The Occupational English Test (better known as OET), is a testing system designed to measure the English language competency of healthcare professionals who intend to move to and register in English-speaking countries.
The test looks at the abilities of candidates in four areas – speaking, writing, reading, and listening – to assess their overall English ability, although it is of course tailored for candidates who work in the various fields of healthcare.
Until August, 2018, OET candidates were assigned grades ranging from E-A; however, a new scoring system has been implemented that assigns candidates a numerical grade, ranging from 0-500.
OET Grading
Since September, 2018, the OET has been graded on a scale of 0-500 for each of the four sections, which are known as “subtests”. The highest possible score is 500, and the lowest is 0, as can be seen from the following table:
| OET | IELTS BAND EQUIVALENT | LEVEL OF ENGLISH |
| OET SCORE | OET GRADE |
| 450-500 | A | 9 | High level of proficiency in the language. Able to communicate fluently and accurately. Can understand written or verbal discourse with ease. |
| 8.5 |
| 8 |
| 350-440 | B | 7.5 | Able to communicate effectively although some inaccuracies or hesitations may occur which do not impede communication. |
| 7 |
| 300-340 | C+ | 6.5 | Able to communicate adequately despite occasional errors. |
| 200-290 | C | 6 | Able to understand standard input but may require clarification on higher level language. |
| 5.5 |
| 100-190 | D | 5 | Able to interact and understand simple and routine tasks but may require clarification. Errors frequently occur, causing strain in communication. |
| 4.5 |
| 4.0 |
| 0-90 | E | 0-4 | Able to understand familiar and basic phrases. Can interact only if the other person is prepared to clarify information. |
OET Module
Your Score
Grade
Comment
Speaking
invalid score
NA
NA
Listening
invalid score
NA
NA
This grading system allows for healthcare programs around the world to ensure the English levels of prospective employees. As can be seen from this table, a score of 350 or higher indicates the sort of ability that would be desired by most healthcare systems.
Step 1
Step 2
OET Sub-Tests
1st Sitting Score
2nd Sitting Score
Step 2 Nursing NZ
OET Sub-Tests
1st Sitting Score
2nd Sitting Score
Step 2 Nursing UK
OET Sub-Tests
1st Sitting Score
2nd Sitting Score
Step 2 Nursing AUS
OET Sub-Tests
1st Sitting Score
2nd Sitting Score
Disclaimer : Take note that this is a general guide and you still need to check your eligibility with the respective registration bodies.
OET is 3 hours long approximately. The structure of the test looks like this:
| Subtest | Duration | Content | Requirements |
| Listening | 40 minutes | 2 parts | Candidates must understand a range of spoken materials, including patient consultations and lectures. |
| Reading | 60 minutes | 2 parts | Candidates must read and understand different types of written healthcare-related materials. |
| Writing | 45 minutes | 1 part | Candidates must write a letter clearly and accurately for a reader. *This is specific to the candidate’s field of occupation. |
| Speaking | 20 minutes | 2 parts | Candidates must communicate effectively in a role-play situation. *This is specific to the candidate’s field of occupation. |
OET examines candidates’ abilities in speaking, writing, listening, and reading. As such, there are four separate subtests, one for each of these areas. The two receptive skills – reading and listening – are intended to determine how well a candidate can understand written and spoken English in a medical capacity. These two tests are the same regardless of a candidate’s occupation. This is different for the writing and speaking tests, which are specific to each of the occupations covered by the OET.
OET Test Types
OET now comes with two different formats
- Paper Based
- Computer-based
- 2.1 OET at home
- 2.2 OET on Computer @ test venue
Look at the illustration below to understand each of the above. For more information, please visit these links. Link 1 Link 2
Watch the Video
Reading and Listening
The listening and reading subtests are marked by OET examiners at the testing center. They will be randomly and anonymously assigned in order to prevent any sort of cheating. The examiners are required to strictly follow a guide that tells them how to mark your answers and calculate your score.
Part B and C of the reading test are handled differently: It is marked by a machine, which reads data from the paper after it is scanned. The whole system is closely monitored to ensure fairness and accuracy.
In listening and reading, you are assessed for various skills in each part of the subtests. The scores based of tested skills are listed in the table below:
| S. no | Listening | Reading |
|---|
| 1 | Part A:
24 questions
2 Recordings (12 questions each)
Notes completion
Skills:
It tests your ability to listen for details, comprehend, and interpret accurately. | Part A:
20 questions
1-7 Matching Questions.
8-20 Fill in the blanks.
Skills:
It requires you to quickly scan the text, locate relevant information and record specific information. |
| 2 | Part B:
6 questions
3 option MCQs
Skills:
It is assessed for listening to find gist, or identifying a speaker's opinion, attitude, or purpose to decide what will be the outcome of each conversation. | Part B:
6 questions (6 workplace extracts)
3 option MCQs
Skills:
It tests you for identification of main ideas, purpose and recognition of important details. |
| 3 | Part C:
12 questions
2 Recordings (6 questions each)
3 option MCQs
Skills:
It tests your ability to follow extended conversations to understand gist, main idea, and opinion | Part C:
16 questions
2 long texts
4 option MCQS questions
Skills:
It tests your ability to comprehend the explicit and implicit meaning of the author. It also tests your ability to understand the contextual meaning of specific vocabulary. |
In order to score 350 or grade B, you need to get 30 correct answers in your reading and writing subtests. In listening,
Speaking and Writing
The audio files from the speaking test and the written papers from the writing test will be collected and randomly assigned to examiners for grading. These will be re-checked in order to ensure that a fair grade has been assigned. A particularly strict examiner may have their grading system altered to bring it more in line with OET standards. A consensus is required from the two (or more) examiners who look at a speaking or writing test in order for the grade to be accepted and published by the OET center.
You may well ask how the speaking and writing tests are assessed. In other words, what are the examiners looking to hear or read from the candidates? The criteria are somewhat similar, with a few differences. They are listed in this table:
| S. No | Writing | Speaking |
| 1. | Task has been completed. | Communication was effective. |
| 2. | Appropriate language used. | Speech was intelligible. |
| 3. | Understood the material. | Spoke fluently. |
| 4. | Grammatically accurate. | Appropriateness. |
| 5. | Spelling, punctuation, etc. | Grammar and other resources used well. |
There is no passing or failing grade for OET, but most boards and councils require a score of at least 350 in order to consider a candidate for employment. To achieve this, candidates would need to perform well in all five of the criteria for each subtest. The standards are very high, but adequate preparation can allow students a good chance of scoring highly in these parts of the exam.
