NMC English language changes set to be implemented in February

The NMC announced new changes to the English language requirements in February, which will be fully operationalised by the summer. Matthew McClelland, Executive Director of Strategy and Insight, said that these changes will maintain a really high standard of English score, which is required for safe and effective practice, while allowing more people to join the register. 

Originally, to pass the English-language test, an applicant needed to achieve a score of B in the Occupational English Test (OET), or 7 in the alternative International English Language Testing System (IELTS) advanced exam, in each of the listening, speaking and reading parts of the test, and C+ or 6.5 in the writing domain. From February 2023, the NMC will now accept combined test results as long as no part of the test is scored more than half a grade or point below the minimum required for the respective domains – which lowers the minimum score for writing to C or 6. Additionally, the regulator is also extending the period in which a person can combine their test scores from 6 months to 12 months to allow for greater flexibility and more time to prepare before retaking the test. 

The other change that will come into effect is that the NMC will allow applicants who have worked in a UK health or care setting for 12 out of the last 24 months to submit an employer reference as evidence of English-language proficiency instead of a test. This option will be available to applicants who have trained in English in a “non-majority English-speaking country”, and those who only just miss the required score on an OET or IELTS test. 

It comes as the number of internationally trained nursing staff in the UK is increasing rapidly, with nurses coming from abroad accounting for nearly half of those who registered for the first time in the last six months, according to the NMC. The regulator confirmed that relevant individuals, who were either waiting to re-sit the test or who were appealing their test scores, will be notified of the changes, where appropriate.