Ahpra's English scores from 23 April 2026: OET 350 in listening and writing, 360 in reading and speaking
Ahpra's English standard from 23 April 2026 reads OET as the numeric score: at least 350 in listening and writing and 360 in reading and speaking; two sittings within 12 months combine only if no score falls below 320 in listening, 340 in reading or 350 in writing and speaking, and a result older than two years when you apply no longer counts.
Checked 23 Oct 2026 · Ahpra ↗
- Effective
- 23 April 2026
- Who it affects
- Nurses in the UK and Australia
Ahpra's OET scores from 23 April 2026
| At least | Floor in two sittings | |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 350 | 320 |
| Reading | 360 | 340 |
| Writing | 350 | 350 |
| Speaking | 360 | 350 |
The NMC's floors when two sittings combine
| OET | IELTS | |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | C+ | 6.5 |
| Reading | C+ | 6.5 |
| Writing | C | 6.0 |
| Speaking | C+ | 6.5 |
What it means for you
A nursing programme taught in English counts for the NMC only in one of its 30 majority-English-speaking countries; two test sittings combine only when neither falls below the NMC's or Ahpra's floors; Australia reads OET as the numeric score and no longer accepts a result older than two years.
Australia (NMBA / Ahpra)
OET is now read as the numeric score on your statement of results, because Ahpra's minimums are numeric: 350 in listening and writing, 360 in reading and speaking. A grade B alone does not prove 360, so enter the number. Two sittings within 12 months still combine, but each must reach an overall 7 (IELTS) and no component in either may fall below Ahpra's floors. A test result older than two years when you apply is no longer counted.
United Kingdom (NMC)
Ticking "my programme was taught and examined in English" no longer clears the English step on its own. The NMC accepts that evidence outright only for programmes completed in one of the 30 countries on its majority-English-speaking list (January 2025); India, Nigeria and the Philippines are not on it, and a programme from elsewhere is assessed case by case with a transcript and employer information. The plan now shows the test as the step for those candidates. When two IELTS or OET sittings are combined, every score in both sittings must be at least 6.5 (writing 6), or OET C+ (writing C), as the NMC's own pages set out.
If your plan moved because of this, the English step reappears with the exact scores needed; nothing else on your plan changed.
What to do next
Tell us where you trained, your English and the countries you want, and we show which steps you have left in each, with every fee and how long it takes.
Sources
outcomeOS describes each regulator's published rules; it does not advise on your individual case. · What changed · Privacy · Terms