OET score requirements by regulator (2026)
Most regulators want about grade B (350) in each OET sub-test, but the exact lines now differ: AHPRA needs 350 / 360 / 350 / 360 for sittings from 23 April 2026, the NMC accepts Writing 300, and the US HRSA table has been 320 / 340 / 350 / 360 since 12 May 2026.
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AHPRA and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
If you sit OET on or after 23 April 2026, AHPRA and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia need at least 350 in Listening, 360 in Reading, 350 in Writing and 360 in Speaking, from a paper or test-venue computer sitting, not OET@Home.
- Lines apply
- For OET sittings on or after 23 April 2026.
- Combining sittings
- Up to two sittings within 12 months can be combined. You must sit all four sub-tests each time, and neither sitting can go below Listening 320, Reading 340, Writing 350 or Speaking 350. Results from a different English test can't be mixed in.
- OET@Home
- Not accepted. Paper-based tests and computer tests at a test venue are accepted; the boards have accepted the remotely delivered Speaking part of a venue computer test.
- Validity
- 2 years. If you combine two sittings, the 2 years run from the earlier one.
- Single sub-test resit
- AHPRA lists IELTS One Skill Retake as the only single-skill resit it accepts, so an OET single sub-test resit won't count.
- Version
- Take the Nursing version. OET has no separate midwifery version, so midwives sit Nursing too.
What changed recently
Four rule changes in 2026 affect which score you need or how you can sit the test: AHPRA (23 April), US HRSA (12 May), New Zealand immigration (13 July) and MCNZ (September).
AHPRA moves to numeric lines
Australia: Listening 350, Reading 360, Writing 350, Speaking 360 for sittings from this date. Writing is up from C+; Reading and Speaking need 360.
Details12 May 2026US HRSA table for VisaScreen
US nursing visa: Listening 320, Reading 340, Writing 350, Speaking 360. Writing up from C+ (300); Speaking up from 350.
Details13 Jul 2026New Zealand immigration: in person only
For NZ visas, all four sub-tests must be taken in person at a supervised venue. Registration with NCNZ or MCNZ follows its own rules.
DetailsSep 2026MCNZ policy updated
Doctors in New Zealand: 350 Listening, Reading and Speaking, 300 Writing; two sittings in 12 months can be combined if none is below 300.
DetailsAll regulators compared
Writing is where the lines split most: 300 for the NMC, NCNZ, MCNZ and ECFMG, 350 for AHPRA, the GMC, HRSA and Irish doctors, and 380 or 420 for Australian visa points.
| Regulator | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Combine sittings | OET@Home | Valid | Lines from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHPRA / NMBAAustralia · Nursing & midwifery | 350 | 360 | 350 | 360 | Yes: 2 sittings in 12 months, with floors | No | 2 years | 23 Apr 2026 |
| AHPRA / Medical Board of AustraliaAustralia · Medicine | 350 | 360 | 350 | 360 | Yes: 2 sittings in 12 months, with floors | No | 2 years | 23 Apr 2026 |
| NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council)United Kingdom · Nursing & midwifery | 350 | 350 | 300 | 350 | Yes: 2 sittings ≤12 months apart, with floors | Yes | 2 years | – |
| GMC (General Medical Council)United Kingdom · Medicine | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | No: one sitting, most recent | Yes | 2 years | – |
| NMBI (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland)Ireland · Nursing & midwifery one may be 300 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | No: one sitting | No | 2 years | – |
| Medical Council of IrelandIreland · Medicine | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | No: one sitting | No | 2 years | 1 Mar 2025 |
| Nursing Council of New ZealandNew Zealand · Nursing | 350 | 350 | 300 | 350 | Yes: within 12 months of first test | No | Check NCNZ | – |
| Medical Council of New ZealandNew Zealand · Medicine | 350 | 350 | 300 | 350 | Yes: 2 sittings in 12 months, none below 300 | Not stated: check | 2 years | – |
| HRSA / CGFNS VisaScreenUnited States · Nursing (visa screening) | 320 | 340 | 350 | 360 | Not confirmed | Reportedly no: check | Not confirmed | 12 May 2026 |
| ECFMG / Intealth (2027 Pathways)United States · Medicine | 350 | 350 | 300 | 350 | No: one sitting | Only if no venue in your country | Sittings from 1 Jan 2025 | 1 Jan 2025 |
| Canada nursing (CNRC recommendation)Canada · Nursing | 350 | 300 | 300 | 350 | By province | By province | By province | – |
| Canada medicine (FMRAC model, e.g. CPSO)Canada · Medicine | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | No: same sitting (NL may differ) | Not stated: check | 24 months | – |
| UAE (DHA / DOH / MOHAP unified PQR)United Arab Emirates · Medicine & nursing | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | – |
| Home Affairs: Competent EnglishAustralia · Visa English (any profession) | 290 | 310 | 290 | 330 | Not confirmed | Check Home Affairs | Check Home Affairs | 7 Aug 2025 |
| Home Affairs: Proficient EnglishAustralia · Visa English (any profession) | 350 | 360 | 380 | 360 | Not confirmed | Check Home Affairs | Check Home Affairs | 7 Aug 2025 |
| Home Affairs: Superior EnglishAustralia · Visa English (any profession) | 390 | 400 | 420 | 400 | Not confirmed | Check Home Affairs | Check Home Affairs | 7 Aug 2025 |
Scores are the minimum in each sub-test (0–500). NMBI accepts 300 in any one sub-test if the other three are 350. The UAE row applies only to specific licensing clauses. Last checked 21 Oct 2026.
Can I combine two sittings?
Only with some regulators, and usually with a minimum score in every sitting you use.
- Allowed
- AHPRA / NMBA, AHPRA / Medical Board of Australia, NMC, Nursing Council of New Zealand, Medical Council of New Zealand
- One sitting only
- GMC, NMBI, Medical Council of Ireland, ECFMG / Intealth, Canada medicine
- Not confirmed
- HRSA / CGFNS VisaScreen, Canada nursing, UAE, Australian visas
Is OET@Home accepted?
The NMC and GMC accept OET@Home; AHPRA, NMBI, the Medical Council of Ireland and New Zealand immigration don't.
- Not accepted
- AHPRA / NMBA, AHPRA / Medical Board of Australia, NMBI, Medical Council of Ireland, Nursing Council of New Zealand
- Conditional or not stated
- Medical Council of New Zealand, HRSA / CGFNS VisaScreen, ECFMG / Intealth, Canada nursing, Canada medicine, UAE, Australian visas
How long is a result valid?
OET sets no expiry; most regulators accept a result for 2 years.
AHPRA counts the 2 years from the earlier sitting if you combine. The Medical Council of Ireland needs the certificate to be within 2 years on your registration date, not just your application date. ECFMG counts only sittings from 1 January 2025.
Also checked
These bodies publish no OET line we can put in the table, or run a separate visa or licence step.
Singapore Nursing Board (SNB)
Its site states no OET or IELTS score. Foreign nurses first need a job offer from a Singapore hospital, then sit the SNB licensing exam; English is checked through hiring and that exam.
SNB: Foreign-trained nurses and midwives · MOH: English proficiency of foreign applicants
Immigration New Zealand (INZ)
INZ has never accepted OET@Home. For sittings from 13 July 2026 it needs all four sub-tests taken in person at a supervised venue; computer tests with remote Speaking count only if taken before that date. This is for visas, separate from NCNZ or MCNZ registration.
US state boards of nursing
Each state board sets its own English rule for a nursing licence. OET says more than 40 states recognise it. VisaScreen (HRSA lines) is a separate, visa-only step.
US pharmacists (NABP / FPGEC)
NABP accepts OET Pharmacy from 11 January 2027, taken as a computer test at a venue in the US or Canada. Score lines are due by the end of November 2026.
Questions candidates ask
What OET score do I need?
It depends on the regulator. Most want about grade B (350) in each sub-test, but AHPRA needs 350/360/350/360 (Listening/Reading/Writing/Speaking) for sittings from 23 April 2026, the NMC and ECFMG accept Writing 300, and the US HRSA table is 320/340/350/360 from 12 May 2026.
Can I combine OET results from two sittings?
Only with some regulators. AHPRA, the NMC, MCNZ and NCNZ allow combining within 12 months, usually with a minimum score in every sitting. The GMC, NMBI, the Medical Council of Ireland, ECFMG and Canadian medical colleges following the FMRAC model need one sitting.
Is OET@Home accepted?
The NMC and GMC accept it. AHPRA, NMBI, the Medical Council of Ireland and New Zealand immigration don't, NCNZ doesn't accept the fully online version, and ECFMG accepts it only if your country has no test venue.
How long is an OET result valid?
OET has no single expiry; each regulator decides. Most use 2 years: AHPRA (from the earlier sitting if combined), NMC, GMC, NMBI, the Medical Council of Ireland and MCNZ. CPSO in Ontario uses 24 months.
What changed in 2026?
AHPRA switched to numeric lines on 23 April 2026, HRSA published a numeric VisaScreen table on 12 May 2026, Immigration New Zealand required in-person tests from 13 July 2026, and MCNZ updated its policy in September 2026.
Sources
- AHPRA: Accepted English language tests official
- OET news: AHPRA changes English language requirements (2025) official
- NMC: OET official
- NMC: Accepted English language tests official
- GMC: Using your OET certificate official
- NMBI: English Language Requirements official
- OET news: NMBI lowers OET grade for overseas-trained nurses official
- Medical Council of Ireland: English language official
- NCNZ: English language FAQ official
- NCNZ: English language competency policy refresh (2022) official
- INZ: Update on English language testing (29 June 2026) official
- MCNZ: Policy on English language requirements (September 2026, PDF) official
- MCNZ: English language requirements official
- HRSA: Foreign healthcare worker requirements (score table, 12 May 2026) official
- OET news: OET recognised by CGFNS International official
- CGFNS VisaScreen FAQ (at-home tests; seen as a search summary) second-hand
- OET: Recognising organisations in the United States official
- ECFMG: OET (updated 14 May 2026) official
- OET news: CNRC recommendation official
- OET: Recognising organisations in Canada official
- BCCNM: English proficiency official
- CNO: accepted language proficiency tests official
- CPSO: Language proficiency official
- OET: Working as a doctor in Canada (6 May 2026) official
- CaRMS language proficiency listing (Newfoundland and Labrador exception) second-hand
- DOH Abu Dhabi: Unified PQR official
- Unified PQR full text (PDF; see clause 13.1.15.4 and similar) official
- OET: Recognising organisations in the UAE official
- Home Affairs: Competent English official
- Home Affairs: Proficient English official
- Points for English (migratio summary) second-hand
- Home Affairs: Superior English official
Last checked 21 Oct 2026. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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