ANMAC Nurse Assessment: Full vs Modified vs Direct Care Explained

ANMAC runs three different skills assessments for nurses and midwives migrating to Australia, and most applicants aren't eligible for the cheapest one. This explains which assessment applies to you, the Ahpra pathway most applicants need first, and the English test scores AHPRA now requires. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 ANMAC has 3 nurse assessments.
  2. 0:13 Which one is yours?
  3. 0:30 Full ($595) needs registration in 7 countries
  4. 0:43 Modified needs NMBA/NZ registration
  5. 0:56 Neither assessment yet?
  6. 1:06 Stream B adds:
  7. 1:17 IELTS from 23 April 2026:
  8. 1:34 OET went numeric too:
  9. 1:49 No single fixed processing time —
  10. 2:00 Common mistake:
  11. 2:13 Where to read more

Transcript

If you're a nurse or midwife applying to migrate to Australia, ANMAC actually runs 3 different assessments — and most applicants can't use the cheapest one.

There's the Full Skills Assessment, at $595. The Modified Skills Assessment, at $395. And a Direct Care assessment, at $545 — but that one is for aged and disability care workers, not nurses.

The Full Skills Assessment only works if you're currently or previously registered as a nurse in one of 7 countries: Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, the UK or the US.

The Modified Skills Assessment might sound like the answer for everyone else. It isn't — you need current registration with Australia's Nursing and Midwifery Board, or the New Zealand equivalent, already in hand.

So if you're not from one of those 7 countries, and you're not already NMBA-registered, you start with Ahpra's internationally qualified nurse and midwife pathway instead.

Stream B's outcomes-based assessment has 2 parts: a multiple-choice exam, and an Objective Structured Clinical Exam — a hands-on practical test.

AHPRA's own English standard for registration changed on 23 April 2026. From that date, you need an IELTS Academic score of 7.0 overall — 7.0 in listening, reading and speaking, and 6.5 in writing.

OET also moved to numeric scores as part of that same 23 April 2026 change, replacing the old letter grades: 350 in listening, 360 in reading, 350 in writing, 360 in speaking.

Neither Ahpra nor ANMAC publishes one fixed processing time for the combined pathway. Check their own sites for current timing before you plan around a specific date.

The mistake that costs people months: assuming a nursing qualification alone unlocks ANMAC's Modified assessment. It checks an existing registration, not your original qualification.

The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.

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