List of PTE Accepted Countries for Nurses in 2026

For nurses who intend to work, study, or migrate overseas, it is essential to have their English language skills validated. In fact, several countries have language requirements for nurses to ensure that they provide quality care to their patients. 

One of the methods currently gaining popularity as far as language proficiency in nursing is concerned is Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic. 

In this blog, we will shed light on the countries where PTE results are accepted for registering as a nurse and benefits associated with opting for PTE.

Key Takeaways

• The PTE Academic test results can be accepted for registering as a nurse and visa applications in either Australia, Canada, the UK, and the USA depending on each country’s policy.
• Fast results, flexible dates, and online preparation options make PTE a very convenient test for busy nurses.
• English proficiency is crucial for safe communication and professional registration, and having a valid PTE score can open doors to international career opportunities.

Related:

• Common Mistakes in PTE and How to Avoid Them

• Time Management Tips for PTE Exam: Maximize Every Minute

Why English Tests Matter for Nurses

For nurses who seek to work, study, and migrate overseas, speaking English effectively isn’t just part of their requirements; it’s an integral part of their service delivery to ensure competency and professionalism. The following highlight why English language proficiency tests such as PTE are critical to nurses’ careers.

Essential for Licensing and Registration

In several countries, nurse regulatory bodies demand English language proficiency as a requirement for registering nurses. This helps ensure all nurses who join the health care environment have proper means of communication. A test of their English language skills allows for equitable assessment of their ability to communicate effectively.

Required for Work Visas and Immigration

In particular, some nurses find it doubly challenging to deal with the English test requirement since it must be submitted together with application processes such as visa requirements. The nurse can proceed to migrate to other countries quickly if he/she makes use of accepted test options such as PTE.

Critical for Real-Life Communication in Healthcare

Nursing requires constant interaction with patients either to take their history, comprehend their symptoms, read their charts, or communicate with other medical staff. The skills demanded in listening, speaking, reading, and writing as measured in English language tests allow nurses to deal not only with theoretical grammar exercises but also real-life situations.

Accurate, Fast, and Fair Assessment

The test for modern English proficiency such as PTE is fully computerized. The test results come out quickly. There would be less human judgment involved. The test would be able to provide fair treatment to all applicants irrespective of their accent and expression. In the case of nurses who migrate quickly, it makes all the difference.

Ensures High Standards in Global Healthcare

A standardized English requirement helps to ensure safety and quality in health care systems. This ensures that internationally trained nurses have a measurable level of English language ability. In turn, this helps to minimize errors arising from poor communication in hospitals.

Enables Career Flexibility and Global Mobility

Nurses who have a widely recognized score in English are able to have greater freedom to look into options of either work or study in other countries. The result of one test can sometimes be applied to several situations.

Advantages of Taking PTE for Nurses

The advantages of selecting PTE as the test for nurses who plan to pursue their careers, education, or migrate to other countries are numerous. The test pattern and ease of access make it very ideal for anyone who would be taking it.

Fast results

One of the major advantages of the PTE test is its fast turnaround time. The results of the test are usually available in 1 to 2 days, which helps nurses assess their situation and proceed accordingly if they have not yet applied to the relevant authorities.

Flexible test dates

One advantage of PTE is it provides numerous test dates all year round. The nurses have the freedom to pick their test date depending on their work schedule. The flexibility offered by taking PTE is ideal for nurses who work long hours.

Accepted for both registration and visa

Some countries accepting PTE have regulations enabling nurses to make use of one test result in visa application services and the registration of nurses. The implication is that applicants do not have to write numerous exams to fulfill requirements. One result from PTE can provide solutions to make it easier and less expensive.

Fully Computer-Based

The PTE test is 100% computer-delivered, from start to finish even including the speaking section. In this way, any biases from human examiners can be avoided and it will be easier to have an objective result. A nurse who may be shy to talk to the examiner orally will also have no worries about this test..

Easier to prepare online

The preparation for PTE can be done quite easily as there are numerous online practice test materials and learning tools available. Since it’s predictable and all calculations can be done automatically, it becomes pretty easy for nurses to comprehend their level of preparation from their homes. They wouldn’t have to wait for test results anymore.

Top Countries That Accept PTE for Nurses

Australia 

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) accept PTE Academic for nursing registration.

In March 2025, there were reforms to IELTS requirements. The minimum scores for IELTS requirements became 66 in Listening, Reading, and Speaking and 56 in Writing.

There is also flexibility here, as scored results from two PTE sittings in a period of six months can be blended together if no component level in either sitting fails below a given level.

In 2025, AHPRA added PTE Academic Online Test to the accepted test options and now provides greater flexibility to test-taking overseas nurses.

All these changes reflect a new focus in policy development. Despite the continued value of writing skills, AHPRA stresses oral communication skills essential to safe medical practice.

United Kingdom

According to new policies (effective from January 2024), PTE Academic Test Result accepted by NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council) to prove applicants’ English competency for registering as nurses.

That’s quite a big change because for quite a number of years ago, it just accepted IELTS and OET.

However, always check current requirements from NMC for application as criteria for speaking English may differ depending on mode of application and visa types.

Canada

The Canadian Nurse Regulators Collaborative (CNRC) has officially recommended the acceptance of PTE Academic as a way for internationally educated nurses to meet regulations.

Some of the nursing bodies from the provinces have started accepting PTE as a functioning test of English. Some regulators from Canada have even developed ‘cut scores’ for PTE.

Indeed, this development comes as a boon to Canada, which continuously requires internationally trained nurses.

Due to variations in minimum cut-offs for scores across different provinces, it’s always advisable to verify this from your target province’s nursing organization.

USA 

The CGFNS VisaScreen®certificate offered by CGFNS (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) recognizes PTE Academic results. The CGFNS VisaScreen®certificate is required for U.S. immigration/licensure by internationally

As of December 2024, the PTE requirement for VisaScreen is as follows: overall – 55, none of the sections less than about 50, and a greater speaking requirement (63).

Further, some state boards of nursing in the U.S. have accepted PTE for licensure; for instance, states such as Arizona and Massachusetts have developed policies accepting PTE.

Being as how licensure in the U.S is state-controlled, it’s necessary to verify current target state requirements regarding the test of English skills prior to use of PTE.

FAQs

Is PTE harder or easier than IELTS or OET for nurses?

Nurses tend to draw comparisons between PTE and IELTS and OET options. PTE test results are seen to be easier to accomplish because even though it is a computer-delivered test, it provides the results faster. The level of difficulty may depend on your area of excellence.

Should I take PTE Academic Online or the test center version? Will regulators accept both?

The emergence of PTE Academic Online raises questions among numerous nurses about whether their results will be accepted for professional licenses if completed online. Some accept it while others accept only the results from test centers.

Will my PTE results be sent directly to the nursing board or do I upload them myself?

The regulations here depend on which regulator. Some accept reports of scores from Pearson via their website; others require uploading their PDF score results to their portal of registration.

Conclusion

Handling English language requirements would form part of a nurse’s global professional experiences. The PTE Academic provides an easy and trustworthy way to prove your level of English language skills. The results come quickly and test dates remain flexible. The results of this test stand worldwide. 

To ensure success, a dedicated preparation platform like PTE Magic can make a significant difference. PTE Magic provides intensive practice tests and helps nurses gain confidence in their results and fulfill requirements from regulating bodies. Many nurses have utilized such services and achieved success in PTE.