OET guide
OET vs IELTS for nurses and doctors: which should you take?
Most healthcare regulators in English-speaking countries accept both OET and IELTS Academic, so the choice is often yours. The two tests measure English in very different ways, though, and the Writing tasks have almost nothing in common. This guide compares them side by side, shows what the main regulators ask for in each, and gives practical pointers for choosing.
LetterScore AI is an independent practice tool. It is not affiliated with OET, Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment, IELTS or any regulator. Requirements change: always confirm the current rules with your own regulator before booking a test.
The short answer
If you are a nurse or doctor and your regulator accepts both tests, OET is usually the more natural fit because every task is set in a healthcare context and the Writing task is a clinical letter like the ones you already write at work. IELTS can suit you better if you are comfortable with academic essays and data descriptions, if you might need a score for a non-healthcare purpose too, or if your regulator or visa route only accepts IELTS. Neither test is "easier" in general; what matters is which format plays to your strengths.
Format at a glance
| Feature | OET | IELTS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Healthcare professionals only, in 12 professions | Anyone: students, professionals, migrants |
| Context of tasks | Healthcare: consultations, handovers, clinical texts | General academic topics: science, society, education |
| Profession-specific parts | Writing and Speaking (e.g. Nursing or Medicine version) | None |
| Shared parts | Listening and Reading are the same for all professions, on general healthcare topics | All four parts are the same for every candidate |
| Scoring | Each sub-test reported separately, 0–500 with a grade A–E; no single overall score used by regulators | Band 0–9 for each part plus an overall band |
| Speaking | Role-plays with an interlocutor playing a patient or relative | Interview with an examiner on everyday and abstract topics |
The scoring difference matters more than it looks. Many regulators set an overall IELTS band as well as minimums for each part, while OET requirements are set sub-test by sub-test. Check how your regulator phrases its rule before comparing the two.
How the Writing tasks differ
This is the biggest practical difference between the tests, and for many candidates Writing decides which test they pass first.
| Writing | OET | IELTS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Number of tasks | One letter | Two tasks |
| Time | 5 minutes reading time, then 40 minutes writing | 60 minutes for both tasks |
| Task type | A referral, discharge, transfer or similar letter written from case notes | Task 1: describe a chart, table or diagram. Task 2: an argument or discussion essay |
| Length guidance | Letter body of about 180–200 words | At least 150 words (Task 1) and at least 250 words (Task 2) |
| Main skill tested | Selecting what a specific reader needs and presenting it clearly | Describing data accurately and building a written argument |
| Criteria | Six: Purpose, Content, Conciseness & Clarity, Genre & Style, Organisation & Layout, Language | Four: task achievement or response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy |
In OET you do not need ideas of your own: the case notes give you everything, and the skill is choosing and summarising. In IELTS Task 2 you must produce your own argument on a topic you may know little about. Candidates who find essays stressful often prefer OET; candidates who struggle with selecting from notes, or who over-copy them, can find OET Writing harder than expected. Our guides to the six OET Writing criteria and the OET letter format show what the OET task rewards.
What the main regulators ask for
The table below shows minimums for registration as published by each regulator. Figures were checked on the regulators' own websites in October 2026. For full details, sitting rules and sources, see OET requirements by country.
| Regulator | OET minimum | IELTS Academic minimum |
|---|---|---|
| NMC (UK nurses and midwives) | B (350) in Listening, Reading, Speaking; C+ (300) in Writing | 7 in Listening, Reading, Speaking; 6.5 in Writing |
| GMC (UK doctors) | B in all four sub-tests, same sitting | 7.0 in each part and 7.5 overall |
| Ahpra and National Boards (Australia), tests from 23 April 2026 | Listening 350, Reading 360, Writing 350, Speaking 360 | 7 overall; 7 in Listening, Reading, Speaking; 6.5 in Writing |
| NMBI (Ireland, nurses and midwives) | B in Listening, Reading, Speaking; C+ in Writing | 7.0 overall; 7.0 in Listening, Reading, Speaking; 6.5 in Writing |
| Medical Council (Ireland, doctors) | B in each sub-test, single sitting | 7.0 overall, at least 6.5 in each part |
| Nursing Council of New Zealand | 350 in Listening, Reading, Speaking; 300 in Writing | 7 in Listening, Reading, Speaking; 6.5 in Writing |
| Medical Council of New Zealand | 350 in Listening, Reading, Speaking; 300 in Writing | 7.0 in Listening, Reading, Speaking; 6.5 in Writing |
Two points stand out. First, for most nursing regulators the Writing minimum is one step lower than the other skills in both tests (C+ in OET, 6.5 in IELTS). Second, Australia's boards changed their OET minimums for tests taken on or after 23 April 2026, raising Writing to 350, while their IELTS minimums stayed the same. If you are aiming for Australia, compare the new OET figures carefully with the IELTS ones.
Some regulators also limit how the test is taken. For example, Ahpra, NMBI and the Irish Medical Council do not accept OET@Home, while the NMC and GMC do. Check this before you book.
How OET and IELTS scores compare
OET publishes its own benchmarking table linking its grades to IELTS bands: roughly, OET B (350–440) sits alongside IELTS 7.0–7.5, and C+ (300–340) alongside IELTS 6.5. This is OET's own research, not a conversion endorsed by IELTS, and regulators set their own equivalences. Australia's 2026 change shows that a regulator can decide differently. For more on the OET scale, see OET Writing score and grade B explained.
Which should you take? Practical questions to ask
- Does your regulator accept both? Start here. If you might apply to more than one country, check every regulator on your list and any visa or immigration body too, since their lists of accepted tests can differ.
- Which Writing task suits you? If you write referral and discharge letters at work and can summarise quickly, OET Writing will feel familiar. If you are confident with essays and data, IELTS may suit you.
- Can you combine sittings? Rules differ. The NMC, Ahpra and both New Zealand councils allow results from two sittings within 12 months under conditions; NMBI, the GMC and the Irish Medical Council require a single test or sitting. This can change which test is more practical if one skill is holding you back.
- How is it delivered where you live? Check which test modes (paper, computer at a centre, at home) your regulator accepts and what is available near you.
- Have you tried both? Do one timed practice Writing task for each test. Your gut reaction after 45 minutes of an OET letter and 60 minutes of IELTS tasks is often the best guide.
If you choose OET
Put most of your Writing practice into case-note selection and the opening purpose sentence, since these move scores fastest. Nurses can start with our OET Writing guide for nurses, and anyone aiming for B should read how to move from C+ to grade B and the 12 common OET Writing mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
Is OET easier than IELTS for nurses?
Neither test is easier in general. OET uses healthcare tasks and a clinical letter, which many nurses find more familiar, while IELTS uses academic essays and data descriptions. The better choice depends on which format suits your strengths and what your regulator accepts.
Do UK, Irish, Australian and New Zealand regulators accept both OET and IELTS?
The NMC, GMC, Ahpra, NMBI, the Irish Medical Council and both New Zealand councils all list OET and IELTS Academic among their accepted tests, as checked in October 2026. Minimum scores, sitting rules and accepted test modes differ, so confirm the details with your regulator.
Can I combine an OET result with an IELTS result?
Regulators that allow two sittings generally require both to be the same test. The NMC, for example, says IELTS and OET results cannot be combined, and Ahpra says results from different test providers cannot be combined.
What Writing score do nurses need in OET compared with IELTS?
For the NMC, NMBI and the Nursing Council of New Zealand, it is C+ (300) in OET Writing or 6.5 in IELTS Writing. In Australia, tests taken on or after 23 April 2026 need 350 in OET Writing, while the IELTS Writing minimum remains 6.5. Always check your regulator's current page.