The Occupational English Test (OET) is an English language test for healthcare professionals recognised by various regulatory healthcare bodies. It assesses the language communication skills of healthcare professionals who wish to register and practise in an English-speaking environment.
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 recognised by regulatory healthcare boards and councils in Australia, New Zealand,United Kingdom,USA,Ireland, Dubai, Singapore, Namibia and Ukraine. Many organisations, 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 recognised by the Australian Department of Home Affairs and Immigration New Zealand for all visa categories where an English test may be required.
Each recognising organisation determines which grade results mean that candidates meet the language competency standards to function in their profession.
OET is available in three different delivery modes. OET on Paper at a Test Venue, OET on Computer at a Test Venue and OET at Home. The test tasks, format and level of difficulty remain the same for all the OET tests regardless of the mode of exam delivery.
The OET paper test is the exam delivery mode for OET students for over 30 years. OET tests, in general, has 4 components (Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening).
OET test on the Computer has the same exam format. The test will be evaluated by the highly-trained examiners who mark paper-based OET.
OET at Home is for candidates to attend the exam from their own home. OET at home will have the same format, timing and difficulty as a test in the OET test venue. A reliable desktop/laptop with a good internet connection is the basic requirement.
OET comprises four sub-tests:
Listening (approximately 45 minutes)
Reading (60 minutes)
Writing (45 minutes)
Speaking (approximately 20 minutes)
Candidates are required to demonstrate that they can follow and understand a range of health-related spoken materials such as patient consultations and lectures.
Part A - consultation extracts (about 5 minutes each)
Part A assesses candidates' ability to identify specific information during a consultation. They are required to listen to two recorded health professional-patient consultations and complete the health professional's notes using the information they hear.
Part B – short workplace extracts (about 1 minute each)
Part B tests candidates' ability to identify the detail, gist, opinion or purpose of short extracts from the healthcare workplace. They are required to listen to six recorded extracts and answer one multiple-choice question for each extract.
Part C – presentation extracts (about 5 minutes each)
Part C assesses candidates' ability to follow a recorded presentation or interview on a range of accessible healthcare topics. They are required to listen to two different extracts and answer six multiple-choice questions for each extract.
Candidates are required to demonstrate that they can read and understand different types of text on health-related subjects.
Part A – expeditious reading task (15 minutes)
Part A assesses candidates' ability to locate specific information from four short texts in a quick and efficient manner. The four short texts relate to a single healthcare topic, and they must answer 20 questions in the allocated time period.
Part B and Part C – careful reading tasks (45 minutes)
Part B assesses candidates' ability to identify the detail, gist or main point of six short texts sourced from the healthcare workplace. The texts might consist of extracts from policy documents, hospital guidelines, manuals or internal communications, such as emails or memos. For each text, there is one three-option multiple-choice question.
Part C assesses candidates' ability to identify detailed meaning and opinion in two texts on topics of interest to healthcare professionals . For each text, candidates must answer eight four-option multiple choice questions.
The task is to write a letter, usually a referral letter. Sometimes, especially for some professions, a different type of letter is required: e.g. a letter of transfer or discharge, or a letter to advise or inform a patient, carer, or group.
The Speaking sub-test is delivered individually and the candidate takes part in two role-plays. In each role-play, the candidate takes his or her professional role while the interlocutor plays a patient, a client, or a patient's relative or carer