The sources below are examples, not a list of requirements: each board or evaluation company sets its own rule, and pages change, so confirm everything on the source page linked. This page quotes no exam fee and no test date.
This page is about English tests only. It gives no visa or immigration advice, does not say who needs VisaScreen and states no VisaScreen score. Band Booster IELTS is a private online tutor, not a test centre, a licensing adviser or an agent, and has no link with TruMerit or any board named here.
Who decides what English score a nurse needs for the US?
The sources read for this page give no single IELTS number for nurses moving to the United States. They sit at different levels: IELTS's own website describes who might take the test, a credentials evaluation company publishes the English exams it approves, and state sources set the English rule for a nursing licence. Ask the body that will receive your result which one applies to you.
What each source says
| Source | Kind of source | What it says | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ielts.org, IELTS USA page | The IELTS website | Says you might need IELTS Academic for work if you plan to undergo credential reviews with US nursing boards. | It describes a possible use of the test, depending on the organisation's policies. It is not a board's rule. |
| TruMerit, VisaScreen page | A credentials evaluation company | Lists Academic IELTS among several approved English exams. Says the minimum score varies by profession, does not accept at-home versions, and judges tests taken before 12 May 2026 against the previous score requirements. | Its scores are in a table on its own page, which this page does not repeat. |
| Florida Board of Nursing document (applicants educated outside the US) | A state board document | Lists IELTS Academic, minimum 6.5 overall with 7.0 on the spoken portion, as one of several approved English competency examinations. | One state and one document. Washington's rule, below, is worded very differently. |
| Washington, WAC 246-840-045(3) | State rule text | For RN and LPN applicants educated outside US jurisdictions: where the theory and clinical components were not taught in English, the applicant must demonstrate English proficiency. One route is a board-approved English proficiency examination at the minimum scores the board sets. | The wording read here names no IELTS score. The board decides the exams and scores. |
ielts.org: credential reviews with US nursing boards
ielts.org's IELTS USA page says you might need IELTS Academic for work if you plan to undergo credential reviews with US nursing boards. That tells you which version of the test the page associates with this purpose. It does not tell you which board asks for what, or which score. TruMerit and the Florida document, below, also name the Academic version, so if you are weighing the two versions, start from what your own board or evaluation company names and see Academic or General Training.
VisaScreen: what TruMerit's page says
TruMerit, a credentials evaluation company, publishes a VisaScreen page. Its points below were read in October 2026 and can change.
Which exam, and which score
The page lists Academic IELTS among several approved English language exams. It says the minimum required score varies by the profession of the applicant and points to a table on the page for each profession. This page gives no VisaScreen score: read the table for your profession on TruMerit's own page.
The date of your test matters
TruMerit says that if you took an English exam before 12 May 2026, your VisaScreen requirements are based on the previous test score requirements. If you already hold a result, ask TruMerit which requirements apply to it.
At-home tests are not accepted
TruMerit's page says it does not accept the at-home versions of English language proficiency exams. The page does not say which formats of IELTS it counts as at-home, and it does not mention One Skill Retake, so if you are unsure about a format, ask TruMerit before you book. Other organisations answer these questions differently: see whether US universities accept IELTS Online and One Skill Retake and our guide to One Skill Retake or a full retake.
Exemption for English-based professional education
TruMerit's page says an applicant may be exempt from taking an English language exam on the basis of English-based professional education, and that the applicant must meet both of two criteria:
- entry-level professional education took place in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, Ireland or the United States; and
- English was the language of instruction, including the language of the textbooks.
One criterion on its own is not enough for this exemption. The page also describes a separate exemption for VisaScreen renewals, based on work in the United States, with its own criteria. This page cannot tell you whether either applies to you, so ask TruMerit.
VisaScreen is not the visa decision
TruMerit says VisaScreen is completely separate from the process that determines visa eligibility, and it encourages anyone seeking advice on which visa to apply for to consult an attorney or other relevant expert.
State boards: Florida and Washington as examples
Two state sources read for this page word the English requirement very differently. They show how much the wording can vary; they are not a guide to any other state.
Florida: a named IELTS score
A Florida Board of Nursing document for applicants educated outside the US lists IELTS as one of several approved English competency examinations, so IELTS is one route there, not the only one. For the Academic version it states a minimum score of 6.5 overall with 7.0 on the spoken portion. It also says applicants educated outside the US (or graduates from US territories whose nursing board is not a member of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing) are required to provide proof of English competency if their textbooks and instruction were not completed in English.
Two things are worth noticing. First, the figure has two parts: an overall score, and a separate figure for the spoken portion, which in IELTS is the Speaking test. The overall band is the average of the four skill scores rounded to the nearest half band, so the overall figure can be met without the Speaking figure. For illustration only, and not a real result: four skills averaging 6.625 give an overall band of 6.5, and with a Speaking band of 6.5 the overall figure is met but the Speaking figure is not. The band score calculator shows how four scores average.
Second, the proof-of-English sentence is tied to the group of applicants it describes and to textbooks and instruction not having been in English. Read the full document for your own case.
Washington: a rule that defers to the board
Washington's nursing rule, WAC 246-840-045(3), covers initial licensure for RN and LPN applicants educated outside US jurisdictions. It says that if the theory and clinical components of the applicant's nursing education programme were not taught in English, the applicant must demonstrate English language proficiency. One route it lists is evidence of passing a board-approved English proficiency examination with the minimum passing scores established by the board. The rule lists other routes too, which this page does not cover.
The wording read for this page names no IELTS score; the exams and the scores are the board's to set. Do not read it as saying that IELTS is accepted in Washington, and do not carry a score over from Florida. Ask the board which exams and scores it has approved.
Questions to ask before you book the IELTS test
- Who receives my result? A state board, TruMerit or both? They are separate bodies with separate rules.
- Which version does that body name? The sources here that name a version name Academic.
- Is the score an overall figure, a figure for each section, or both? Florida's document sets an overall figure and one for the spoken portion.
- Does my test date matter? TruMerit judges tests taken before 12 May 2026 against the previous score requirements.
- Is a test taken at home accepted, and what about a One Skill Retake? TruMerit says it does not accept at-home versions, and its page does not mention One Skill Retake.
- Does my education exempt me, or does the board ask for proof? TruMerit's education-based exemption needs both of its criteria; the Florida and Washington texts tie the requirement to the language of instruction.
- How recent must the result be? This page states no validity period for these bodies, so ask each one.
Then book the test with a test centre. The ielts.org test centre finder lists US centres, and computer-delivered IELTS in the United States covers what the test looks like on the day. The test is not booked through Band Booster.
Where IELTS lessons with Mike fit
Band Booster IELTS is a private online tutoring service and does not register candidates, set exam fees or dates, or advise on licensing, credential review or visas. Mike is a Cambridge CELTA-certified teacher based in Hanoi who scored 8.5 in IELTS Speaking, and he teaches every session himself, live and one-to-one on Google Meet in English. See About Mike.
Lessons prepare you for the test itself. A session can cover Listening, Reading, Writing (Task 1 and Task 2, marked against the public band descriptors) or Speaking (Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format), with feedback during the session rather than days later. Where a board names a figure for the spoken portion, as the Florida document does, Speaking is one section to plan around, alongside the overall figure. Speaking is scored on four equally weighted criteria, so feedback can concentrate on the ones that need the most work. See IELTS Speaking coaching, IELTS Writing feedback and the Speaking Part 2 timer for practising a long turn.
General English sessions (conversation, pronunciation, job interviews, presentations and work email) are a separate option if you need spoken English at work rather than the test.
No band is promised: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions. Lessons are online wherever you are, and the booking calendar shows each slot in your own time zone. The booking page shows your price in your own currency before you pay. A paid 30-minute trial is available once per student, on a first booking; there is no subscription or package, and you can reschedule without charge up to 12 hours before the slot. The online IELTS tutor page for the USA has a time zone table for lessons from US cities.
Related pages
- Which US licensing bodies name IELTS? Examples from other professions.
- IELTS scores at US universities: what eight admissions pages say, a different question from a nursing board's.