Which English exam should I take for the UK NMC?

OET grade B (each subtest) OR IELTS Academic 7.0 (each section). OET is healthcare-specific, so most nurses find the content more familiar. NMC does NOT accept PTE. If you score IELTS 6.5 in writing only, NMC accepts that with a separate evidence pathway.

Which English exam should I take for U.S. CGFNS / VisaScreen?

OET, IELTS Academic 7.0, or TOEFL are all accepted. PTE Academic is NOT accepted by CGFNS for VisaScreen as of 2026. Filipino BSN graduates and many Indian BSc Nursing graduates qualify for the English language waiver — check eligibility before paying for an exam.

Which English exam should I take for Ireland NMBI?

OET grade B each subtest, OR IELTS Academic 7.0 each section. NMBI does NOT accept PTE. Same standard as the UK NMC.

Which English exam should I take for Australia AHPRA?

OET (350+ each section), IELTS Academic 7.0 each section, or PTE Academic 65 each section. AHPRA accepts all three. Australian nurse pathways often favor PTE for speed of results (typically 48 hours vs OET's 16 business days).

How much do they cost?

OET: ~USD $587. IELTS Academic: ~USD $245. PTE Academic: ~USD $209. OET is the most expensive but designed specifically for healthcare professionals — many nurses find it less stressful and easier to pass on first attempt.

Which exam is easier to pass for a nurse?

In Global Nurse Force's experience, nurses generally find OET easier than IELTS or PTE because all four subtests (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) use clinical content — patient case notes, doctor-nurse conversations, healthcare research articles. IELTS is general-academic; PTE is general-academic but computer-administered. If a candidate is willing to invest in healthcare-context preparation, OET typically yields the best first-attempt outcome.

Can I take the exam in my own country?

Yes. All three exams have test centers worldwide. OET: India, Philippines, UK, Ireland, GCC, and most major source countries. IELTS: very wide coverage globally. PTE: similar coverage to IELTS. Pearson administers PTE; British Council/IDP administer IELTS; Cambridge administers OET.

English exam comparison for nurses

OET vs IELTS vs PTE for internationally educated nurses

Honest comparison of the three English exams nurses commonly take. Which is accepted where, how much each costs, format and length, and Global Nurse Force’s pragmatic recommendation per destination country.

At a glance

The 3-way comparison

	OET	IELTS Academic	PTE Academic
Designed for	Healthcare professionals	General academic	General academic
Format	Paper or computer	Paper or computer	Computer only
Length	~3 hours	~2 hr 45 min	~2 hours
Subtests	Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking	Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking	Speaking & Writing, Reading, Listening
Fee (USD)	~$587	~$245	~$209
Results in	~16 business days	~13 days (paper) / 3-5 days (computer)	~48 hours
UK NMC accepts?	Yes — Grade B each	Yes — 7.0 each section	No
Ireland NMBI accepts?	Yes — Grade B each	Yes — 7.0 each section	No
U.S. CGFNS accepts?	Yes	Yes — 7.0 each section	No
Australia AHPRA accepts?	Yes — 350+ each	Yes — 7.0 each	Yes — 65 each
Content style	Patient cases, clinical notes, doctor-nurse dialogue	Generic articles, lectures, opinion essays	Generic computer-administered tasks

GNF recommendation

Which exam should you take?

USA (EB-3 Schedule A / NCLEX)

OET (Grade B each) — most aligned with clinical content. Filipino BSN and many Indian BSc Nursing graduates qualify for CGFNS English waiver — check first.

United Kingdom (NMC)

OET Grade B each subtest. UK pathway is healthcare-specific; OET reads more naturally.

Ireland (NMBI)

OET Grade B — same as UK. Same standard.

Australia (AHPRA)

OET 350+ each OR PTE Academic 65 (fastest results). PTE is computer-only and recognized by AHPRA — useful if you need a result quickly.

Canada (NNAS / CRNE)

IELTS Academic 7.0 or OET Grade B. CELBAN also accepted (Canadian-specific test).

Germany (Anerkennung)

German language exam (B1/B2), not English. OET/IELTS/PTE not used in the German pathway.

Frequently asked

English exam choice for nurses

Which English exam should I take for the UK NMC?: OET grade B (each subtest) OR IELTS Academic 7.0 (each section). OET is healthcare-specific, so most nurses find the content more familiar. NMC does NOT accept PTE. If you score IELTS 6.5 in writing only, NMC accepts that with a separate evidence pathway.
Which English exam should I take for U.S. CGFNS / VisaScreen?: OET, IELTS Academic 7.0, or TOEFL are all accepted. PTE Academic is NOT accepted by CGFNS for VisaScreen as of 2026. Filipino BSN graduates and many Indian BSc Nursing graduates qualify for the English language waiver — check eligibility before paying for an exam.
Which English exam should I take for Ireland NMBI?: OET grade B each subtest, OR IELTS Academic 7.0 each section. NMBI does NOT accept PTE. Same standard as the UK NMC.
Which English exam should I take for Australia AHPRA?: OET (350+ each section), IELTS Academic 7.0 each section, or PTE Academic 65 each section. AHPRA accepts all three. Australian nurse pathways often favor PTE for speed of results (typically 48 hours vs OET's 16 business days).
How much do they cost?: OET: ~USD $587. IELTS Academic: ~USD $245. PTE Academic: ~USD $209. OET is the most expensive but designed specifically for healthcare professionals — many nurses find it less stressful and easier to pass on first attempt.
Which exam is easier to pass for a nurse?: In Global Nurse Force's experience, nurses generally find OET easier than IELTS or PTE because all four subtests (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) use clinical content — patient case notes, doctor-nurse conversations, healthcare research articles. IELTS is general-academic; PTE is general-academic but computer-administered. If a candidate is willing to invest in healthcare-context preparation, OET typically yields the best first-attempt outcome.
Can I take the exam in my own country?: Yes. All three exams have test centers worldwide. OET: India, Philippines, UK, Ireland, GCC, and most major source countries. IELTS: very wide coverage globally. PTE: similar coverage to IELTS. Pearson administers PTE; British Council/IDP administer IELTS; Cambridge administers OET.

Take OET prep with GNF

Global Nurse Force OET preparation — structured online programme designed specifically for clinically trained nurses. Significantly higher first-attempt success rate than self-study.

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