OET Exam for Healthcare Professionals: Fees, Result, Dates, Eligibility, Syllabus

The OET exam is another English language proficiency exam, just like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or Duolingo, except, it caters specifically to healthcare professionals.

Preparing for the OET exam will not only make studentsproficient in English but will also make them familiar with its everyday use at work. Also, its acceptance is not just limited to healthcare education it is also widely recognised as proof of English proficiency for immigration, registration and employment in the sector.

Although the OET exam is an English proficiency test, its structure and scoring are different from other equivalent tests. To have a clear idea of the OET exam, one may learn all about its exam pattern, eligibility criteria, exam fees, dates and deadlines, and OET exam acceptance below.

What is OET?

As mentioned above, the OET exam or Occupational English Test is a specialised English language proficiency test for medical professionals.

The healthcare sector has its varied terminology, which makes up for over fifty per cent of the overall language. Although healthcare professionals also use English as a language of conversation, medical study, and interaction with patients, the manner and level of their usage are quite different.

Additionally, while studying medicine helps students become great medical professionals in their relevant specialisations, it does not teach them how to communicate with patients. While medical professionals know the depth of the disease or medical issue, the patient is neither aware of it nor knows the technical terms. Moreover, they are also overwhelmed by the processes in the healthcare ecosystem. Hence, not only do healthcare professionals must know how to treat patients problems, but they must also know how to comfort them and make them understand the gravity of the situation.

The OET exam helps healthcare professionals learn both specialisation-based and conversation-based skills in the English language.

Consult expertson which standardised study abroad test is appropriate for your chosen course specialisation.

Overview of the OET Exam

Here is an overview of the OET exam and its aspects:

Who Conducts the OET Exam?

The OET exam was created by Professor Tim McNamara in the late 1980s and was originally administered under the supervision of the Australian National Office for Foreign Skills Recognition (NOOSR). Over the years, the OET exam or Occupational English Testing has gone through several research and development phases under the University of Melbourne's Language Testing Research Centre and Cambridge Assessment English to keep up with current trends, and since 2013, OET has been conducted and owned by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment Trust (CBLA), a joint venture between Cambridge Assessment English and Box Hill Institute.

Where is OET Exam Accepted? 

The OET exam is necessary for healthcare professionals who wish to study or work in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Maldives, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, or the United States of America. Because these are the nations where the OET exam is widely accepted.

The OET test is required for healthcare professionals who need to demonstrate their English proficiency in order to work or study in the healthcare sector in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Maldives, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, or the USA.

What is OET at Home?

Considering the pandemic, Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment Trust (CBLA), the exam's governing body, has introduced the Home OET. This is the same OET exam that is given at a testing centre. The OET at Home, on the other hand, would be a computer-based OET test administered from the candidate's house. The OET at Home - computer-based test is now accessible in a limited number of locations and for topics such as Medicine and Nursing. The institution is expanding its topic offerings. The OET exam pattern is the same for both the Test Centre OET and the Home OET exam.

The initiative was launched to make the OET exam more accessible to healthcare professionals who wish to work or study abroad and require OET scores as part of their application procedure. Applicants who intend to book their OET at Home exam must first review the system prerequisites for the OET exam. Applicants would also need to be in a test-friendly atmosphere for the length of the OET exam.

OET Exam Dates and Deadlines 2023

OET exam dates are available throughout the year and two test dates are declared for each month, with different booking deadlines. OET exam deadlines for OET exam dates are decided as follows:

• Deadlines for booking OET on paper are declared specifically for each OET exam date.

• Deadlines for OET on the computer are set for 10 days prior to the respective exam date.

• OET at-home booking closes seven days before the respective OET exam dates.

OET exam dates for 2023 are summarised below, along with their booking deadlines and professions available for testing on respective OET exam dates:

Note: All booking dates will close at 12:00 PM (UTC) on the mentioned OET exam deadlines.

OET Exam Centres in India

In total, there are 50 OET exam centres in India operated by varying testing agencies. These testing agencies conduct both modes of OET exam, OET on paper and OET on computer, but in different cities. Certain test agencies conduct OET exams in different cities.

Healthcare professionals can choose to attempt the OET exam at any of the following OET exam centres in India:

Who Can Attempt OET?

Any individual who is pursuing higher studies or a job in the healthcare sector in the 12 specialisations for the OET exam can attempt the exam. The specialisations which are available for medical professionals for OET exams are:

• Nursing

• Medicine

• Dentistry

• Pharmacy

• Radiography

• Physiotherapy

• Dietetics

• Podiatry

• Vet Science

• Occupational Therapy

• Optometry

• Speech Pathology

OET Eligibility Criteria

The OET exam does not have an extensive set of eligibility criteria. In fact, the exam is so accessible that even refugee and asylum candidates can attempt the exam. It is the follow-up terms and conditions for appearing at the test venue and special requirements for each test mode that is extensive. It is to ensure that the security and reliability of the OET exam is maintained.

The eligibility criteria to be satisfied to register for the OET exam are:

• The candidate must be a medical professional or a student seeking higher studies in the field of medicine.

• The candidate must be a healthcare professional in one of the 12 specialisations.

• A valid passport or national ID should be used for registration.

• A scanned copy of a recent photograph and signature should be used for registration.

OET Exam Registration

The OET exam registration process has been mentioned step-by-step below::

• Step 1: Register as a new user on the official website of the OET exam.
• Step 2: Use your myOET account credentials to log in as a registered user.
• Step 3: Click on Book a Test and register for the available test dates, test centres, and test mode.
• Step 4: Fill in all the required information and upload identification documents, such as passport, photo, and signature.
• Step 5: Complete the booking by finalising the payment.
• Step 6: Download the payment receipt and application form summary received at the registered mail address. Prepare for the OET exam.

OET Exam Fees

There are various exam fees charged by CBLA for the OET exam, ranging from registration to rescheduling. CBLA also provides test centre-, test mode-, and test country-changing services.

For each service, the candidate has to cancel their OET exam booking and reschedule the OET exam. The refund amount is deducted by OET rescheduling fees. The conditions of different amounts for before or after deadline action is applicable to these amounts as well.

Here are all the applicable OET exam fees and refunds for 2022-23:

Note: The service of OET rescheduling fee for speaking section is only available for OET on computer and OET at home. Also, all the amounts in INR are approximate and converted from AUD and bound to vary as per fluctuation in exchange rates.

OET Exam Pattern

The OET Exam includes four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The total OET exam duration is approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes and this testing time may differ on the basis of the Listening and Speaking sections. There is a gap of two-three minutes between each part, and hence the overall exam duration may extend.

Here is an overview of the OET Exam pattern:

OET Syllabus

The OET syllabus for the OET exam is not set by hard and fast rules. The test basically aims to test whether the candidate can cater to their duties as a medical professional properly. This includes whether they can:

• understand their patients or their carers,

• conversate with patients or carers, search for exact problems,

• recommend proper solutions and cures and adjust them to the reasonable requirements of the patient,

• work on self-development and conversate with other medical professionals.

The OET syllabus can also be understood on the basis of the testing pattern of the exam sections:

• OET syllabus for the Listening and Reading section is the same for all medical professionals irrespective of their specialisation. They have to solve 42 multiple choice questions on the basis of three spoken and three written extracts provided to them.

• OET Writing section includes one writing task in which candidates have to write a Referral Letter on basis of their specialisation.

• In the case of the OET Speaking test, candidates are required to perform their part in four role plays, where the Proctor plays the role of patient, client, relative, or carer.

OET Exam Results and Scores

Applicants who successfully take their OET exam can expect their OET Scores to be generated around 16 working days after each test. Students who take the OET will be scored on a scale of 0-500, with ten-point increments. 

The numerical score would then be translated to a different letter grade for each subtest, with (alphabet A) being the highest and (alphabet E) representing the lowest. OET applicants should be aware that the OET result period is 16 days from the date of your IET test. The OET exam has no overall grade. 

OET results are given within the score range of 0-500 for each subsection. There is no overall OET score. The OET result dates for each OET exam date in 2023 have been summarised below:

OET Accepted Countries, Organisations and Universities

The OET exam is accepted at medical universities and colleges and the medical industry in over 40 countries. The organisations which readily accept OET exam scores are:

• Healthcare Boards and Councils,

• Recruiters in the Medical and Pharmacy industry,

• Government Authorities,

• Public and Private Boards of Medicine Sciences and Healthcare Professionals,

• Universities and Colleges,

• Association of Medical Professionals and Healthcare Professionals for memberships.

The OET-accepted countries include UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Ukraine, UAE, Ireland, Canada, Malta, Namibia, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, and the Maldives.

Here are some of the popular OET-accepted countries and their respective universities:

The OET exam is the best way for medical and healthcare professionals to move to countries abroad either for higher education or employment. They can also apply for PR visas in the countries where the OET exam is accepted or get nominated by the Healthcare Boards or recruiters for PR visas.

For any assistance or queries regarding healthcare exams to study or work abroad, you can connect with us at abroad@collegedekho.com.