This is general information taken from the regulators' own pages, not personal advice. Rules change, so read the page named in each section on the day you apply. Band Booster is not connected to either regulator, to the test providers or to any government body, and does not register candidates for the exam.
The two regulators side by side
| Question | GPhC (pharmacists) | GDC (dentists) |
|---|---|---|
| Test named | Academic IELTS, including IELTS for UKVI | Academic IELTS |
| Overall score | At least 7 | At least 7 |
| Each skill | No score below 7 | At least 6.5 in each category |
| Sitting | All four at one sitting | Not stated on the key-facts page |
| One Skill Retake / IELTS Online | Not mentioned in the guidance | Accepted, same minimums |
| Life Skills tests | Not accepted | Not addressed on the pages read |
GPhC: pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
The GPhC's guidance on evidence of English language skills (updated June 2025) covers people registering to practise in Great Britain, wherever they qualified. It also says applicants with UK qualifications will not usually need to provide further evidence, so IELTS mainly concerns people who qualified outside the UK. For IELTS it asks for:
- a recent pass of the academic version, including IELTS for UKVI but not the IELTS for UKVI Life Skills tests;
- an overall score of at least 7, with no score below 7 in reading, writing, listening and speaking;
- all of this at one sitting of the test.
The guidance defines "recent" as under two years old when you apply. It says older scores may be accepted if you can show you maintained your English, for example by working as a pharmacy professional in a mainly English-speaking country with at least 75 per cent of your day-to-day interaction in English.
IELTS is one route among several. The same guidance also lists a pharmacy-specific English test from another provider, a recent pharmacy qualification taught and examined in English in a mainly English-speaking country other than the UK, and recent practice in such a country. Which one applies depends on how you qualified and on the registration route, so read the section for your situation.
The "at one sitting" wording matters if you are thinking about a One Skill Retake. The GPhC guidance, as read for this page, does not mention One Skill Retake or IELTS Online. Do not assume either counts: ask the GPhC before you book.
GDC: dentists
The GDC's key facts about registration page asks for a pass in academic IELTS of at least 7, with at least 6.5 in each category. It also says the GDC accepts results from IELTS One Skill Retake and IELTS Online, and that the minimum scores stay the same for them.
The GDC lists other evidence as well: a recent primary dental qualification taught and examined in English with a structured reference, a recent pass in a language test for registration with a regulator in a country where English is the first language, or recent practice with a structured reference and employment contract.
Two cautions. First, the GDC says it is reviewing its English language guidance, and its English language controls page also says the guidance is under review. Second, the pages read do not give a validity period for IELTS results, only that evidence must be recent. Ask the GDC how it counts "recent" for your result.
What this means for choosing a test
- Academic, not General Training. Both regulators name the academic version. See Academic or General Training if you are unsure.
- IELTS for UKVI is allowed by the GPhC, but the Life Skills tests are not. The Life Skills tests are named separately in the GPhC guidance and are not the subject of this page.
- Computer or paper. The regulators' pages read here name the test, not the delivery format. See computer-delivered IELTS in the UK for how the formats are listed.
- Where to sit it. Test centres are listed on ielts.org; the booking page of the provider shows what is offered for your date.
If you are weighing a retake
A pharmacist who is one skill short faces a different question from a dentist. For the GPhC, scores are read at one sitting, and the guidance does not mention One Skill Retake. For the GDC, retake results are accepted at the same minimums. Our One Skill Retake in the UK page explains how the retake works; the regulator, not the test provider, decides whether the result counts.
How lessons with Mike can help with this
Mike is a Cambridge CELTA-certified teacher based in Hanoi, Vietnam, with 12+ years teaching English and IELTS in Vietnam, Turkey and Iran, and his own IELTS result is 8.5 in Speaking. Lessons are one-to-one, 60 minutes, live on Google Meet, in English. They cover IELTS Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, not the regulators' own procedures or any other test.
For a candidate who needs 7 in every skill, the weakest skill sets the target. Mike marks Writing Task 1 and Task 2 against the public band descriptors, runs Speaking Parts 1 to 3 in the real format with feedback in the moment, and leaves written progress notes in your account. No result can be promised. You can read more about Mike, then book a lesson; the booking calendar shows each slot in your own time zone, and the UK is six or seven hours behind Hanoi depending on the season.
