MET or IELTS for VisaScreen? How I help nurses choose

Almost every week, a nurse asks me the same question: "Sir, should I take the MET or IELTS for VisaScreen?" Usually the person asking has already taken one test, or has been reviewing for months, and is tired. They want to know which test gives them the best chance to finish this step and move on.

I have taught IELTS for 15 years, and I now teach the MET too. My honest answer is that there is no test that is easy for everyone. There is a test that fits you better. Here is how I help a nurse find it.

First, the numbers you need

Both tests are on the HRSA list that VisaScreen follows. For registered nurses taking the test on or after May 12, 2026, the minimums are:

MET58 (out of 80)59IELTS6.5 (out of 9)7.0

Notice that both tests set a separate, higher bar for Speaking. In my experience, Speaking is where most nurses get stuck, on either test. So the real question is not "which test is easier?" It is "on which test can I reach the Speaking minimum more reliably?"

How Speaking works in each test

This is the biggest difference, and it matters more than people think.

IELTS Speaking is a face-to-face interview with an examiner. A real person asks you questions, listens, and asks more. Some nurses like this. A friendly conversation helps them relax, and they speak better with a person in front of them.

MET Speaking has no interviewer. You see a prompt on the screen, you hear it, and you speak into a microphone. There are five tasks in about 10 minutes, from describing a picture to persuading a person of authority. Some nurses prefer this. Nobody is watching their face, and every task follows a pattern they can practice.

When a student tells me she freezes in front of an examiner, I look at the MET with her. When a student tells me she goes blank talking to a computer, I look at IELTS. Neither reaction is wrong. It tells me which test fits.

How the scores are built

On the MET, your overall score is the average of your four section scores. If your Speaking is 59, your other three sections still need to average about 58. On IELTS, the overall band is also built from the four skills.

What this means in practice: on either test, a very strong skill does not save a very weak one for long. Find your weakest skill first.

One more MET rule nurses should know

The MET lets you retake a single section if one part went badly, but only Listening, Reading, or Writing. Speaking is not on that list. If Speaking is the score that falls short, you take the whole MET again. Plan your preparation with that in mind, and check with TruMerit whether they accept a section retake before you count on one.

How I would decide, step by step

1. Confirm your requirement. Check the current HRSA list and ask TruMerit and your state board. Rules changed in May 2026, and older advice online still says 55 for the MET.
2. Take one free test of each kind. For the MET, the free Lexis MET Mini Test or Michigan's own free sample test. For IELTS, the official sample tests.
3. Compare your Speaking, not only your overall. Which test brought you closer to its Speaking minimum?
4. Choose one test and commit. Switching between tests every month is the most common way I see nurses lose time.
5. Sit full mocks before you book. Book the real test when your mock scores clear both minimums more than once.

Where Lexis fits

I built Lexis so that you always know three things: where you are now, what to work on next, and whether you are ready. For the MET, every Lexis score report shows your projected overall and Speaking scores next to the 58 and 59 minimums, so you see which number still needs work before you pay for the real test. Lexis also has IELTS mock exams if that is the test you choose.

Mock scores are estimates, not official results. They are a guide for your next step.

Related reading: MET vs IELTS: which English test should you take? and MET scores explained.

Questions nurses ask me about the MET and IELTS

Is the MET easier than IELTS for nurses?

I do not think either test is easier for everyone. The MET Speaking test is recorded on a computer, and IELTS Speaking is a live interview. Many nurses find one of these much more comfortable, and that usually decides it.

What MET score do I need for VisaScreen?

For registered nurses testing on or after May 12, 2026, the HRSA list sets 58 overall and 59 Speaking on the MET.

What IELTS score do I need for VisaScreen?

For registered nurses, the HRSA list sets IELTS at 6.5 overall and 7.0 Speaking.

Can I take the MET at home?

Not anymore. Michigan ended at-home MET testing on September 30, 2026, so you take it at a test center.