For doctors, there are two English language proficiency tests that are accepted for immigration to the United Kingdom. They include OET and IELTS. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an English language proficiency test designed to assess the knowledge and usage of the English language. This is a lot more common than OET and most people sit the IELTS instead.

The test is a significant requirement for 2 of the major steps on your journey to the UK. You need IELTS for the following:

1. PLAB 1
2. GMC registration

To sit the PLAB1 examination, you need a pass in either of the English proficiency tests. I will be speaking more on the IELTS as this is the most common option.

The IELTS is a test of English language in four domains including reading, writing, speaking and listening.

The examination is conducted in Nigeria by the British council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English. There are two main types of IELTS namely academic and general knowledge IELTS. Doctors require the former. For doctors, you will need to write the IELTS for UKVI, this is the acceptable IELTS for immigration to the united kingdom for a Tier2 Visa. The certificate is valid for 2 years only. This means that you can no longer tender it as evidence of knowledge of English after 2 years and will need to take the examination again.

Below is some information on each domain of the test.

SPEAKING

This is essentially an interview style examination where you have a face-to-face conversation with the examiner who assesses your knowlege of English language. The test lasts between 11 - 14 minutes and is in 3 parts.

Part 1 - Introduction and interview - Examiner introduces themselves and checks your identity. They will then proceed to ask you general questions on some familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies or interests. Part 1 is 4-5 minutes long.

Part 2 - Long turn - In this part, the examiner gives you a task card which asks you to talk about a particular topic. The card contains specific points to include in your topic and instructs you to explain one aspect of the topic. You will have 1 minute to prepare your talk, and your examiner will give you a pencil and paper to make points. Part 2 is 3-4 minutes long (including preparation time).

Part 3 - Discussion - In this part, you and the examiner will discuss issues related to your talking points in part 2 in a more general way. Part 3 is 4-5 minutes long.

WRITING

The writing test is basically an essay writing test. This examination lasts a total of 60 minutes and is in 2 parts called task 1 and task 2.

Task 1 - In task 1, you have to describe some visual information in your own words. This could be a graph, table, chart or diagram. You need to write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes.

Task 2 - In task 2, you are given a point of view, argument or a problem which you need to discuss. You need to write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes. You must write your answers using full sentences, not bullet points or notes.

LISTENING

In the listening test, you are required to listen to some audio recordings and answer questions related to the recording. The listening test has 4 parts, with ten questions in each part. The questions are in the same order as the recording you are listening to, therefore you are required to answer the questions in real time as the recording progresses.

Parts 1 and 2 - Deals with everyday, social situations. There will be a conversation between two speakers in part 1. Part 2 will be a monologue, usually a speech.

Parts 3 and 4 - Deals with educational and training situations. In part 3 there is a conversation between two main speakers. In part 4, only one person speaks on an academic subject. You will hear all recordings only once. Different accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand and North American, are used.

The listening test lasts approximately 30 minutes. You will have an additional 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet.

READING

This is a test of your reading and comprehension. It involves reading a written text which may be from a newspaper, magazine, journal or online resource, written for non-specialist audience. The text may also contain diagrams, graphs or illustrations. You will be required to answer questions from the text you have read. These may be true or false type questions, multiple choice or matching information in the provided text. You may also be required to complete diagram labelling.

Time allowed for this test is 60 minutes.

IELTS PASS REQUIREMENTS

PLAB 1 - You need to score a minimum of 7 in each of the domains and an overall score of at least 7.5 to qualify to sit the PLAB examination.

PLAB 2 - You do not need IELTS to sit the PLAB 2 examination.

GMC registration - You need a minimum of 7 in each of the domains and an overall score of at least 7.5 to qualify for GMC registration.