OET vs IELTS for Healthcare Professionals: Which Test Fits Your Study Plan

TL;DR: For OET vs IELTS, the deciding question is what the test must do. Nursing and medical regulators in the UK, Australia and New Zealand accept both. Universities are less consistent: some accept OET from healthcare professionals, but several major universities list only IELTS and similar tests. If you plan to study first and register later, IELTS Academic is the safer single test. OET makes sense when your chosen university names it.

A nurse, doctor or pharmacist planning a master's abroad often needs an English test for two jobs. The first is getting into the course and onto a student visa. The second, sometimes years later, is professional registration. OET was built for healthcare and many clinicians find it closer to their daily work. IELTS Academic is accepted far more widely by universities. Choosing between OET vs IELTS is really a question of which door you need to open first.

Planning a health master's abroad and unsure which English test your course will accept? Check your eligibility with Prosper.

Where each test is accepted

This table summarises what we confirmed on each official page.

UK. GOV.UK says that for degree-level study, your university can assess your English itself, as long as the level is equivalent to CEFR B2. So OET works for a UK Student visa only if your university accepts it. UCL, for example, lets healthcare professionals offer OET for graduate study.

Australia and New Zealand. The University of Sydney's list of accepted tests, and the graduate lists at the University of Melbourne and the University of Otago, do not name OET. New Zealand's NZQA rules do include it: grade C+ or 300 in every sub-test for postgraduate study, against IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.

Want to know which health courses would accept your current test and scores?

Check your eligibility ›

Registration scores you should know

Registration scores are higher than university entry scores. These are the current minimums on each regulator's page:

• UK, NMC (nurses and midwives): IELTS Academic 7 in listening, reading and speaking, 6.5 in writing. OET grade B (350) in listening, reading and speaking, C+ (300) in writing.
• UK, GMC (doctors): IELTS 7.5 overall with 7.0 in each area, in one sitting. OET grade B in each area, medicine version, one sitting.
• Australia, AHPRA: from 23 April 2026, IELTS Academic 7 overall with 7 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing. OET 350 listening, 360 reading, 350 writing, 360 speaking. One standard covers every National Board except the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board.
• New Zealand, NCNZ and MCNZ: IELTS Academic 7 in reading, listening and speaking, 6.5 in writing. OET 350 in reading, listening and speaking, 300 in writing.

The NMC, GMC, AHPRA and MCNZ treat results as valid for two years. NCNZ asks for scores within 12 months of your first sitting, all within three years of applying.

Which test fits your study plan

You want a master's first, registration later. Take IELTS Academic. Every university and regulator here accepts it. Remember that a test taken for admission may expire before you finish a one or two-year course, so plan on a new test for registration.

Your chosen university accepts OET. OET is a reasonable choice, especially if you already have an OET result at registration level. Confirm on the course page, not a general list, since acceptance often depends on the programme.

Your course includes clinical placements. Ask the university whether you need registration before placements start. If you do, meet the regulator's score, then confirm the university accepts the same test.

You are a doctor aiming for the UK. Note that the GMC's IELTS requirement of 7.5 overall is higher than the nursing standard.

Taking IELTS or OET

IELTS. The NCNZ does not accept tests taken online at home, so book a test centre if New Zealand nursing is your aim.

OET. The full test costs AU$587, including a booking fee. The GMC and MCNZ require the medicine version, so choose your profession carefully when you book.

Time your test against your intake. Our guides to the UK January intake and the New Zealand February intake set out the deadlines.

Applying from Sri Lanka

IELTS. The British Council runs IELTS in Colombo, Kandy, Jaffna, Matara, Negombo, Kurunegala, Batticaloa and Malabe. Its current fees are LKR 77,000 for IELTS Academic on computer, LKR 72,800 for IELTS Academic Online and LKR 85,600 for IELTS for UKVI. Computer results usually arrive in one to three days.

OET. OET lists test venues in Sri Lanka on its website.

Frequently asked questions

Is OET accepted for a UK Student visa? Only if your university accepts it. For degree-level study, the university assesses your English at CEFR B2 or above.

Is OET easier than IELTS? It depends on the person. OET uses healthcare scenarios, which many clinicians find familiar, but the registration scores are demanding in both.

Can I combine OET and IELTS results? No. AHPRA and the NMC do not allow results from different tests to be combined.

How long are OET and IELTS results valid for registration? Usually two years under the NMC, GMC, AHPRA and MCNZ rules. NCNZ sets its own sitting window.

Do all universities accept OET? No. UCL accepts it from healthcare professionals, but the University of Sydney, University of Melbourne and University of Otago lists we checked do not name it.

PS: The right test depends on whether your first step is a course or a registration. If you want a clear view of which health courses fit your qualifications and English scores, check your eligibility with Prosper.

Check your eligibility ›