A revised NMBA English language skills registration standard (2025) will come into effect by April 2025. To give applicants time to familiarise themselves with the revised standard, the NMBA has published an advance copy below. Please note the Registration standard: English language skills (2019) will remain current until the revised standard comes into effect.
Registration standard
The English language skills registration standard came into effect on 1 March 2019.
This registration standard applies to all nurses and midwives applying for initial registration, regardless of whether they qualified in Australia or overseas. It does not apply if you are applying for non-practising registration or if you are a student.
Document name |
PDF |
Accessible format |
Date of effect |
Registration standard: English language skills (2019) |
PDF
(101KB) |
Word version
(411KB,DOCX) |
1 March 2019 |
Advance copy
Registration standard: English language skills (2025)
|
PDF
(170KB) |
Word version
(196KB,DOCX) |
April 2025 |
FAQ
Document name |
PDF |
Accessible format |
Document date |
Fact sheet: English language skills registration standard (2019) |
PDF
(149KB) |
Webpage |
1 March 2019 |
Do you meet the English language skills registration standard?
The English language skills registration standard outlines pathways for nursing and midwifery applicants to demonstrate evidence of their English language skills. Diagrams of how these work are included in the English language skills pathways diagram listed below.
Document name |
PDF |
Accessible format |
Document date |
Pathways diagram: English language skills registration standard (2019) |
PDF
(71.4KB) |
|
1 March 2019 |
Evidence guide: English Language skills registration standard |
PDF
(136KB) |
Word version
(212 KB,DOCX) |
1 March 2019 |
Policy: English language skills registration standard |
PDF
(168KB) |
Web page |
1 March 2019 |
Approved English language test
A full list of English language tests accepted by the NMBA and National Boards is available on the Ahpra website.
Consultation process
The revised English language skills registration standards for all professions were developed after a review of the existing standards, which included a public consultation. The consultation report provides a summary of responses, rationale for any changes and sets out the proposed way forward, including areas where further work is planned. The report, as well as the letter from Ministerial Council approving the new standards is available on the Ahpra website.
Retired version
The previous version of the registration standard which is no longer in effect.
Document name |
PDF |
Accessible format |
Date of effect |
Retired: Transition policy: English language skills registration standard |
PDF
(183KB)
|
|
1 March 2019 to 29 February 2020 |
Retired: English language skills registration standard |
PDF
(288KB) |
|
To 31 June 2015 |
Retired: English language skills registration standard (2015) |
PDF
(375KB) |
Word version
(396KB,DOCX) |
1 July 2015 to 28 February 2019 |
Retired: FAQ - find out more about the standards (2015) |
PDF
(271KB) |
|
August 2015 to 28 February 2019 |
Retired: Pathways diagram for nurses and midwives: Explains the requirements for each pathway (2015) |
PDF
(110KB) |
Word version
(569KB,DOCX) |
July 2015 to 28 February 2019 |
Retired: English language skills evidence guide for nurses and midwives (2015) |
PDF
(296KB) |
Word version
(207KB,DOCX) |
August 2015 to 28 February 2019 |
Retired: English language skills registration standard policy (2015) |
PDF
(105KB) |
|
26 May 2016 to 28 February 2019 |