OET - Occupational English Test
The OET is an international English proficiency test that assesses the language communication skills of healthcare professionals. OET is available for the following 12 professions: dentistry, dietetics, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, podiatry, radiography, speech pathology, and veterinary science. Test takers include nurses (47%), doctors (23%), dentists (20%), and pharmacists (6%).
OET is recognized by regulatory healthcare boards and councils in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the USA, Ireland, Dubai, Singapore, Namibia, and Ukraine. Many organizations, including hospitals, universities, and colleges, are using OET as proof of a candidate’s ability to communicate effectively in a demanding healthcare environment. In addition, OET is recognized by the Australian Department of Home Affairs and Immigration New Zealand for all visa categories where an English test may be required.
Each recognizing organization determines which grade results mean that candidates meet the language competency standards to function in their profession.
OET assesses English proficiency in different types of communication. The test is divided into four parts: listening, writing, reading, and speaking.
OET: Listening component (50 minutes)
In this section, the exam assesses your ability to understand spoken language. It is divided into three parts: A, B, and C. You will listen to consultations between physicians and patients (part A), monologues (i.e., one person speaking), and/or dialogues (i.e., two people speaking) (parts B and C). With each encounter, you will have to fill in the answers based on information from the listening exercise.
OET: Writing component (45 minutes)
In this section, you will be provided with a case note and a task, and you are given five minutes to read through them (during those five minutes, you are not allowed to use a pen or a pencil). After that, you have 40 minutes to write a letter according to the task. In the writing session, you will be assessed for the following measures: purpose, content, conciseness and clarity, genre and style, organization and layout, and language. The writing part is usually the most challenging, and it is advisable to practice before the actual exam.
OET: Reading component (60 minutes)
In this section, you will be provided with texts talking about different healthcare-related topics, and you will answer questions according to these texts. The reading is divided into three parts: A, B, and C. Part A is done alone and takes 15 minutes. While parts B and C are taken in tandem, you have 45 minutes to complete both (so make sure you monitor the time carefully). Part B consists of six short texts of about 100–150 words from a healthcare workplace, where you will get one multiple-choice question with three options about each text. Part C consists of two long texts of up to 800 words in which each text covers a specific topic and is divided into paragraphs. In Part C, you will get eight multiple-choice questions with four options. The good thing about Part C questions is that they guide you where to look in the text (i.e., by specifying what paragraph in the text the question is about)
OET: Speaking component (20 minutes)
In the speaking section, you participate in two role-playing exercises where you take on the role of the professional ( i.e. physician) and the interlocutor (the person facilitating this portion of the exam) plays as a patient, a patient’s relative, or a caregiver.
You start by getting a card that states the setting, the patient’s information, and the task. Once you get the card, you have three minutes to prepare. Then, you have five minutes to perform the role-play. Once you finish the first role-play, you will get a card for the second role-play, which will repeat the same steps as the first but in a different setting and with a different patient and task.
