The councils side by side
Each row is what that council's own page says, read in October 2026. The figures are for IELTS Academic and the order is not a ranking. A date in the last column is the "Last updated" date shown under that page's title; the council sites' footers show later, site-wide dates, so check the live page. This is a comparison of published rules, not registration advice: whether a rule applies to you, and what else an application needs, is for the council to say.
| Council and profession | Who the page says it applies to | IELTS figure it lists | Other points and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMC (Singapore Medical Council), doctors | Applicants whose basic medical degree comes from a medical school where English was not the medium of instruction. | IELTS Academic: at least 7 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. | Results are accepted only if they are within 2 years from the date of the test, and must be obtained in a single sitting. Page dated 2 September 2026. Source: SMC, documents for submission and processing time. |
| SDC (Singapore Dental Council), dentists, Qualifying Examination route | Foreign-trained applicants whose first language is not English. | IELTS, academic module: at least 7 for all four components. | A 2-year validity period based on the date of the test; the scores must be obtained in a single sitting. Page dated 6 May 2026. Source: SDC, criteria for the Qualifying Examination. |
| SDC, oral health therapists, qualifying examination | Foreign-trained applicants whose first language is not English, as the page words it. | The same figure as on the dentists' page: at least 7 for all components, academic module. | Scores from a single sitting, with a 2-year validity. Page dated 31 July 2025. Source: SDC, qualifying examination for oral health therapists. |
| SPC (Singapore Pharmacy Council), pharmacists | Pharmacy graduates whose degree is from outside the UK, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. | IELTS Academic: an overall score of at least 7 and at least 7 in each of the four components. | Results must be obtained at one sitting and within 2 years before the date of application for pre-registration training. Page dated 15 July 2026. Source: SPC, evidence of proficiency in English language. |
| AHPC (Allied Health Professions Council), diagnostic radiography and radiation therapy | Applicants whose basic professional qualification is not from the countries in the exemption list below. | IELTS Academic: at least 6 in every component. | No limit on the number of attempts, but all components of each test must be met in a single examination sitting. The 2 years run back from the date of the registration application. Page dated 24 July 2026. Source: AHPC, requirements for registration application. |
| AHPC, occupational therapy and physiotherapy | The same group as in the row above. | IELTS Academic: at least 7 in every component. | Same AHPC page and the same conditions. |
| AHPC, speech-language therapy | The same group as in the row above. | IELTS Academic: overall 7.5 and no less than 7.0 in every component. | Same AHPC page and the same conditions. |
| SNB (Singapore Nursing Board), nurses and midwives | Foreign-trained nurses and midwives; the page we read is addressed to them. | The page names no English test. | Documents not in English need a certified translation in English, and the notarisation of certified true copies must be made in English. Page dated 9 June 2026. Confirm what applies with SNB and the employer's HR. Source: SNB, foreign-trained nurses and midwives. |
Who each rule applies to: the triggers differ
The same IELTS number answers different questions on different pages. SMC asks about the language of instruction of the basic medical degree. SDC, on both its pages, asks whether the applicant is foreign-trained and whether their first language is English. SPC and AHPC ask about the country of the degree or basic qualification (AHPC's country list is further down). Two people can therefore fall on different sides of different rules: do not carry one profession's rule over to another, and ask the council if your situation does not match the wording.
What the pages have in common
- The Academic module. Every council above that names IELTS names the Academic module. Academic and General Training are different tests: see IELTS Academic or General Training and which one Singapore universities and councils name.
- A figure for each skill. Each council that names IELTS gives a minimum for each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, not only an overall band.
A component rule is not an average. The overall band is the average of the four skill scores, rounded to the nearest half band. As an illustration only, scores of 8.0, 7.0, 7.0 and 6.0 average 7.0, an overall 7.0, yet the 6.0 would sit below a minimum of 7 in each component. The IELTS band score calculator shows how four skill scores become an overall band.
Where the pages differ
Overall band, components, or both
SMC and SDC word their figure as a minimum in each component: the IELTS lines on their pages name components only. SPC asks for an overall score of at least 7 as well as at least 7 in each component. AHPC's figure for speech-language therapy combines the two: overall 7.5 and no less than 7.0 in every component. That 7.5 is AHPC's figure for that one profession.
AHPC also sets its figure by profession, as the table shows. This page does not claim that the table covers every allied health profession: if yours is not named, read AHPC's page.
AHPC's list of countries
AHPC says that applicants whose basic professional qualification was from any of these countries are not required to show English proficiency before conditional registration can be granted:
- Singapore
- Australia
- Canada (except Quebec)
- New Zealand
- Republic of Ireland
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
The lists are not the same across councils. SPC's wording names the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, so Ireland and South Africa appear on AHPC's list but not on SPC's.
Other tests
The SMC, SDC, SPC and AHPC pages each also list OET and TOEFL iBT next to IELTS. This page covers IELTS only and makes no comparison between tests; read your council's page for its full list.
The two-year window, single sittings and retakes
All four councils that name IELTS state a 2-year window, but they do not all measure it from the same point: SMC and SDC refer to the date of the test, SPC to the date of application for pre-registration training, and AHPC to the date of the registration application. Plan your test date and your application date together.
A single-sitting rule appears on all four councils' pages, SDC's two pages included. SMC and SDC say the scores or results must be obtained in a single sitting, SPC says at one sitting, and AHPC says all components of each test must be met in a single examination sitting, although it also says there is no limit to the number of attempts.
None of these pages mentions One Skill Retake, so this page claims neither way on whether a One Skill Retake result can count where a single sitting is required. Ask your council before you plan around one, and see One Skill Retake or a full retake for how the two options compare.
Leave a margin for results. Computer-delivered results usually arrive in about 2 days and the published ranges run up to 5 days, which are typical timings, not promises. See IELTS results in Singapore and computer-delivered IELTS in Singapore.
Nurses and midwives (SNB)
The Singapore Nursing Board's page for foreign-trained nurses and midwives, read in October 2026 and dated 9 June 2026, has two language-related rules about documents: documents that are not in English must come with a certified translation in English, and the notarisation on certified true copies must be made in English. The page names no English test, but that is not the same as saying that no test applies: we did not check every SNB document or any employer's own requirements. Confirm with SNB and the employer's HR what applies to you. Source: SNB, foreign-trained nurses and midwives.
What this page does not cover
- How to apply for registration, which documents a council wants, or who is eligible. Each council's page covers that, and an application can involve more than an English test.
- Visas and work passes. This page is about professional registration only and gives no visa or immigration advice.
- IELTS exam fees and test dates. They are set by the test provider, and Band Booster IELTS does not register candidates, so this page quotes no exam fee or test date.
- University admission: see IELTS scores for Singapore universities and IELTS scores for study abroad.
Requirements change. Treat this page as a snapshot of pages read in October 2026, and read your council's page for the date you apply.
Preparing for a component-level target with Mike
Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service, not a council, a test centre or the exam board. Mike teaches every session himself, one-to-one and live in English on Google Meet. He holds the Cambridge CELTA, is based in Hanoi and scored 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS (About Mike).
When a council names a minimum in every component, the weakest skill matters as much as the strongest, so tell Mike which component you most want to work on. A session can cover Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking. In IELTS Academic, Writing Task 1 describes a chart, graph, table, diagram or process and Task 2 is an essay, marked against the public band descriptors (Writing feedback). Speaking is practised in the real three-part format with feedback during the session (Speaking coaching), and there are also Listening and Reading sessions.
A lesson is practice, not the test, and no band is promised: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions. The booking page shows each time in your own time zone and your price in your own currency before you pay, and Singapore is in the higher regional price tier. A paid 30-minute trial can be booked once, on a first booking. There is no subscription or package, and you can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before the slot. For booking from Singapore, see the online IELTS tutor page for Singapore.
Related pages
This page compares the councils. For the detail of one council:
- IELTS for doctors: Singapore Medical Council
- IELTS for foreign-trained dentists and oral health therapists: Singapore Dental Council
- IELTS for pharmacists: Singapore Pharmacy Council
- IELTS for allied health professionals: AHPC
- IELTS test centres in Singapore, if you need to find where tests are held