OET score for NMC registration (UK nurses and midwives)
The NMC needs OET grade B (350 or more) in Listening, Reading and Speaking and C+ (300 or more) in Writing, and it accepts paper, computer and OET@Home results.
Minimum OET scores
0–500 per sub-testWriting needs C+ (300); the other three need B (350).
The rules around the lines
- Lines apply
- Current NMC rule; no new date announced.
- Combining sittings
- Two sittings no more than 12 months apart can be combined, and both must be within 2 years when your application is assessed. You sit all four sub-tests each time. Neither sitting can go below C+ (300) in Listening, Reading or Speaking, or below 250 in Writing.
- OET@Home
- Accepted, and an OET@Home result can be combined with a paper or computer result. The Speaking test must be with a live interlocutor.
- Validity
- 2 years.
- Single sub-test resit
- Each sitting must include all four sub-tests, so a single sub-test resit doesn't help.
- Version
- Take the Nursing version. OET has no separate midwifery version, so midwives sit Nursing too.
Questions candidates ask
Is a C+ in Writing enough for the NMC?
Yes. The NMC needs 300 (C+) in Writing and 350 (B) in the other three sub-tests.
Can I combine two OET sittings for the NMC?
Yes, two sittings no more than 12 months apart, both within 2 years at assessment, with all four sub-tests taken each time. Neither sitting can have Listening, Reading or Speaking below 300 or Writing below 250.
Does the NMC accept OET@Home?
Yes. You can also combine an OET@Home result with a paper or computer result.
How long is my OET result valid for the NMC?
2 years. When combining, both sittings must be within 2 years when the NMC assesses your application.
Sources
- NMC: OET official
- NMC: Accepted English language tests official
Last checked 21 Oct 2026. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.