What IELTS score do physiotherapists need for Ahpra registration?

IELTS Academic overall 7.0 with at least 7.0 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing. These scores were unchanged by the 23 April 2026 update; PTE, TOEFL, OET and Cambridge minimums did change.

Can I combine two English test sittings for Ahpra?

Yes, from a maximum of two sittings within 12 months, as long as each component meets Ahpra's floor score for combining. Results must be less than two years old when you apply.

Does Ahpra accept at-home English tests?

No. At-home and indicative versions are not accepted. Tests must be sat at a test centre; the OET computer-based test at a centre is accepted.

How much does Ahpra registration cost for a physiotherapist in 2026?

On the schedule effective 1 October 2026, A$452 to apply for general registration plus the annual registration fee of A$220 (A$200 if your principal place of practice is New South Wales). Both are paid on first registration.

Are testimonials allowed in physiotherapy advertising in Australia?

Not about the clinical aspects of care. Section 133 of the National Law prohibits using testimonials to advertise a regulated health service, and Ahpra's current guidelines maintain that position as of October 2026.

Do I need a criminal history check from my home country?

Applicants who have lived overseas must obtain an international criminal history check from an Ahpra-approved supplier. A revised criminal history registration standard took effect on 15 July 2026.

After the APC: the Ahpra standards you register under in 2026

What the Physiotherapy Board of Australia requires once the APC is done: the English language scores in force since 23 April 2026, the criminal history standard from 15 July 2026, the proposed recency and CPD changes, the fees, and the professional rules the exam also tests.

Published 2026-10-05.

The Australian Physiotherapy Council decides whether your qualifications and skills meet the Australian standard. The Physiotherapy Board of Australia, through Ahpra, decides whether to register you. They are different organisations with different rules, and a pass from the APC starts the second process rather than finishing it.

This article collects the Board's requirements as they stand in October 2026, with the changes made or proposed this year. The same rules appear in the Written Assessment as professional-practice questions, which is the second reason to know them.

English language: new minimum scores since 23 April 2026

Ahpra's English language skills registration standard offers three ways to meet it: evidence that your primary language is English from a recognised country, an extended-education pathway based on schooling and qualifications taught in English, or an accepted test. For most APEP candidates it is the test. The minimum scores changed on 23 April 2026; a test taken on or after that date is judged against the new table.

Test	Minimum from 23 April 2026
IELTS Academic	Overall 7.0; Listening 7.0, Reading 7.0, Writing 6.5, Speaking 7.0 (unchanged)
OET	Listening 350, Reading 360, Writing 350, Speaking 360 (numeric scores replace letter grades)
PTE Academic	Overall 63; Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 60, Speaking 76
TOEFL iBT	Overall 91; Listening 22, Reading 22, Writing 23, Speaking 24
Cambridge C1 Advanced	Overall 178; Listening 175, Reading 179, Writing 180, Speaking 194
Cambridge C2 Proficiency	Overall 185; Listening 185, Reading 185, Writing 176, Speaking 185

Results may come from one sitting, or from a maximum of two sittings within 12 months, provided no component falls below the floor score Ahpra sets for combining.
Results must be less than two years old when you lodge your application, with exceptions for continuous relevant work or Board-approved study since the test.
At-home and "indicative" versions of the tests are not accepted. Tests are sat at a test centre; OET's computer-based test at a centre is accepted.

Criminal history: updated standard from 15 July 2026

Every applicant declares their criminal history, and applicants who have lived overseas, which is every international candidate, are required to obtain an international criminal history check from an Ahpra-approved supplier. The Board published a revised criminal history registration standard taking effect on 15 July 2026, which updates the factors the Board weighs and asks it to consider how inequity and racism experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples may have shaped a person's record. The requirement to disclose has not changed; be complete and be early, because the international check is the slow document.

Recency of practice and CPD: proposed changes

In mid-2026 the Board consulted on revised recency of practice and continuing professional development standards. The proposal is 150 hours of practice in the last year or 450 hours in the last three, and 20 hours of CPD every year of which at least five are interactive with other practitioners, delivered online or in person. The consultation closed on 17 July 2026. These are proposals until the Board publishes approved standards with an effective date; check the Board's registration standards page before relying on either figure.

Fees from 1 October 2026

The Board's schedule effective 1 October 2026 sets the application fee for general registration at A$452 and the annual registration fee at A$220, or A$200 for a practitioner whose principal place of practice is New South Wales. Initial registration pays both. These are Ahpra's fees and are separate from anything paid to the APC.

The professional rules that follow registration, and appear in the exam

Code of conduct. The shared Code of conduct for National Boards sets the expectations for consent, communication, records, boundaries and working within scope. Written Assessment cases that end with a patient or colleague pushing back are testing this code.
Advertising and testimonials. Section 133 of the National Law still prohibits advertising a regulated health service with testimonials about the clinical aspects of care, under Ahpra guidelines in force since December 2020. Patients posting their own reviews on platforms outside your control is not advertising by you. Legislation passed in 2022 contemplated relaxing the testimonial ban, but the prohibition remains in Ahpra's current guidelines as of October 2026.
Mandatory notifications. Registered practitioners must notify Ahpra of notifiable conduct by another practitioner: practising while intoxicated, sexual misconduct in practice, an impairment placing the public at substantial risk, or a significant departure from accepted professional standards placing the public at risk. Ahpra's guidelines set a higher threshold for treating practitioners.
Practice thresholds. Entry-level practice in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand is defined by the Physiotherapy practice thresholds (2015). The Boards consulted in 2023 on adding explicit cultural safety and digital competency expectations; the thresholds are the standard the APC assesses against, and the exam's professional-practice domain comes from them.
Cultural safety. Ahpra's new five-year strategy makes a culturally safe health system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples a priority, and the APC's six-hour Cultural Safety Training is a prerequisite for every pathway. Expect it in cases, not as a separate topic.

A note on what this is

APEP Exam Prep is an independent preparation resource. It is not endorsed by, affiliated with or connected to the Australian Physiotherapy Council, Ahpra or the Physiotherapy Board of Australia. Registration decisions are the Board's; the sources below are the primary record and were checked on 5 October 2026.

Questions people ask

What IELTS score do physiotherapists need for Ahpra registration?: IELTS Academic overall 7.0 with at least 7.0 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing. These scores were unchanged by the 23 April 2026 update; PTE, TOEFL, OET and Cambridge minimums did change.
Can I combine two English test sittings for Ahpra?: Yes, from a maximum of two sittings within 12 months, as long as each component meets Ahpra's floor score for combining. Results must be less than two years old when you apply.
Does Ahpra accept at-home English tests?: No. At-home and indicative versions are not accepted. Tests must be sat at a test centre; the OET computer-based test at a centre is accepted.
How much does Ahpra registration cost for a physiotherapist in 2026?: On the schedule effective 1 October 2026, A$452 to apply for general registration plus the annual registration fee of A$220 (A$200 if your principal place of practice is New South Wales). Both are paid on first registration.
Are testimonials allowed in physiotherapy advertising in Australia?: Not about the clinical aspects of care. Section 133 of the National Law prohibits using testimonials to advertise a regulated health service, and Ahpra's current guidelines maintain that position as of October 2026.
Do I need a criminal history check from my home country?: Applicants who have lived overseas must obtain an international criminal history check from an Ahpra-approved supplier. A revised criminal history registration standard took effect on 15 July 2026.

Sources

APEP Exam Prep is an independent preparation provider and is not affiliated with the Australian Physiotherapy Council.