PTE for nurses: English test scores for Australia, New Zealand and the US

PTE Academic scores nurses need, by country

Every figure is copied from the regulator's or assessor's own page, with the date we read it. Requirements change: check the linked page before you book.

Australia: one or two sittings

Ahpra accepts results from one sitting, or at most two sittings within 12 months. With two sittings, each sitting needs the overall 63, and no skill in either sitting may be below listening 53, reading 54, writing 60 or speaking 66. The same scores apply to every National Board, nursing and midwifery included. The registration standard itself is on the NMBA English language skills page.

Source: Ahpra, Accepted English language tests, last updated 23 April 2026. Read by RealPTE on 20 October 2026.

New Zealand: PTE is not accepted for nurses

The Nursing Council of New Zealand lists two approved English tests for internationally qualified nurses, OET and IELTS Academic, and says: “We do not accept PTE.” A PTE score does not count for NZ nursing registration.

Source: Nursing Council of New Zealand, Nursing Council Requirements (internationally qualified nurses). Read by RealPTE on 20 October 2026.

PTE or OET?

OET (Occupational English Test) is the English test made for healthcare workers: its tasks use hospital and clinic situations. Ahpra accepts both PTE Academic and OET, for nurses, doctors and every other National Board. For tests from 23 April 2026, OET needs listening 350, reading 360, writing 350 and speaking 360 (OET has no overall score).

The choice matters if you may register outside Australia later. The UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council, Ireland's NMBI and the Nursing Council of New Zealand accept only IELTS Academic and OET, so a PTE score does not count there. Of the countries in the table, PTE counts in Australia and the US; OET counts in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland.

Registering with AHPRA as a nurse or doctor? OET is also accepted. Try one OET case-notes exercise first: no sign-up, line-by-line feedback straight away.Try one OET nursing exerciseOETAce and RealPTE are run by the same team.Sources: Ahpra · NMBA · Medical Board of Australia · 2026-10-26

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Council, Accepted English language tests, last updated 8 March 2024. Read by RealPTE on 22 October 2026. Source: NMBI, English language requirements for overseas trained nurses/midwives. Read by RealPTE on 22 October 2026.

United States: VisaScreen

TruMerit (formerly CGFNS) VisaScreen accepts PTE Academic. The scores above are from its table dated 12 May 2026. At-home versions of English tests are not accepted.

Source: TruMerit, Updated list of Tests and Scores for Foreign Health Care Workers (image table), last updated 12 May 2026. Read by RealPTE on 20 October 2026.

What to practise first

Speaking has the highest minimum in both tables: 76 in Australia and 76 in the US. Speaking tasks to practise: Read Aloud · Repeat Sentence · Describe Image · Retell Lecture. RealPTE scores are practice estimates, not Pearson results. RealPTE has no nursing-specific content.

In Malayalam: PTE practice with a Malayalam interface (മലയാളം).

Questions students ask

What PTE score do nurses need for Australia?

For tests taken on or after 23 April 2026: overall 63, with listening 58, reading 59, writing 60 and speaking 76 (Ahpra's accepted English tests page).

Can nurses use PTE for New Zealand registration?

No. The Nursing Council of New Zealand accepts OET or IELTS Academic and states that it does not accept PTE.

Can nurses use PTE for the UK or Ireland?

No. The UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council and Ireland's NMBI accept IELTS Academic and OET; PTE is on neither list. In Australia, Ahpra accepts OET as well as PTE Academic.

What PTE score do nurses need for VisaScreen in the US?

Registered nurses: overall 55, speaking 76, and 62 in reading, writing and listening (TruMerit table dated 12 May 2026).

Can I take PTE at home for nursing registration?

No. Ahpra accepts PTE Academic at a test centre only, and TruMerit does not accept at-home versions of English tests.

Is there a PTE practice in Malayalam?

RealPTE's interface and explanations are available in Malayalam; the questions stay in English, as in the test.

Speaking is the highest bar for nurses. Record a Read Aloud answer and see word-by-word AI marks.