For Health Professions including: Nursing, Dentistry, Dietetics, Medicine, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Radiology, Speech Therapy, and Veterinary Medicine.
 
            If you're aspiring to build a successful healthcare career abroad, demonstrating your English language proficiency is a crucial step. The Occupational English Test (OET) is specifically designed for healthcare professionals, ensuring that you have the necessary communication skills to thrive in an international medical environment. Whether you're aiming to work in nursing, medicine, dentistry, or other health-related fields, OET helps you prove your ability to understand and communicate effectively within the healthcare sector, making it a vital part of your journey toward a global healthcare career.
Let’s understand OET first.
The Occupational English Test (OET) stands as the leading language proficiency exam for healthcare professionals worldwide. It is widely recognized and accepted across more than 15 countries, including major destinations like the UK and the USA, ensuring healthcare workers can meet the communication standards required in international medical environments.
OET has over 115 test centres spread across 40 countries around the world. You can apply for the test at their website. Make sure you enter all your personal details carefully as they should match with your documents.
The registration process is easy. Follow these simple steps:
The OET exam pattern consists of four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, designed to reflect healthcare settings. Each skill is tested separately in an exam session.
The exam is structured as follows:
To register for the OET exam, you need to visit the official OET website and create an account. You can select the nearest test centre and choose a suitable date for the exam.
Steps for registration:
OET results are scored from A to E, where A is the highest grade. Each skill is graded separately and an overall score is not provided.
OET is recognized as proof of English proficiency for registration in 12 healthcare professions across the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Namibia, and Singapore. The test covers healthcare fields such as dentistry, dietetics, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, podiatry, radiography, speech pathology, and veterinary science.
The Occupational English Test (OET) is officially recognized by healthcare regulatory bodies in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Dubai, Singapore, Ukraine, and Namibia.
Since March 2013, the test has been managed by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment Trust (CBLA), ensuring a high standard of quality and reliability.
OET is designed to assess English language proficiency across Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, tailored specifically for healthcare professionals operating in medical environments.
The exam is regularly updated to reflect advancements in language, medical terminologies, and evolving healthcare practices, maintaining its relevance and accuracy.
OET is conducted 14 times annually at over 115 centers located in 40 countries, offering global access to aspiring healthcare professionals.
The OET is highly regarded for its focus on practical communication skills, allowing candidates to demonstrate their ability to perform effectively in real-life medical situations.
The test is divided into specific sub-tests for different healthcare professions, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and physiotherapy, ensuring it caters to the unique language needs of various fields.
Successful completion of the OET opens up opportunities for healthcare professionals to work and practice in some of the most advanced healthcare systems in the world.
Below is a list of countries that recognise/accept OET results as proof of English language proficiency. You could check with our expert counsellors before registering for the OET test to know about the organisations that are accepting OET. Here’s a list of countries that require medical professionals to have an OET result:
