What IELTS score do nurses need in Australia?

Nurses and midwives who need an English test for Australian registration need IELTS Academic with an overall score of 7, at least 7 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, and at least 6.5 in Writing. The test must be taken at a test centre. These are the figures on the Ahpra accepted English language tests page as of October 2026, and they are the same for registered nurses, enrolled nurses and midwives.

Below is what the rule says in practice: which tests count, how to combine two results, where the One Skill Retake fits, and how long a result lasts.

Who sets the score

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) sets the English language skills registration standard, and Ahpra runs the registration process. The current standard took effect on 18 March 2025. National Boards updated the minimum scores for several tests on 23 April 2026, but the IELTS Academic figures did not change: they are the same for tests taken before and after that date.

Not everyone has to sit a test. The standard has other pathways, mainly for people whose education was in English in one of the recognised countries listed by the NMBA. If you are unsure whether you qualify for one of those, read the standard on the NMBA English language skills page before you book a test.

The IELTS scores, as of October 2026

Three conditions sit alongside the numbers:

• IELTS Academic only. General Training is not accepted for registration, even though it is fine for most visas. See Academic or General Training if you are deciding.
• At a test centre. Paper-based or computer-delivered IELTS at a centre both count. A test taken at home or online does not.
• Results under two years old on the date you lodge your registration application. There are narrow exceptions for people who have kept working or studying in a recognised country since the test, set out in the NMBA's FAQ.

Writing dropped from 7 to 6.5 when the 2025 standard came in. Older advice that says "7 in every band" is out of date for nursing.

Can you combine two IELTS results?

Yes, with conditions. Ahpra accepts results from one sitting, or from a maximum of two sittings within 12 months, but only if:

1. your overall score is at least 7 in each sitting,
2. across the two sittings you reach 7 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 6.5 in Writing, and
3. no skill in either sitting is below 6.5.

The third condition is the one people miss. A 6 anywhere, in either test, rules that pair out.

You can sit IELTS more than twice in 12 months, but Ahpra will only look at two sittings.

Three worked examples

Ben has the highest overall score in the table and still doesn't meet the standard, because the overall score is only one of the conditions. Chen meets it with neither test on its own: test 1 gives Listening, Reading and Writing, test 2 gives Speaking, and nothing in either sitting is below 6.5. Divya has an overall 7 both times, but the Writing 6 in the first sitting means the pair can't be used. Her best option is to treat test 2 as a fresh start and fix Speaking.

If the overall figures look odd, check how IELTS rounds the average. Ben's average is 7.25, which rounds up to 7.5; Chen's first test averages 6.875 and rounds to 7.0.

Where the One Skill Retake fits

The NMBA accepts IELTS One Skill Retake. It lets you resit one skill within 60 days of your original test, and Ahpra does not count it as an extra sitting. If you combine two sittings and a retake, all three must fall within the same 12 months.

A retake makes sense when one skill is a half band short and the others are safe. Divya's second test is a good case: Listening 7, Reading 7, Writing 6.5, Speaking 6.5. A Speaking retake that comes back at 7 would give her a result that meets the standard on its own. It makes less sense when two skills are short, because you can only retake one. Our One Skill Retake guide covers availability and cost.

Registration score versus visa score

Nurses usually deal with two sets of English rules, and they are not the same.

For registration, the NMBA figures above apply. For a skilled visa, Home Affairs uses its own levels: Competent English is 6 in each skill, Proficient English is 7 in each and earns 10 points, and Superior English is 8 in each and earns 20 points (Home Affairs, October 2026). Our Australian score requirements guide lists the other visas.

Two things follow from that:

• A registration result can fall short of Proficient English. Writing 6.5 is enough for the NMBA, but Proficient English needs 7 in every skill. If you are counting on 10 points, you need a 7 in Writing as well.
• Visa and registration tests don't have to be separate. The NMBA says that if you sat an accepted test for a skilled visa in the past two years and reached the registration scores, you can use the same result.

Plan for the higher of the two targets. Preparing for 7 in every skill gives you registration and 10 points from one booking.

Which skill usually holds nurses back

In our classes at AIL, internationally qualified nurses often reach 7 or more in Listening and Reading and then sit at 6.5 in Speaking or Writing. Clinical work builds listening and fast reading. It doesn't build the kind of extended opinion that Speaking Part 3 and Writing Task 2 reward.

Speaking: from 6.5 to 7

Short answers are the most common problem. Compare two answers to "Do you think hospitals should allow longer visiting hours?":

6.5: Yes, I think so. Families want to see patients. It is good for them.

7: I'd say yes, within limits. On the ward where I worked, patients who had family nearby in the evening usually ate better and slept better, so the nurses saw the benefit directly. The limit would be at night, because a busy ward still needs quiet time for the patients who are very unwell.

The second answer gives an opinion, a reason, an example from experience and a qualification. It doesn't use rare vocabulary. Nurses have plenty of material for this; the habit to build is using it.

Writing: 6.5 is the target, so protect it

Writing 6.5 means a clear position, relevant ideas with some development, and errors that don't get in the way of meaning. You don't need complex structures, and trying too hard is a common way to lose marks. What costs nurses most:

• Task 1 with no overview. Every Academic Task 1 needs two sentences stating the main trends or differences before the details.
• Under-length answers. Under 150 words in Task 1 or 250 in Task 2 is penalised.
• Repeated grammar errors, usually articles and plurals. A list of your own five most common errors, checked at the end, is worth more than learning new linking phrases.

Our free IELTS Writing checker gives an estimated score and corrections for a Task 2 essay in about 30 seconds, which is a quick way to see whether you are near 6.5.

Common mistakes

• Booking General Training because a friend used it for a visa. Registration needs Academic.
• Taking a test online or at home. Only centre-based results count.
• Assuming any two tests can be combined. A skill below 6.5 in either sitting, or an overall below 7 in either sitting, rules out the pair.
• Letting the result expire. The two years run to the date you lodge with Ahpra, not the date Ahpra decides. Leave room for gathering documents.
• Using old advice. Writing 7, combining within six months, and "no One Skill Retake" were all true under earlier rules. They are not now.

Checklist before you book

• [ ] I have checked whether another pathway exempts me from a test.
• [ ] I am booking IELTS Academic at a test centre.
• [ ] I know my target: 7, 7, 7 and 6.5, or 7 in every skill if I need visa points.
• [ ] I have sat a full timed practice test and know which skill is short.
• [ ] If I am combining results, both sittings will fall within 12 months, each with an overall 7 and nothing below 6.5.
• [ ] I will lodge my registration within two years of the test date.