Blog
Tips, guides, and insights for English learners.
The GDC Says Why English Certificates Last Two Years
Every regulator gives you two years and none explains it. The GDC does, in one sentence, and it also publishes the exception that lets an old score count.
Doctors in the UK: Only Your Latest IELTS Sitting Counts
The GMC needs 7.0 in each skill and 7.5 overall, from your most recent sitting. A better score from an earlier attempt does not count.
The Regulator That Wants 7.0 in Speaking and 6.0 Elsewhere
Nine bodies set an English requirement. Exactly one names speaking on its own and holds it a full band above reading, writing and listening.
Needing an Interpreter Can Cost You Registration
The GPhC says that if you need help to communicate with it in English during your application, it is likely to ask for more evidence before granting registration.
Pharmacists Need Straight 7s and No OET at Home
The GPhC wants IELTS 7.0 in every area at one sitting, and refuses OET@Home. The GMC accepts OET@Home. Same country, same exam, opposite answers.
HCPC Exempts 43 Countries From the English Test
The HCPC waives its English requirement if your qualification came from one of 43 countries. The Home Office list is different, and Kenya shows the gap.
Speech Therapists Need a Higher English Score Than Doctors
The HCPC asks IELTS 7.0 from fourteen professions and 8.0 from speech and language therapists. That is above the score the GMC asks of doctors.
ICAO Level 6 Rewards Adapting to a Weaker Speaker
The top level of aviation English is not about showing off range. The recognised test says it assesses adapting to a less proficient speaker.
IELTS for UKVI by CEFR Level: 4.0 at B1, 8.5 at C2
The Home Office publishes the exact IELTS bands it accepts at each CEFR level. The spread across four levels is four and a half bands.
LanguageCert Academic and General SELT: Where They Split
Two LanguageCert visa tests carry identical thresholds at B1, B2 and C1. Only one of them exists at C2, and the names do not tell you which.