Post by Deborah Udy Okusaga Akanne (@deborah_udy_okusaga)
She scored 7.5 in Speaking, 7.5 in Listening, 7.5 in Reading.
Her Writing came back 6.5.
The NMC rejected her application without review. Three modules at distinction level — and one score ended everything.
This is the cruelest outcome in the entire UK registration process — and it happens more than most people realise.
The NMC's English requirement in 2026 is not an average.
It is a floor on every individual band. IELTS 7.0 across all four components, with a minimum of 6.5 in Writing accepted under specific conditions.
OET Grade B across all four skills. Not overall. Each one, independently.
What makes this particularly painful is that Writing is the one skill most clinicians underestimate.
Speaking and Listening feel natural — you communicate clinically every day. But academic writing in a timed exam format is a specific skill that requires specific preparation, and most people don't discover their weakness until after they've paid the exam fee.
The way I work with clients is to run a diagnostic before anything else. We identify the weak module early — before the first sit, not after the first failure.
Because the most expensive mistake in this process is not a low score. It's a low score you didn't see coming.
💬 Not sure whether your current results meet the 2026 threshold?
Comment SCORE and I'll audit your bands and tell you exactly where you stand.
#IELTS #OET #NMCRegistration #HCPC #UKNursingJobs #SovereignHealthcare
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