This page reports what one Singapore Pharmacy Council page says about English tests, read in October 2026. It is not registration advice, it does not say whether the rule applies to you, and it quotes no exam fee or test date. Requirements change, so read the Council's page again before you apply.
What the Singapore Pharmacy Council's page says
The Singapore Pharmacy Council (SPC) has a page on evidence of proficiency in English language. It was marked "Last updated on 15 July 2026" when we read it in October 2026; the Council site's footer shows a separate, later site-wide date, which this page does not use. The table gives the page's points in our own words.
| Point | What the page says |
|---|---|
| Who | International pharmacy graduates who obtained their pharmacy degree outside the UK, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. |
| When | At the point of application for pre-registration training. |
| Which test | Applicants must reach the minimum scores in one of the tests the page lists. IELTS is one of them. |
| IELTS | The Academic Module: an overall score of at least 7 and at least 7 in each of the four components (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking). |
| OET | OET for the Pharmacy profession: at least 350 in each of the four components. |
| TOEFL | TOEFL iBT is listed too, with one set of figures for tests taken before 1 August 2026 and another for tests taken after that date; this page repeats neither. A footnote adds that the paper-based TOEFL is no longer accepted in applications for registration, with effect from 1 July 2021. |
| Timing | Results have to come from one sitting and fall within 2 years before the date of application for pre-registration training. |
Source: Singapore Pharmacy Council, evidence of proficiency in English language.
Who the wording is aimed at
The trigger in the page's first sentence is the place where the pharmacy degree was obtained. The requirement is stated for the point of applying for pre-registration training, which is also the date the 2-year window is counted back from. This page cannot tell you whether the sentence covers your degree or your situation.
This page reports only the Pharmacy Council's wording. Other councils word their rules differently, so do not carry a figure across from another profession: IELTS for healthcare registration in Singapore sets the councils side by side.
The IELTS line: the lowest skill sets the limit
The page asks for two things at once: an overall score of at least 7 and at least 7 in each of the four components. The overall band is the average of the four skill scores, rounded to the nearest half band, so a candidate with 7 or more in every skill also averages 7 or more. The reverse does not hold, which is why the lowest of the four scores is the figure to watch: a strong skill cannot make up for a weak one.
| Example scores (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) | Average | Overall band | Against the IELTS line quoted above |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.0, 7.5, 6.5, 7.0 | 7.25 | 7.5 | The overall band is above 7, but Writing is below 7. |
| 7.5, 7.0, 6.5, 6.5 | 6.875 | 7.0 | The overall band reaches 7, but Writing and Speaking are below 7. |
| 7.0, 7.0, 7.0, 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | Every figure reaches 7. |
These are example scores to show the arithmetic, not anyone's results. To turn four skill scores into an overall band, use the IELTS band score calculator.
The line names the Academic Module. Academic and General Training are different tests, so book the version the Council names. IELTS Academic or General Training explains the difference, and which one Singapore universities and councils name collects what their pages say.
One sitting and the two-year window
The page states two timing rules for test results:
- One sitting. Results must be obtained at one sitting, so plan for all four components to reach the Council's figures in the same test.
- Two years before the application. The window is measured back from the date of application for pre-registration training. A result can fall outside the 2-year window if your application is delayed after the test.
Work backwards from the date you expect to apply: the result has to be inside the window on that date. For computer-delivered tests, the Singapore providers' pages publish ranges of 1 to 5 days, with typical figures of 1 to 2 days or less. Those are typical timings, not promises, so plan around the longer end. More on timings: IELTS results in Singapore and computer-delivered IELTS in Singapore.
One Skill Retake, where a centre offers it, lets you retake a single skill. This page does not claim whether the Council counts such a result towards one sitting. One Skill Retake or a full retake compares the two options, and the question is on the list further down.
Turning a seven-in-every-skill target into practice
A target set skill by skill changes how practice time is spent. This is general teaching advice, not Council guidance: start with the skill that is furthest from 7, and judge it from timed practice answers rather than from how the skill feels.
Lessons at Band Booster IELTS are one-to-one with Mike, in English, on Google Meet. He is CELTA-certified (Cambridge, July 2017), is based in Hanoi, and scored 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS; there is more on About Mike. A session can be spent on one skill or on a mix:
- Listening: practice with feedback during the session (Listening coaching).
- Reading: practice with feedback during the session (Reading coaching).
- Writing: in Academic Writing, Task 1 describes a chart, graph, table, diagram or process and Task 2 is an essay. Answers to both are marked against the public band descriptors (IELTS Writing feedback).
- Speaking: Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format, with feedback in the moment (IELTS Speaking coaching). Between lessons, the Speaking Part 2 timer helps you rehearse a one-to-two-minute long turn.
Lessons are practice for the test, not the test itself, and no band is promised: how far you move depends on where you start and the work you do between sessions. Open times appear in your own time zone on the booking page, where your price is shown in your own currency before you pay. A regular session is 60 minutes, and the paid 30-minute trial is available 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. The online IELTS tutor page for Singapore explains booking from there.
Questions worth putting to the Council
This page cannot answer these. Put them to the Council, in writing if you can:
- Does the sentence about degrees obtained outside the UK, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand cover my degree?
- How is the 2-year window counted if my test date and my application date are close to the limit?
- If results must come from one sitting, does a One Skill Retake result count?
- Besides an English test, what does an application for pre-registration training need?
Outside the scope of this page
- The application itself. Eligibility, documents and what pre-registration training involves are for the Council's own pages, and an application can involve more than an English test.
- TOEFL iBT figures, any further OET detail, or a comparison between tests. The Council's page lists them. This page concentrates on the IELTS line because Band Booster IELTS is an IELTS coaching service.
- Visas and work passes. They are not covered here, and nothing on this page is visa or immigration advice.
- IELTS exam fees and test dates. Test providers set both, and Band Booster IELTS does not register candidates, so this page gives no exam fee or test date. IELTS test centres in Singapore covers where tests are held.
Requirements change. Treat this page as a snapshot of a Council page marked as last updated on 15 July 2026 and read in October 2026, and read that page again for the date you apply.