This is a comparison, not advice on your case. Each row comes from the page of the body named in it, and where a page says nothing the table says so. Rules change, so check the linked page before you apply or book a test.
The six bodies side by side
| Body | IELTS version named | Score | Validity and sittings | Refused |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NMBI (nurses, midwives) | Academic, including Academic for UKVI | Overall 7.0; 7.0 in any three components and 6.5 in any one | Under two years old; one result only, no combining | One Skill Retake; IELTS online |
| Medical Council (doctors) | Academic | Overall 7.0; 6.5 in each module | Single sitting; dated within two years of application and of registration | IELTS Indicator; IELTS Online |
| CORU (health and social care) | IELTS; check the page for the version | Varies by profession, see below | Within two years of application; up to two sittings | One Skill Retake; online or at-home IELTS |
| PSI (pharmacists) | Academic format | Overall 7; Speaking, Reading, Listening 7; Writing 6.5 | Valid two years; same sitting, or two exams within six months | One-skill retakes; home-based tests |
| Dental Council (dentists) | Academic | 7.0 in each of the four skills; no overall stated | No more than two years before the application; sittings not mentioned | IELTS Online |
| Teaching Council (teachers) | Academic | 7.0 or above; the page does not say overall or per skill | All components at the same sitting; test taken no more than five years before submission, unless you have since lived and worked or studied full time in an English-speaking environment | Not mentioned on the page |
What the table shows
- 7.0 is the common figure, but it sits in different places. It is overall for NMBI and the Medical Council, per skill for the Dental Council, and both at PSI.
- Writing can carry the lower allowance. The NMBI page lists Writing at 6.5 among its components, and PSI sets Writing at 6.5.
- Two years is the usual validity on the NMBI, Medical Council, CORU, PSI and Dental Council pages. The Teaching Council page gives five years, with an exception for people who have since lived and worked or studied full time in an English-speaking environment.
- Format matters as much as score. A strong result from a refused format is of no use to you.
CORU scores differ by profession
CORU publishes one table. Overall 7.0 with no element below 6.5 applies to social workers, dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, optical, medical scientists, podiatrists and social care workers. For radiographers it is overall 7.0 with no element below 7.0. For speech and language therapists it is overall 8.0 with no element below 7.5. For how results from two sittings are treated, read the CORU page itself.
Alternatives the pages list
Most pages also accept the Occupational English Test, and several accept Cambridge C1 Advanced. The PSI page also lists TOEFL. The Teaching Council page also lists routes without a test, such as a qualification taught and examined in English, or recent years living and practising through English. The conditions are specific, so use the linked page, and check the other bodies' pages for any similar route.
Choosing an IELTS format with this in mind
Before you book, confirm four things on your body's page: Academic or General Training, the minimum for each skill, whether a retake of one skill counts, and how old a result may be. Test providers and centres in Ireland are covered on the Irish test centres page, and the single-body pages go deeper: NMBI, Medical Council, CORU, PSI, Dental Council and Teaching Council. For a retake question, see the One Skill Retake page.
Rules change. Check the body's own page before applying. This table was last compared on 31 October 2026 and is general information, not personal advice.
How lessons with Mike can help with this
Mike does not set these scores or register anyone, and he is not connected to any of the bodies above. What he does is teach IELTS Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking one-to-one, live on Google Meet, in English. He 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. His own IELTS result is 8.5 in Speaking. If one skill is the one holding your result back, lessons can focus on it. You can see open times on the booking page, where each slot shows in your own time zone.
