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.
A commonly cited requirement is commonly 6.0–7.0 overall, set by each university (often 6.5 for undergraduate, 7.0 for graduate), set by US universities.
IELTS requirements change and vary by route, employer, and institution — always confirm the current figure with the official body before you rely on it.
The United States does not use IELTS as widely as TOEFL for university admission, but many programmes accept it; Canada is more consistently IELTS-friendly and provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario have their own midwifery regulatory colleges that set English proficiency standards for registration separately from the university. US nursing or midwifery licensing via the NCLEX pathway also involves English verification steps, so check both the academic programme and the state or provincial licensing body.
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 United States.