OET Exam Guide: Format, Scores, Test Format, and Preparation

Key takeaways

• OET (Occupational English Test) is an English language test specifically designed for healthcare professionals seeking registration in English-speaking countries.
• The exam tests listening, reading, writing, and speaking, with profession-specific writing and speaking tasks.
• OET scores use a scale from 0 to 500 for each sub-test, with grade bands from A (highest) to E (lowest).
• OET is accepted by healthcare regulatory bodies in Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, Dubai, and other countries.
• The profession-specific format means OET preparation requires familiarity with your professional context, not just general English.

Most healthcare professionals working toward registration in an English-speaking country face a choice between OET and IELTS. The key difference is that OET is built for healthcare contexts.

The listening passages feature clinical conversations, the reading texts are medical articles and health documents, the writing task requires producing a referral letter or discharge summary, and the speaking task simulates a patient consultation. A nurse or doctor preparing for OET is working in familiar professional territory, not in a generic academic environment.

English teachers with experience in OET preparation understand which healthcare contexts appear in the exam and how the profession-specific tasks are scored. With over 10 million learners using italki for different language goals, finding an OET specialist becomes a simple task.

This guide covers the OET format for each sub-test, how the scoring works, and how to build a preparation plan that targets your specific profession.

What is OET?

OET (Occupational English Test) is a language proficiency test developed by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (CBLA), a partnership between Cambridge Assessment English and Box Hill Institute. OET was developed in Australia in the 1980s specifically for healthcare professionals and has since become the standard English language test for professional registration in healthcare across multiple countries.

OET is available for 12 healthcare professions: medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, optometry, podiatry, radiography, speech pathology, veterinary science, and dietetics. The writing and speaking sub-tests are profession-specific, meaning the tasks you receive are designed for your profession.

OET is available in two formats: OET on Paper (traditional test-centre version) and OET on Computer. Both versions test the same content. OET on Computer is available more frequently at authorised centres worldwide.

Browse italki and find English tutors for your OET test preparation.

OET sub-test format

Sub-test	Duration	Professional context
Listening	40 minutes	Generic healthcare contexts (shared by all professions)
Reading	60 minutes	Generic healthcare contexts (shared by all professions)
Writing	45 minutes	Profession-specific (e.g., referral letter, discharge summary)
Speaking	20 minutes	Profession-specific role-plays (patient consultation scenarios)

Listening sub-test

The listening sub-test has three parts:

Part A: Two consultations between a healthcare professional and a patient. You take notes on a listening note-taking template. The notes assess your ability to identify key clinical information: symptoms, history, instructions, and follow-up actions.

Part B: Six short extracts from healthcare settings such as ward rounds, team briefings, or patient handovers. For each extract, you answer a multiple-choice question.

Part C: Two longer audio extracts from healthcare presentations, interviews, or lectures. You answer multiple-choice questions assessing comprehension of the main ideas, specific details, and the speaker’s position.

Reading sub-test

The reading sub-test has three parts with authentic healthcare texts.

Part A: Four short texts on a related healthcare topic, such as drug information sheets or clinical guidelines. You answer questions using information from across all four texts, testing your ability to locate and compare specific information quickly.

Part B: Six short extracts from workplace healthcare contexts such as notices, memos, and policy documents. For each, you answer a multiple-choice question about the key message.

Part C: Two longer reading texts from healthcare journals or magazines. You answer multiple-choice questions about detailed meaning, vocabulary in context, and the author’s purpose.

Writing sub-test

The writing sub-test is profession-specific. You receive a case scenario consisting of notes from a patient file, and you must write a professional letter based on those notes. The most common task types are: referral letter (writing to refer a patient from one professional to another), discharge summary (writing to summarise a patient’s hospital stay for their GP), and transfer letter (writing to document a patient’s transfer between facilities).

The letter is addressed to a specified recipient, and the task specifies why the letter is needed and what information to include. You must select the most relevant information from the case notes, present it in a professional letter format, and complete the task within the word count of approximately 180-200 words in 45 minutes.

Speaking sub-test

The speaking sub-test is profession-specific. It consists of two role-plays conducted with a trained interlocutor at the test centre. Each role-play lasts approximately 5 minutes. The interlocutor plays the patient, carer, or another professional, and you play the healthcare professional.

Role-play scenarios are drawn from everyday professional situations: taking a patient’s history, explaining a diagnosis, managing a patient’s concerns, providing discharge instructions, or discussing treatment options. You have three minutes to read the role-play card and prepare before the interaction begins.

Work with a healthcare-specialised online English tutor to practise role-plays and receive feedback on clinical communication skills.

OET scoring

Each OET sub-test is scored on a scale from 0 to 500, with grade bands assigned as follows:

Grade	Score range	Description
A	450-500	High proficiency
B	350-440	Good proficiency
C+	300-340	Moderate upper proficiency
C	200-290	Moderate proficiency
D	100-190	Basic proficiency
E	0-90	Very limited proficiency

Most healthcare regulatory bodies require a minimum of Grade B (350+) in all four sub-tests. Some regulators accept Grade B in three sub-tests with a higher score in one, or have different thresholds for writing. Always confirm the exact requirements with the specific regulatory body for your profession and country before preparing for a target score.

Key regulatory bodies and their requirements include:

• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA): Grade B in all four sub-tests for most professions
• UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): Grade B in all four sub-tests
• General Medical Council (GMC) UK: Grade B in all four sub-tests
• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) UK: Grade B in all four sub-tests

Check the current requirements directly with your regulatory body as thresholds are updated periodically.

Find English teachers online who will map out a focused preparation plan based on your target grade.

How to prepare for OET

OET preparation requires combining English language development with healthcare-specific context preparation.

For listening, developing familiarity with clinical conversation patterns, including how healthcare professionals take histories, give instructions, and conduct handovers, makes the content of the listening sub-test familiar rather than surprising. Practising note-taking during patient consultation simulations builds the specific skill Part A tests.

For reading, reading authentic healthcare texts at journal article level, including pharmaceutical information, clinical guidelines, and healthcare policy documents, builds the reading pace and professional vocabulary the Part A and C texts require.

For writing, the referral letter format is a specific professional writing skill. Many healthcare professionals who write well in their own language still need to practise the English conventions for professional letter writing in a clinical context, including the register, layout, and selection of relevant information from case notes. An English tutor who knows the OET writing criteria can mark your practice letters and show you exactly where marks are gained and lost.

For speaking, the role-play format requires comfortable management of a clinical consultation in English, including handling patient anxiety, explaining complex information in accessible language, and managing the time pressure of a five-minute interaction. Practising role-plays with a tutor who plays the patient role and then gives feedback on language and communication strategy is the most direct preparation.

OET scores are valid for two years from the test date. Most regulatory bodies require valid scores at the time of registration application submission.

For over 15 years, italki has connected language learners across 190+ countries with teachers who understand exam requirements, including OET specialists who know exactly what examiners expect. Book a trial lesson and tell your teacher your profession, your target regulatory body, and your exam date.

FAQ

Is OET accepted in the UK for nursing registration?

Yes. The UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) accepts OET as proof of English language proficiency for nurses and midwives seeking NMC registration. The minimum requirement is Grade B in all four sub-tests. IELTS is also accepted by the NMC with equivalent score requirements. OET’s profession-specific format means the writing and speaking tasks specifically reflect nursing scenarios, which many candidates find more directly relevant to their professional experience than a generic academic English test.

How is OET different from IELTS for healthcare professionals?

OET is designed entirely for healthcare professionals with profession-specific writing and speaking tasks set in clinical contexts. IELTS tests general academic English in non-profession-specific contexts. Both are accepted by many healthcare regulatory bodies. Candidates with strong healthcare English often perform better on OET because the professional context is familiar. Candidates who have more general English strength may find IELTS easier to prepare for. If your regulatory body accepts both, preparing specifically for the format where your background gives you an advantage is the more efficient choice.

Can I retake only one sub-test of OET?

Yes. OET offers individual sub-test retakes, meaning you can retake only the sub-test(s) where you did not achieve your target grade. There is no requirement to retake the entire exam. Individual sub-test retakes are available at most test sessions. Check the OET website for availability and fees. Your best score in each sub-test is typically used for regulatory body applications, but confirm with your specific regulatory body whether they require all sub-test scores from a single sitting or allow the best score from each.