IELTS for studying abroad
Midwifery programmes at universities abroad sit within regulated healthcare, meaning institutions and national nursing or midwifery councils typically set stricter English proficiency thresholds than many other disciplines — and both your university admission and your professional registration body may each set their own separate requirements. Beyond the score itself, midwifery training demands strong communicative competence: you will read clinical guidelines and research literature, write case notes and academic assignments, listen carefully to patient histories and lecturer instructions, and speak with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams. Because all four skills are tested under pressure in IELTS, thorough preparation across every section is essential, not just the overall band.
Each Malaysia university — often each course — sets its own IELTS minimum. Find your exact target on the course's official admissions page.
IELTS requirements change and vary by route, employer, and institution — always confirm the current figure with the official body before you rely on it.
Countries such as India, the Philippines, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have large numbers of midwifery and nursing graduates seeking work or further study abroad; destination regulators in the UK, Australia, Ireland, and the Gulf all have specific English proficiency processes for internationally educated nurses and midwives, and the Philippines in particular has historically produced many applicants who must meet the NMC (UK) or AHPRA (Australia) language requirements on top of university admission criteria.
Prioritise the Academic Writing module, because midwifery assessments consistently require evidence-based essays, reflective accounts, and structured reports — and writing is the skill most students underestimate until it costs them a band in their results.
Going abroad to work instead? See IELTS for professions in Malaysia.