The Nursing and Midwifery council (NMC) accepts two language tests as evidence of your ability to communicate effectively in English: The International English Language Test System (IELTS) Academic and the Occupational English Test (OET).
You must achieve the required score in each of the four areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Your test scores are valid for two years.
IELTS
NMC will accept an IELTS Academic examination certificate that confirms you achieved:
- an overall score of at least 7, and
- at least 6.5 in the writing section and at least 7 in the reading, listening and speaking sections.
NMC accepts both the paper based and computer based IELTS Academic test delivered at a test centre.
Combining IELTS test scores
You can achieve the required mark across two test sittings if:
- you sit the tests within six months of each other
- you’re tested in all four sections at the same time
- all scores in both sittings are above 6.5, and
- you achieve at least 6.5 in the writing section and at least 7 in the reading, listening and speaking sections in either of the two test sittings.
Examples of combining IELTS scores
OET
NMC will accept an OET examination certificate that confirms you achieved:
- at least a grade C+ in the writing section, and
- at least a grade B in the reading, listening and speaking sections.
We accept the OET on Paper, OET on Computer and the OET@Home.
Combining OET test scores
You can achieve the required mark across two test sittings if:
- you sit the tests within six months of each other
- you’re tested in all four sections at the same time
- all grades in both sittings are above grade C+, and
- you achieve at least a grade C+ in the writing section and at least a grade B in the reading, listening and speaking sections in either of the two test sittings.
Examples of combining OET scores
Submitting your OET as evidence
If you’re submitting an OET certificate as part of your application, you’ll need to give us permission to verify your results through your myOET account.