IELTS or OET for the GMC? Scores, rules and how to choose

Key facts

What exactly does the GMC require?

IELTS:

• An overall band of 7.5, with no part below 7.0.
• Both scores must come from the same test, your most recent sitting.
• Only the Academic test is accepted, including IELTS for UKVI. The General Training test is not.

OET:

• Grade B or higher in listening, reading, writing and speaking, all in the same test and your most recent sitting.
• It must be OET Medicine, not another profession's version.
• On OET's 0–500 scale, grade B is 350–440, so "grade B or higher" means 350 or above in each sub-test.

PLAB meets the GMC's Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) requirements. For PLAB, the GMC accepts only an IELTS or OET certificate, or a primary medical qualification taught and examined in English that meets its conditions. Employer references and UK job-offer forms are not accepted for PLAB.

How long is the certificate valid?

• The basic rule: both tests are valid for two years.
• For PLAB: the certificate must be valid on the day you sit PLAB 1.
  • The exception: a certificate over two years old can still be used for PLAB 1 together with references covering at least three months of full-time study or work in the last two years. The references must come from a country where English is the first and native language. References on their own are not accepted.
  • The 2027 change: six overseas centres stop running PLAB 1 (Dhaka, Alexandria, Accra, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata), and there is no February 2027 sitting outside the UK and EU. If your English evidence expires between 1 February and 31 May 2027, the GMC asks you to email plab@gmc-uk.org about an extension. For the May 2027 exam, requests must reach the GMC by 19 March 2027.
• For registration: it must be valid when the GMC approves your application, not just when you submit it.
• The extension: the GMC accepts a certificate up to three years old if you passed PLAB 2 less than three months before it received your registration application. This extension applies to the PLAB route only, not the sponsorship route.

Plan your timeline backwards. If your PLAB 1 date is uncertain, a test taken too early can expire before you need it.

Can I use the IELTS One Skill Retake?

Yes, with conditions:

• once, for one section;
• your full test was IELTS on computer, at a centre that offers the retake;
• the retake is taken within 60 days of the full test.

It isn't available if your full test was taken online or on paper. You receive an updated Test Report Form showing the new score for that section.

When should you take your English test?

Your English result comes before PLAB 1 booking. The GMC's PLAB 1 booking page says that once it has verified your English language evidence, you can access its booking service. It also says registrations may close between two and six weeks before a test date, and that new places are released in line with demand.

So the order is:

1. Take IELTS or OET, and link the result to the GMC. For IELTS, enter your Test Report Form number in GMC Online. For OET, enter your results in GMC Online, and choose the GMC as a recognising organisation in your OET account.
2. Wait for verification, which takes up to two working days once the result is linked.
3. Book PLAB 1 through your GMC Online account. Places at popular venues can go quickly.

Timing it right: the certificate must still be valid (two years) on your PLAB 1 date, and again when your registration is approved. If you take it too early, it may expire during a long PLAB journey. Take it when you're ready to book PLAB 1 within the next few months.

What if you don't reach the score?

• Missed one IELTS part, on a computer test? Use the One Skill Retake within 60 days, for that one section only.
• Missed by a tiny margin? Consider a re-mark (see "Can you challenge your score?" below). It's quicker than a new test, but scores can go down as well as up.
• Missed several parts? Book a full new test, and spend the time on your weakest part. Remember, the GMC only accepts scores from one sitting, your most recent.
• Consistently stuck on IELTS writing? It may be worth trying OET, whose writing task is a clinical letter, or the other way round if OET's role-plays are the problem.

What's in each test?

What this means in practice:

• IELTS writing rewards fast, well-organised academic English on any topic.
• OET writing rewards choosing the right clinical details from case notes and writing a clear, polite letter to a colleague. Many doctors find this closer to their daily work.
• IELTS speaking can be held on the same day as the other parts or up to 7 days before or after.

How much does each test cost in India, Pakistan and Nigeria?

Fees from the official booking pages, checked 19 October 2026:

OET also sells single sub-test retakes at most paper venues, after a full test (AUD 315 for one sub-test). Be careful: OET itself tells you to check that the organisation receiving your scores accepts individual sub-test results. The GMC needs all four grades from the same test and your most recent sitting, and it doesn't say it accepts OET sub-test retakes. Check with the GMC before you rely on one.

How quickly do you get your results?

If your PLAB 1 booking depends on the result, the computer-delivered versions are the safer choice.

Can you challenge your score?

• IELTS (Enquiry on Results):
  • apply within six weeks of the test date;
  • you get the outcome within 2–21 days;
  • the fee is refunded if your score improves in any section.
• OET (re-marking):
  • apply within 72 hours of your results being released;
  • AUD 120 per sub-test (USD 95 in the US), refunded if your grade changes;
  • the outcome can take three to six weeks;
  • a re-mark can raise, lower or leave a score unchanged.

A re-mark is usually worth it only if you missed the required score by a small margin in one part.

IELTS or OET: which should you choose?

Neither test is "easier". IELTS asks for 7.5 overall with 7.0 in each part. OET asks for a B in every sub-test, but in a medical context. Do one full practice test of each, under timed conditions, before you book, and pick the one you score better on.

A 6-week preparation plan for either test

1. Week 1: take a full timed practice test. Use the official practice materials for your chosen test. Find your weakest part, usually writing.
2. Weeks 2–4: work on that weakest part daily.
   • Writing: do one timed task a day and compare it with model answers. For OET, practise picking the relevant case notes before you write.
   • Speaking: record yourself. For OET, practise role-plays aloud with a partner, focusing on explaining, reassuring and checking understanding.
3. Weeks 2–5: keep the other parts ticking over. Do two or three listening and reading sections a week, under time pressure.
4. Week 5: do two full mock tests under exam conditions.
5. Week 6: rest, review and logistics. Check your ID, venue and test format, and get a good night's sleep before the test.

If English is your strongest area, two to three weeks of focused practice may be enough. If writing is weak, allow longer: every part must reach the GMC standard in the same sitting.

Common mistakes that cost candidates months

1. Booking the General Training IELTS. The GMC accepts only Academic (including UKVI).
2. Mixing sittings. A 7.5 overall in one test and a writing 7.0 from another don't count together.
3. Letting the certificate expire before PLAB 1, or before your registration is approved.
4. Choosing a test format that rules out the One Skill Retake. Only the computer-delivered IELTS allows it.
5. Not linking results to the GMC. Enter them in GMC Online under "My Tests". Verification takes up to two working days.

Do you need another English test for the UK visa or the Foundation Programme?

• The Health and Care Worker visa: usually not. UK Visas and Immigration says you don't need to prove your knowledge of English if you've already passed an English assessment accepted by the relevant regulated professional body. For doctors, that body is the GMC.

• The UK Foundation Programme (UKFP): yes, the bar is higher. For UKFP 2027, the UKFPO asks for:

  • IELTS: 7.5 or higher in every skill;
  • OET: 400 or higher in every skill;
  • both from a single sitting, with the exam taken between 4 August 2025 and 30 June 2026.

  The UKFPO says plainly that its requirements are set higher than the GMC's. If you might apply for foundation posts, aim for those scores from the start, so you don't have to sit the test twice.

What to do after your English test

Your English result is what unlocks PLAB 1 booking. While you wait for a test date:

• Start free: free PLAB 1 questions, with every option explained.
• Cover the highest-yield topics first: Study Essential puts 1,800 questions into three tiers: Must Know, Should Know and Advanced.
• Practise the real format: full PLAB 1 mocks, with 180 questions in 3 hours and unlimited resets.
• Know when you're ready: the readiness dashboard shows your accuracy, topic mastery and 30-day trend.
• Thinking ahead to PLAB 2? OSCE Revisions has 1,800+ OSCE scenarios. If you choose OET, its role-plays are good practice for PLAB 2 communication too.

Sources (checked 18–19 October 2026)

• GMC:
  • Evidence of your knowledge of English
  • Using your IELTS certificate
  • Using your OET certificate
  • Using your primary medical qualification
  • Using other types of evidence
  • Changes to PLAB 1 in 2027
• GMC booking: Information on booking a PLAB 1 place
• Test formats and results:
  • IELTS: IELTS Academic · Test format · Results timing · Enquiry on Results
  • OET: Test day guide · Listening · Reading · Writing · Speaking · Booking and results · Test regulations · Re-marking policy
• Fees: IELTS India (IDP) · IELTS Pakistan (British Council) · IELTS Nigeria (British Council) · OET price
• UK visa and Foundation Programme:
  • Health and Care Worker visa: knowledge of English
  • UKFP 2027 English language proficiency
• ECFMG: OET requirement for certification
• Example UK fees (they vary by centre):
  • University of Reading, IELTS test fee (2026: £235)
  • Leicester College, OET