Post by Deborah Udy Okusaga Akanne (@deborah_udy_okusaga)

You sat the IELTS in March and failed Writing.

You sat again in June and failed Speaking. You think you have to start from scratch. You don't — and most people have no idea this rule exists.

The NMC permits score clubbing — combining results from two separate test sittings to meet the overall requirement, provided both results fall within a six-month window and no individual score falls below the permitted minimum threshold.

This matters enormously for nurses with test anxiety or inconsistent performance across sittings.

If your March result shows strong Reading and Listening, and your June result shows strong Writing and Speaking — those two results can potentially be combined into a single qualifying submission.

You don't resit the whole test.

You bank what you've already passed and close the gap.

This is not a loophole. It is an official NMC provision that the majority of applicants — and many advisors — simply don't know exists.

I walk every client through the clubbing criteria before their second sit, because knowing the rules changes how you prepare.

Instead of repeating the full test hoping for a clean sweep, you can target the specific modules that matter, within a timeline that protects your existing scores.

Work the rules. They exist for a reason.

💬 Want the full 2026 NMC Clubbing Criteria — including the minimum thresholds and the six-month window rules?

Comment CLUBBING below and I'll send it over.

#TestClubbing #NMCStandards #IELTS #OET #NurseMigration #sovereignstrategy

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