Language skills tests for international medical graduates

International medical graduates who register with the Medical Council can now test their language skills with Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE).

The examination, run by the University of Cambridge ESOL examinations, is a secure international qualification for those who want to use English for professional and academic purposes. Its introduction follows the recent recruitment of 270 non-consultant hospital doctors from India and Pakistan, to alleviate the hospital doctor shortage.

The qualification covers key real-life communication skills relevant for medical graduates when they undertake frontline healthcare roles.

The Medical Council currently requires applicants without EU rights to prove their language proficiency.