Michigan English Test (MET) for nurses
The MET score nurses need for VisaScreen
If you are a nurse taking the Michigan English Test for VisaScreen, you are not aiming for one score. You are aiming for two. Your overall score has to reach the minimum, and your Speaking score has to reach its own minimum. A strong overall does not cover a weak Speaking score.
The numbers, from the official list
HRSA (the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration) publishes the list of English tests and minimum scores for foreign health care workers. VisaScreen certificates follow that list. For the MET, the list in force for exams taken on or after May 12, 2026 says:
| Occupation | MET overall | MET Speaking |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses and other B.S.-level health care workers | 58 | 59 |
| Occupational therapists and physical therapists | 58 | 59 |
| Health care workers below B.S. level | 53 | 59 |
Before May 12, 2026, the MET minimum for registered nurses was 55 overall and 55 Speaking. If you read an older article or reviewer that says 55, it is out of date for any exam taken on or after that date.
Why Speaking is the number to watch
Three reasons:
- It is the higher bar. 59 is above the overall minimum of 58. Speaking is the only section with its own minimum on the list.
- The overall is an average. Michigan reports your overall score as the average of your four section scores. If Speaking is exactly 59, your other three sections still need to average about 58 for the overall to reach 58. A strong Speaking score cannot carry a weak Reading score, and the reverse is also true.
- Speaking cannot be retaken alone. The MET lets you retake one section (Listening, Reading, or Writing) if one section went badly. Speaking is not on that list. If Speaking falls short, you sit the whole test again. Also check that TruMerit accepts a section retake before you rely on one.
What the MET Speaking section asks
The Speaking section takes about 10 minutes and has five tasks, answered into a microphone on screen:
- Describe a picture (60 seconds)
- Talk about a related personal experience (60 seconds)
- Give your opinion (60 seconds)
- Talk about the advantages and disadvantages of a situation (90 seconds)
- Explain and justify an opinion to a person of authority (90 seconds)
Trained and certified raters score your recorded answers on three criteria: Task Completion, Language Resources, and Intelligibility and Delivery.
How to know you clear both numbers before test day
The safest plan is the one that tells you early:
- Find out where you stand now. Take a four-skill test and look at Speaking on its own, not only the overall.
- Work on the gap. If Speaking is the gap, practice the five task types out loud, record yourself, and listen back.
- Rehearse the whole test. Sit full-length mocks under real timing. Book the real MET when your projected scores clear both numbers in more than one mock, not just once.
How Lexis checks the two numbers for you
Every Lexis MET score report shows your projected overall score and your projected Speaking score next to the VisaScreen minimum of 58 overall and 59 Speaking. If one of the two falls short, the report says which one and by how many points. You see the gap in practice, not on results day.
- Free MET Mini Test: a short version of all four parts with a score for each skill, including Speaking. No payment needed.
- MET Mock Package: 10 full-length mocks in the 155-minute format, with Speaking playback so you can hear your own answers.
- MET Success Package: a Readiness Check, the 14-lesson MET Masterclass, 2,000+ practice questions, 90 model Writing and Speaking responses with coach notes, and 5 more full-length mocks.
See the full MET score chart for how the 0 to 80 scale maps to CEFR levels.
Questions
Everything you might want to know.
What MET score do nurses need for VisaScreen?
For registered nurses, the HRSA list for exams taken on or after May 12, 2026 sets the MET minimum at 58 overall and 59 Speaking.
Is 55 still enough on the MET for VisaScreen?
55 overall and 55 Speaking was the minimum before May 12, 2026. For an exam taken on or after that date, the list says 58 overall and 59 Speaking.
Can I retake only the MET Speaking section?
No. Michigan's single-section retake covers Listening, Reading, or Writing only. Confirm with TruMerit whether a section retake is accepted for your application.
How soon do I get my MET results?
Michigan says results are typically available within 5 days of your test.
Can I take the MET at home?
Michigan ended at-home MET testing on September 30, 2026. The MET is taken at approved MET test centers and Prometric test centers.
Start the free MET Mini Test
See your score for each skill, including Speaking. No payment needed.
Start the free MET Mini TestProjected scores are estimates to guide your preparation. They are not official MET results.
MET is a trademark of Michigan Language Assessment. Lexis Test is an independent preparation provider and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Michigan Language Assessment, HRSA, or TruMerit.