F2 Stand-alone 2025 - English Language Proficiency

All applicants must provide evidence of their English language proficiency.

Non-urgent advice: Important

There are no exceptions or exemptions. You must provide evidence of your English language proficiency regardless of your citizenship, nationality, or GMC registration status. This is a requirement which forms part of the national person specification for entry to foundation training.

You will be asked to provide evidence of your English language proficiency on your application form, so this must be available to you when you apply. If you are unable to provide the evidence when you apply, the application window will not be extended, and evidence will not be accepted beyond the close of the application window.

Important information about English language proficiency for your F2 Stand-alone application

The UKFPO does not accept any other form of evidence of English language proficiency apart from those specifically outlined. Other courses and qualifications including (but not limited to) PhD, Masters or Bachelors’ degrees, Diplomas or Certificates of Higher Education, GCSEs, BTECs, A-Levels, or Duolingo are not considered satisfactory evidence of English language proficiency for entry to foundation training in the UK. The assurances that are needed to ensure satisfactory English language proficiency are specifically in relation to patient contact and communications.

The UKFPO’s requirements for satisfactory IELTS and OET certificates are set at a higher level than the requirements for the GMC. The UKFPO and the GMC are not the same organisation and thus are not obliged to have the same standards for English language proficiency. The UKFPO has set the level for English language proficiency to be in line with the expectations of a doctor operating at foundation level and to meet the national person specification.

Your UKFP application and your GMC registration application are separate applications. You do not have to use the same evidence of your English language proficiency for both applications.

Do not send copies of any physical documents via post (for example, your IELTS or OET certificate). These are not required as the UKFPO has the ability to verify IELTS and OET test results online. You simply need to ensure you have followed the guidance and include all the correct information on your application form. We regret that we cannot consider or return any physical documents sent via post.

You must evidence your English language proficiency by one of the following methods:

Primary medical qualification (PMQ)

Your PMQ will be accepted as evidence of English language proficiency if it was gained from a medical school/university in a country where English is the first and native language. The GMC maintains a list of countries where English is a first and native language. The UKFPO will refer to this list when making decisions about applications.

Further information – PMQ

If you gain(ed) your PMQ from an overseas campus of a non-UK medical school/university, you will be deemed by the UKFPO as having studied in the country where the campus is located.
If you gain(ed) your PMQ from an overseas campus of a UK medical school/university, you will be deemed by the UKFPO as having studied in the UK.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

If you would like to use your IELTS certificate as evidence of your English language proficiency, you must provide your IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) number on your application form.

To be valid for F2 Stand-alone 2025, your TRF must show:

Scores of 7.5 or higher in every skill (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).
The date of the exam was no earlier than 06 August 2023 – this is to ensure that the test is still valid when the programme begins.
The date of the exam was no later than the date the vacancy opens on Oriel – this is to ensure the result is available for the UKFPO to view and verify on the IELTS verification portal during the longlisting process.
The exam was the Academic or the UKVI (Academic) version of the test.

IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR)

The UKFPO will accept IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) results. The initial examination date must be no earlier than 06 August 2023, and the OSR must be dated no later than the date the vacancy opens on Oriel. You can only provide one Test Report Form (TRF) number on your application form, so you must ensure that the TRF number you provide relates to your OSR sitting if you would like the UKFPO to consider this. The UKFPO will consider the original date of examination (not the date of the OSR), to determine if an examination is in date.

More information about IELTS One Skill Retake can be found on the IELTS website.

Further information – IELTS

Test results are not always immediately available for verification by third parties, so we encourage applicants to sit their IELTS test at the earliest opportunity.
The IELTS certificate does not have to be your most recent sitting, as long as the results meet the requirements.
Overall band scores are not considered. If your TRF shows that you have scored below 7.5 in any skill, your IELTS certificate will not be accepted as evidence of your English language proficiency – even if your overall band score is 7.5 or higher.
You can only provide one TRF number on your application form. Ensure this is correct as the UKFPO will use the number you provide to verify your result online and ensure that it meets the requirements.
The UKFPO does not accept IELTS General Training certificates or the IELTS Indicator test.
Paper, computer and online delivery methods of the test are all accepted.

OET (Occupational English Test)

If you would like to use your OET certificate as evidence of your English language proficiency, you must provide your OET Candidate Number number on your application form.

To be valid for F2 Stand-alone 2025, your OET certificate must show:

Scores of 400 or higher in every skill (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).
The date of the exam was no earlier than 06 August 2023 – this is to ensure that the test is still valid when the programme begins.
The date of the exam was no later than the date the vacancy opens on Oriel – this is to ensure the result is available for the UKFPO to view and verify on the OET verification portal during the longlisting process.

Further information – OET

Test results are not always immediately available for verification by third parties, so we encourage applicants to sit their OET test at the earliest opportunity.
OET ‘letter’ grades are not considered. If your results show that have scored below 400 in any skill, your OET certificate will not be accepted as evidence of your English language proficiency – regardless of your overall letter grade.
You can only provide one Candidate Number on your application form. If you have taken more than one OET test, the UKFPO will only consider the test which matches the test date you provided on your application form. Ensure this is correct as the UKFPO will use the Candidate Number and date of test you provide to verify your result online and ensure that it meets the requirements.
OET Test on Paper, OET Test on Computer and OET@Home delivery modes of the test are all accepted.

More information about the OET can be found on the OET website.

Non-urgent advice: Important: sharing your OET results

You must share your OET results with the UKFPO. If the results are not shared, the UKFPO will be unable to verify the result and your application will be deemed unsuccessful.

Instructions on how to share your OET results via your OET online account can be found on the OET website.

NHS consultant testimony

If you have worked in paid employment as a doctor in the NHS for 3 months or longer, you can submit an NHS consultant testimony. This must be completed by a consultant who has supervised you, and can verify that you have demonstrable skills in listening, reading, writing and speaking in English that enable effective communication about medical topics with patients and colleagues, as set out in the GMC’s Good Medical Practice (2024).

If you wish to provide a consultant testimony, you must use the 2025 NHS Consultant Testimony Form template. Only evidence provided on the form template can be considered. The UKFPO will not accept evidence of an NHS consultant testimony provided in any other format/template. If you have applied to F2 Stand-alone programmes before, please note that you cannot re-use a previous consultant testimony. Only the current 2025 version of the consultant testimony form will be accepted.

Consultant testimonies from work in either general practice (GP) and/or hospital settings are acceptable.

The testimony must cover a minimum period of 3 full months between 06 August 2023 and the date the vacancy opens on Oriel.

You must upload the completed NHS Consultant Testimony Form onto your application form on Oriel at the time of application. This means that a minimum of 3 months’ employment must have been accrued by the date the vacancy opens on Oriel. Future or expected employment will not be considered.

Locum work experience is not accepted for evidence of English language proficiency. You cannot submit a consultant testimony relating to employment on a locum basis.