Who the PSI language rule applies to
The rule on the PSI's language requirements page is for qualified pharmacists trained outside Ireland who are seeking first-time registration. The page says that no exceptions will be made. This is general information taken from that page, not advice on your application: the rules in force on the date you submit a valid application are the ones that apply, so read the page again before you act.
The three ways to meet it
Meeting any one of three criteria is enough.
- Training country. You trained in a country where English or Irish is the native first language.
- Practice country. You lived and worked full-time as a registered pharmacist for three of the preceding five years in such a country, backed by independent evidence.
- Approved test certificate. You hold a certificate from a recognised international body, approved by the PSI, showing English at the required standard. Check the PSI page for the wording of this criterion.
The Council adopted CEFR C1 as the minimum standard on 20 September 2019 and revised the minimum Writing scores on 23 June 2022.
The IELTS Academic scores the PSI lists
The PSI lists IELTS Academic, with a minimum for every component and a lower base score used only for super-scoring.
| IELTS Academic | Minimum | Base score (super-scoring) |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 7 | 6.5 |
| Writing | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Reading | 7 | 6.5 |
| Listening | 7 | 6.5 |
| Overall band | 7 | 7 |
Each component and the overall band must be met.
Super-scoring: combining two sittings
The PSI page describes super-scoring in these terms:
- The two exams must be of the same format and taken within six months of each other.
- Each exam must reach the base score in every component and overall.
- Across the two sittings, the minimum score must be met in each component and overall.
The PSI page links a super-scoring example (a PDF); use it to see how your own two results would be read.
One-skill retakes and home-based tests
The PSI says plainly that it does not accept one-skill retakes. All components must be taken at the same sitting, and if one component falls short, all of them are retaken at a later sitting. That matters because IELTS providers offer a One Skill Retake for one section. For how that option works in general, see our page on IELTS One Skill Retake, and check any other body you apply to separately.
The PSI page also says home-based tests are not accepted. Check that your booking is not a home-based test, and confirm the format with your provider before paying.
Validity and verification
- Results are valid for two years from the test date.
- The PSI must be able to verify your results with the test provider. Ask the provider how to grant that access, and never give the PSI your login details or password.
- Other tests are listed on the PSI page, and an unlisted test may be considered if it is shown to be comparable to CEFR C1, but the PSI says processing takes longer.
What does not count
The PSI's FAQ lists several things that do not satisfy the criteria. For the training criterion: a postgraduate degree taken in Ireland and an adaptation period in Ireland. For the practice criterion: living in Ireland, and work as a pharmacy technician or OTC assistant. The FAQ also says that the official-language status of a country does not count as a native first language.
Where to take the test
Band Booster IELTS is not a test centre and does not register candidates or set fees. Register with an IELTS provider. The ielts.org centre list for Ireland shows the venues, and IDP's Ireland test dates page lists its own. Our page on IELTS test centres in Ireland goes through them. Fees and dates change, so check them with the provider.
How lessons with Mike can help with this
Lessons cover IELTS Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking only. They do not cover the PSI's own process or any pharmacy knowledge, and nothing here is a promise of a score. Mike teaches every session himself, one-to-one, live on Google Meet, in English. He holds the Cambridge CELTA, is based in Hanoi, and has 12+ years of teaching English and IELTS in Vietnam, Turkey and Iran; his own IELTS Speaking result is 8.5 (about Mike).
Because the PSI asks for a minimum in each component and wants one sitting, the useful question is which component is your weakest. In a lesson Mike marks Writing Task 1 and Task 2 against the public band descriptors, and runs Speaking Parts 1 to 3 in the real format with feedback in the moment. Written progress notes stay in your account. The booking page shows each time in your own time zone; Ireland is 7 hours behind Hanoi in winter and 6 hours behind in summer.
