Knowledge of English for Doctors

Evidence of your knowledge of English

For international doctors coming to the UK

Who sets the English language requirements for doctors?

The General Medical Council (GMC) sets standards using content drawn from the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) content map.

There are six routes approved by the GMC, which allow Doctors to evidence their knowledge of English in order to proceed towards Registration with a Licence to Practise.

Click the numbers to reveal the six options which you can use to evidence knowledge of English.

A primary medical qualification

An IELTS certificate

An OET certificate

A reference from your employer

A UK job offer

A language test taken for registration outside the UK

1) Using the OET

Click the icons to reveal the requirements

Grade

Sitting

Version

You must achieve at least a grade ‘B’ in all four testing areas (speaking, listening, reading and writing)

You must achieve all four grades in the same test

You must take the medicine version of the test

Recency

Validity

Acceptable Tests

OET on paper OET on computer OET@Home

The OET Certificate is valid for 2 years from date of issue

You must obtain the grades in your most recent sitting of the test

If I have an OET Certificate, will I need to take another English test for my Tier 2 (General) Visa?

No. Doctors and nurses in the UK applying for a Tier 2 (General) Visa are not required to take a separate English language test if they have provided OET results as proof of English proficiency to their healthcare regulator.

2) Using the IELTS

Click the icons to reveal the requirements

Grade

Sitting

Version

You must achieve at least a 7 in all four testing areas (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and a 7.5 overall

You must achieve all four grades in the same test

You must take the academic version of the test

Validity

Recency

Acceptable Tests

The IELTS Certificate is valid for 2 years from date of issue

You must obtain the grades in your most recent sitting of the test

The test must be taken in person, in an authorised test centre

3) Using a PMQ - Primary Medical Qualification

Click the icons to find out whether you can use your PMQ as evidence of your knowledge of English.

If your PMQ does not meet the criteria there may be further steps you can follow - or you may decide to take a language test.

Your PMQ must be from an institution recognized by the GMC

Your PMQ must be less than two years old when you apply for registration

Your PMQ must have been taught and examined solely in English

4) Using an employer's reference

Click the icons to reveal the requirements

You must have worked in a medical capacity

An employer's reference is not acceptable if you're applying to take a PLAB test or you're applying for registration on the basis of an offer of sponsorship

in a country where English is the first and native language

for at least the past two years

5) Using a UK job offer

In certain circumstances you can use a job offer as evidence of knowledge of English. Click the icons to find out how.

If you’ve previously sat the IELTS or OET test and failed to achieve the required grades in either test, it is unlikely that the GMC will accept a job offer as evidence

A UK job offer is not acceptable if you're applying to take a PLAB test or you're applying for registration on the basis of an offer of sponsorship

Your employer must fill out an English language reference form

The job offer must come from a UK healthcare institution and this must be a designated body

6) Using a previous language test

You may be able to use a test you took when registering to practice in a country outside the UK. Click the icons to see the requirements.

You must have passed the language test for registration with a medical regulatory authority in a country where English is the first and native language.

You cannot use this route if you're applying to take a PLAB test or you're applying for registration on the basis of an offer of sponsorship

The test must be less than two years old.

Acceptance of the test is entirely at the GMC's discretion.

Well done! You have completed this module. Let's celebrate with some English vocabularly tips!

Doctor

It is common to abbreviate 'Doctor' to 'Doc', but only during informal conversation.A 'quack' is a doctor who claims to be skilled or qualified in medicine, but actually they are not. Some patients, especially those with a military background, may refer to a doctor as a 'medic'.