English Language

These requirements apply to all new applications received on or after 1st March 2025.

The Medical Council accepts any of the following as evidence of effective communication skills:

Medical Degree and Internship Training or Higher Qualification through English

An applicant can submit evidence that they completed their basic medical degree and internship training OR a Higher Qualification with a postgraduate medical training body through English in one of our listed countries where English is the predominant language.

Please note that all evidence submitted will be verified at source.

ACCEPTED ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTS

Occupational English Test (OET) Certificate

Applicants must have passed the OET Medicine category and attained a minimum grade B in each module in a single sitting within the last two years. Certificates older than two years are not acceptable. We do not accept OET @ Home online tests.

Please note that OET Certificates will be verified at source. All certificates must also be dated within two years of the date of registration.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Certificate

Applicants must have passed the Academic IELTS examination with an overall band score of 7.0 and a minimum score of 6.5 in each module, in a single sitting within the last two years. Certificates older than two years are not acceptable. We do not accept the IELTS Indicator or IELTS Online tests.

Please note that all IELTS Certificates will be verified at source. All certificates must also be dated within two years of the date of registration.

Cambridge English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Certificate

Applicants must have passed the Advanced English (CAE) – Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Level C1 or C2 within the last two years. Certificates older than two years are not acceptable.

Please note that all Cambridge ESOL Certificates will be verified at source. All certificates must also be dated within two years of the date of registration.

Equivalent Tests

Although passing another equivalent English language test may be acceptable, we do not have a list of equivalent tests. If you believe your test to be equivalent, you may submit it for consideration, but it will take time for the Medical Council to ascertain if it is equivalent, and we cannot guarantee that it will be accepted.

Please note that all test certificates will be verified at source.

The countries we currently accept as having English as the predominant language are listed below. Note, the predominant language is not necessarily the same as the official language. Our list of countries is modelled on the General Medical Council, UK (GMC) list. We maintain and update our list on a regular basis. When we are advised that an additional country’s first and native language is English, we will contact the relevant Ministry of Health and the medical regulator to seek evidence of this.

Countries and territories we accept:

All certificates must be dated within two years of the date the application is submitted, and the date of registration.

If the certificate has expired by the time an applicant is eligible to be registered additional evidence is required before you can be registered. You will not have to re-sit your test IF you can provide references covering at least three months of recent full-time study or employment in a country where English is the predominant language.

Both your medical degree and internship training must have been completed through English in a country where English is the predominant language, to ensure that you have been completely immersed in the English language throughout the duration of your medical studies.

Yes, if your Higher Qualification was obtained and awarded through English by an approved postgraduate training body in a country where English is the predominant language, you will be exempt. You must submit evidence of this with your application.

Evidence that you have been awarded a Higher Qualification which is equivalent to a Higher Qualification listed in the Registration Rules and was obtained through English in a country where English is the predominant language ,can be submitted for consideration. However, it may take some time for the Medical Council to ascertain if it is equivalent, and we cannot guarantee that it will be accepted.