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To register you as a health practitioner the National Board (the Board) you are registering with needs to be satisfied you have the necessary skills to communicate in English at a level that is safe to practise your profession.
This standard sets out how you can show this to the Board and applies to the following professions:
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You need to meet this standard if you:
You do not need to meet this standard if you:
To meet this standard, you must show the Board you are competent in the English language by using one of the four pathways in this standard. The pathways are:
Note: The combined education pathway and the test pathway are the pathways suitable for most applicants. If you have not completed any education in a recognised country the test pathway is suitable for you.
If you completed at least two years secondary education in English in a recognised country and your qualifications were taught and assessed in English in a recognised country, this pathway is most suitable for you.
To satisfy this pathway, you must have a combination of secondary education and qualifications, where you have carried out and successfully completed:
If you completed all or most of your primary and secondary school education in English in a recognised country and your qualifications were taught and assessed in English, this pathway is most suitable for you.
To satisfy this pathway, English is your main language and you have carried out and successfully completed:
If you have completed your qualifications and advanced education (which may also be known as tertiary) all taught and assessed in English in a recognised country, this pathway may be suitable for you.
To satisfy this pathway, you have carried out and successfully completed at least six years in total of (full-time equivalent) education, all taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country which includes:
A maximum of two years break while obtaining your qualifications and advanced education will be accepted.
The last period of education must have been completed no more than two years before applying for registration.
If you are unable to satisfy one of the other pathways set out in this standard this pathway is most suitable for you.
To satisfy this pathway, you must achieve the required minimum scores in one of the following English language tests and meet the requirements for test results as specified in Appendix one.
NOTE: We will only accept test results from:
and only if the requirements for test results, such as when the test must be taken, type/modality of test and the required minimum scores, specified in this standard are met as set out below.
The Medical Board of Australia will also accept successful completion of the profession specific New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX) or Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test (PLAB test).
The Board may grant an exemption to this standard when you apply for limited registration in the following circumstances:
while working in an appropriately supported environment that will ensure patient safety is not compromised.
The Board reserves the right at any time to revoke an exemption and/or require an applicant to complete a specified English language test.
This registration standard was approved by the Ministerial Council on 14 November 2024.
Registration standards are developed under section 38 of the National Law and are subject to wide-ranging consultation.
Advanced education (which may also be known as tertiary education) means successful completion of education at a level comparable to an Australian bachelor degree (AQF7) or higher which leads to an award of a degree or above. The advanced education can be in any field, however, programs that are fully completed online will not be accepted. This is because this pathway requirement is to show the applicant’s exposure to English at this level and requires applicants to give evidence of the course requirement to read, write, listen to and speak English in the education environment. Your qualification does not need to be completed before the advanced education you wish to count. A maximum of two years break while obtaining your qualifications and advanced education will be accepted in the advanced education pathway and all other criteria set out in the pathway must be satisfied.
AQF means the Australian qualification framework which is the national policy for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training. You can find out more about a bachelor degree at AQF level 7 on the Australian Qualifications Framework website.
Board-approved program of study means an accredited program of study approved by the Chinese Medicine, Chiropractic, Dental, Medical Radiation Practice, Medical, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Osteopathy, Paramedicine, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry or Psychology Boards of Australia under section 49(1) of the National Law and published in the Board’s list of approved programs of study on the Board’s website.
Continuously working means working for at least 26 weeks full-time equivalent per year. For example, 52 weeks part-time work (five days per fortnight) which in total adds up to the equivalent of 26 weeks full-time.
Continuously working can include some periods of leave. However, as this requirement is to demonstrate exposure to English in the working environment the minimum hours worked per year must total 26 weeks full-time equivalent.
Full-time equivalent
For the purpose of:
Please refer to the evidence guide and FAQs for further examples.
Limited registration means a type of registration National Boards may grant to practitioners who do not qualify for general or specialist registration, but who hold relevant qualifications in the profession to practise under a form of limited registration. Limited registration may be renewed for a maximum of three times, after which a new application can be made. National Boards may have different requirements for limited registration.
Main language means the language primarily used for reading, writing, listening, and speaking and the language known best and most comfortable with and used most frequently on a day-to day basis.
National Law means the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory.
National Scheme means the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.
NZREX means New Zealand Registration Examination administered by the Medical Council of New Zealand.
PLAB test means the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test (or equivalent) administered by the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom.
Primary education means Australian school years from year one (1) or first year through to year six (6) inclusive (or equivalent).
Qualifications means the qualifications in the relevant health profession which you are relying on to support your eligibility for registration under Part 7 of the National Law.
Recognised country means one of the following countries or territories:
Other recognised countries approved by the National Boards from time to time will be published on the Board’s website. National Boards reserve the right at any time to revoke their approval of a recognised country.
Secondary education means Australian school years seven (7) through to twelve (12) inclusive (or equivalent), even when year seven is classified as primary education in a particular state or territory.
Test results means the official results provided by the English language test provider. If you are providing test results from two test sittings as set out in this standard, the results from both sittings must meet the requirements of this standard.
Two test sittings in a 12-month period means that the dates of the sittings must not be more than 12 months apart. For example, if your first test sitting was on 1 March, the second sitting must be no later than 1 March of the following year. If you are providing test results from two sittings, you may provide results of any two tests taken within a 12-month period as set out in this standard. Results cannot be combined from different test providers.
This standard will be reviewed at least every five years.
Last reviewed: 2024
The following requirements apply to the English language test results:
For the purposes of calculating time, if an applicant relies on test results from two sittings in a 12-month period, time begins to run from the date of the earlier sitting.
Results from different test providers cannot be combined.
The table below includes the versions of the tests approved by the National Boards. Additional versions or modalities of the tests may be approved from time to time and will be published on the Ahpra or Board websites.
Cambridge
(C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency)
(Paper and computer at test centre only)
Chinese medicine
Chiropractic
Dental
Medical
Medical radiation practice
Occupational therapy
Optometry
Osteopathy
Paramedicine
Pharmacy
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Psychology
Minimum overall score of 185 in each of the three components:
and minimum score of 176 in the one component:
IELTS
(Academic paper and computer at test centre only)
Minimum score of 7 in each of the three components:
and minimum score of 6.5 in the one component:
OET
(On paper or computer based in testing centre)
(Any profession-specific OET test can be accepted)
Minimum score of B in each of the three components:
and minimum score of C+ in the one component:
PTE Academic
(Computer at test centre only)
Minimum score of 66 in each of the three communicative skills:
and minimum score of 56 in one communicative skill:
TOEFL iBT