HCPC English requirements: IELTS 7.0, 8.0 for speech and language therapists, and OET scored as a total
The Health and Care Professions Council registers physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, dietitians, podiatrists, speech and language therapists and other professions in the UK. If your qualification is not from one of its listed countries, you need IELTS 7.0 with no element below 6.5, or 8.0 with no element below 7.5 if you are a speech and language therapist. It also accepts TOEFL iBT and, for six professions, OET.
Source: the HCPC's page Certificate of English language proficiency, updated 5 November 2026 and read on 10 November 2026.
IELTS: Academic or General, and a six-month retake
The HCPC accepts IELTS Academic and IELTS General, UKVI or not, taken at an official test centre and not at home. This is ours: the NMC and the GMC accept only the Academic version, so General Training is a route that health professionals on the HCPC register have and nurses and doctors do not.
The HCPC accepts an IELTS One Skill Retake if it is taken within 6 months of the original test and the results appear in the test report alongside the original. The retake is valid for the same two years as the original result.
- All professions except speech and language therapy7.0 overall, no element below 6.5
- Speech and language therapists8.0 overall, no element below 7.5
OET: a total, not four grades
The HCPC accepts the profession-specific OET for six professions, on computer or on paper, and scores it differently from the NMC or GMC: it sets a total across the four sub-tests with a floor for each.
Our reading: 1400 is an average of 350, a grade B, but a 300 in one sub-test is enough if the other three make up the total. For speech and language therapists, 1800 is an average of 450.
Only one element may be retaken, within six months of the original test date.
- Podiatry, dietetics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, radiography1400 total, no element below 300
- Speech and language therapy1800 total, no element below 400
TOEFL iBT: new scores from 21 January 2026
TOEFL iBT counts only if taken outside the United Kingdom, at a test centre. The HCPC does not accept combined scores, superscores or MyBest scores.
TOEFL changed its score scale, so the HCPC set new minimums for tests taken on or after 21 January 2026. Before that date the minimum was 100 out of 120 (118 for speech and language therapists).
- All professions except speech and language therapyOverall 5; reading 4.5, listening 5, writing 4.5, speaking 5
- Speech and language therapistsOverall 6; reading 5.5, listening 5.5, writing 6, speaking 6
Validity and who is exempt
A certificate must be no more than two years old when the HCPC receives your application.
If the qualification that first let you practise was gained in a country where English is the predominant language, on the HCPC's list of qualifying countries, you do not need a test.
For nurses and doctors the rules differ: see English test scores for nurses and for doctors. For how the tests score, see IELTS bands, OET scores and the TOEFL score scale.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Assuming only IELTS Academic counts.
Knowing the HCPC also accepts IELTS General.
The HCPC lists IELTS Academic and IELTS General tests, UKVI and non-UKVI, at an official test centre.
Taking TOEFL iBT in the UK.
Taking it at a test centre outside the UK.
The HCPC does not accept TOEFL scores from tests taken in the United Kingdom.
Reading an OET 300 in one sub-test as a fail.
Adding up all four.
For most OET professions the HCPC requires a total of 1400 with no element below 300.
Questions
What IELTS score does the HCPC require?
7.0 with no element below 6.5, or 8.0 with no element below 7.5 for speech and language therapists. IELTS Academic or General, taken at a test centre, no more than two years old when the HCPC receives the application.
Does the HCPC accept the IELTS One Skill Retake?
Yes, if the retake is within 6 months of the original test and its results appear on the test report alongside the original results.
What OET score does the HCPC require for physiotherapists?
The Physiotherapy OET with a total of 1400 and no element below 300. Speech and language therapists need 1800 with no element below 400.
What TOEFL score does the HCPC require after January 2026?
For tests from 21 January 2026: overall 5, with reading 4.5, listening 5, writing 4.5 and speaking 5 (speech and language therapists: overall 6; 5.5, 5.5, 6, 6). Tests before then needed 100 out of 120.
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