Published on April 21, 2026 at 16:52 PM | Category: Nursing Registration

AHPRA Announces Major English Test Score Updates Effective April 23, 2026

AHPRA introduces updated English test score requirements effective April 23, 2026, impacting IELTS, PTE, OET, TOEFL, and Cambridge tests for healthcare registration applicants.

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AHPRA Announces Major English Test Score Updates Effective April 23, 2026

April 21, 2026

April 2026 | Australia

In a significant regulatory update, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has announced
revised English language test score requirements for healthcare registration applicants. The new rules will come
into effect from 23 April 2026, impacting all five accepted English proficiency tests.

Key Change: Test Date Determines Score Criteria

AHPRA has clarified that:

Tests taken on or before 22 April 2026 will follow the existing (old) score requirements
Tests taken from 23 April 2026 onwards must meet the new revised scores

This distinction applies regardless of when the application is submitted, making the test date critical for
all candidates.

No Change in English Proficiency Level

Despite the score adjustments, AHPRA emphasizes that the overall level of English proficiency
required remains unchanged.

1. IELTS Academic

Scores identical in both old and new tables — the most stable and predictable choice.

SKILL	OLD SCORE		NEW SCORE (▲ = higher ▼ = lower = = unchanged)
Listening	7	→	= 7
Reading	7	→	= 7
Writing	6.5	→	= 6.5
Speaking	7	→	= 7
Overall	7	→	= 7

ℹ️ Only IELTS Academic (paper or computer at test centre) is accepted. IELTS General Training, IELTS Online,
and at-home formats are all rejected.

2. OET — Occupational English Test

Alphabetical grades (B / C+) replaced by numeric scores since August 2025. Equivalent proficiency —
different scale.

SKILL	OLD SCORE		NEW SCORE (▲ = higher ▼ = lower = = unchanged)
Listening	B	→	350
Reading	B	→	360
Writing	C+	→	350
Speaking	B	→	360

ℹ️ The OET switched to a numeric 0–500 scale in August 2025. Thresholds 350/360 are AHPRA’s certified
equivalents of the old letter grades. Two-sitting floor scores: L 320 | R 340 | W 350 | S 350.

3. PTE Academic

Overall score drops but speaking rises sharply — strategy of offsetting low speaking with other skills no
longer works.

SKILL	OLD SCORE		NEW SCORE (▲ = higher ▼ = lower = = unchanged)
Listening	66	→	▼ 58
Reading	66	→	▼ 59
Writing	56	→	▲ 60
Speaking	66	→	▲ 76
Overall	66	→	▼ 63

ℹ️ Two-sitting floor scores: L 53 | R 54 | W 60 | S 66. The speaking requirement has increased by 10 points
— the largest single change across all tests.

4. TOEFL iBT

Slight reductions across most bands; speaking rises marginally. Overall drops from 94 to 91.

SKILL	OLD SCORE		NEW SCORE (▲ = higher ▼ = lower = = unchanged)
Listening	24	→	▼ 22
Reading	24	→	▼ 22
Writing	24	→	▼ 23
Speaking	23	→	▲ 24
Overall	94	→	▼ 91

ℹ️ Always select ‘Taking TOEFL for Australia’ when registering — only TOEFL iBT Australia is accepted.
Two-sitting floor scores: L 19 | R 19 | W 23 | S 22.

5. Cambridge C1 Advanced

Listening/reading ease slightly but speaking rises significantly. Cambridge C2 Proficiency is unchanged.