. Not stated in New Zealand, British Columbia or by VisaScreen.
Who accepts One Skill Retake

04 / Your plan

A Writing plan for nurses.

Set your target band.
Pick a target that matches the Writing band your nursing regulator asks for. For the NMC, Ahpra and the Nursing Council of New Zealand, that is 6.5 in Writing. Each rewrite then shows how your own answer reads at that band.
Write the tasks your test has.
Between shifts, write Academic Task 1 chart reports and Task 2 essays, with the practice timer running.
Fix your lowest criterion first.
Work on your weakest criterion first, with the labeled corrections beside you. Before you book a test, look at your last few Task 1 and Task 2 bands side by side.

05 / What VoyaLang does

What VoyaLang does for nurses, and what it does not.

VoyaLang does: It checks Academic Task 1 chart reports, Task 2 essays (from our list or a question you type in) and General Training letters of all 11 types. Each answer gets a band for all four criteria, every mistake fixed with a label, and a rewrite at your target band. You can time each task and count down the days to your exam.
VoyaLang does not: It gives no official IELTS score, and no single band for your whole Writing test. It does not check Listening, Reading or Speaking, and it does not prepare you for OET. It does not book your test, fill in your application to the NMC or Ahpra, or give registration advice.

FAQ

Questions about IELTS for nurses.

Should nurses take IELTS Academic or General Training?

IELTS Academic, in almost every case. The NMC, Ahpra, the Nursing Council of New Zealand, NMBI, BCCNM and VisaScreen all ask for Academic. The College of Nurses of Ontario is the one regulator on this page that also takes General Training.

Can I combine two IELTS results for the NMC?

Yes, if you took the tests within 12 months of each other. Between them they must show 7 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 6.5 in Writing. No score in either test can be below 6.5, or below 6 for Writing. Scores last 2 years.

Does IELTS Online count for nursing registration?

Mostly no. The NMC, Ahpra and NMBI do not accept it. New Zealand does not accept online tests, British Columbia asks for an in-person test, and VisaScreen does not accept at-home tests. Check your regulator's page before you book.

I got 6 in Writing for the NMC. What now?

The NMC needs 6.5 in Writing and does not accept One Skill Retake, so you need a new full test. If you take it within 12 months, the two tests may count together. Your 6 in Writing is allowed if the new test has at least 6.5 in Writing. Between the two tests, you also need one score of at least 7 in each of Listening, Reading and Speaking. No other score in either test can be below 6.5.

Can I take OET instead of IELTS?

Some regulators accept OET as well as IELTS. Check the list of accepted tests on your regulator's own page. VoyaLang practices IELTS Writing only, so it does not help with OET.

Does VisaScreen ask for an IELTS Writing score?

No. VisaScreen sets no separate Writing score. Registered nurses need IELTS Academic with 6.5 overall and 7 in Speaking, for tests taken on or after 12 May 2026. Your state board of nursing may ask for its own English proof, so check it too.

Related goals

This page sums up official rules in plain words. It is not immigration or legal advice. Rules change, so check the official page before you book or apply. Every rule here was checked on or after 19 October 2026. VoyaLang is not affiliated with or endorsed by IELTS, the British Council, IDP, or Cambridge Assessment English.

Keep reading