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Imagine a situation wherein a highly skilled doctor is operating a patient but due to a linguistic incompatibility, no interaction is taking place. Would it lead to an effective treatment, when a patient is not able to communicate with the doctor? This is the place where doctors are required to learn the language of the region they are planning to work in. As a medical professional, it is important to engage with the people you are dealing with. English, being a universal language has more number of speakers than any other language in the world. It actually acts as a similarity when dealing with people from different cultures and linguistic backgrounds. And, OET exam or Occupational English Test is one such language assessment parameter for paramedics aspirants.
OET Exam Highlights
| Exam Name | Occupational English Test (OET Exam ) |
| Applicable For | Healthcare professionals willing to practice abroad |
| Conducted By | Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment Trust (CBLA) |
| Mode of Exam | Online and Offline |
| Applicable Countries | US, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai and Singapore, Ukraine, Ireland, Nambia and the UK |
| Exam Fee | AUD 587 (INR 32,900) |
| Score Range | A (Highest) to E (Lowest) |
| Official Website | www.occupationalenglishtest.org/ |
Occupational English Test or OET
OET exam is conducted to assess the English language skills of healthcare professionals who want to work in an English speaking environment. The test is suitable for doctors, nurses and paramedical workers belonging to files like Dentistry Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Medicine, Nursing, Dietetics, Podiatry, Speech Pathology, Radiography, Nursing, Veterinary Science, Pharmacy and Optometry. Owned by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment, OET is valid in a number of countries including the US, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai and Singapore, Ukraine, Ireland, Nambia and the UK. The exam validity depends on the institution or committee you are applying in for work.
OET Exam Structure
Like any other language test, Occupational English Test covers all the aspects of language learning for healthcare professionals. The test administers your language skills while speaking, reading, writing and listening. Let’s have a look at the exam structure in detail:
Listening: The listening section consists of 3 parts with common questions for health professionals of all specializations. There are 42 questions to be answered in 40 minutes. You will be given the time between the questions to write the answers. Though the criteria for qualifying for the listening test varies each year, ideally a minimum of 30 marks are required to get a grade B (qualifying grade).
Reading: This section aims to assess your reading, skimming, and scanning ability. The reading section has 3 parts consisting of 42 questions in total. The time allotted is 60 minutes in total with 15 minutes to finish 20 questions of section A and the remaining 45 minutes to finish 22 questions of sections B and C.
Writing: The writing section is profession-specific and has a situation for each profession like Nurse, Dentist, etc. The motive behind the test is to check your writing skills in the English language. The time allotted for this section is 45 minutes.
Speaking: The speaking test, unlike others, is taken individually where you have to enact as a healthcare professional while the interviewer plays the role of the patient or the patient’s relative. In the case of a veterinarian, the interviewer plays the role of the animal’s owner. The duration of the test is for 20 minutes. You can assess your fluency, pronunciation, and interactivity.
OET Exam dates 2021
The OET exam is held 24 times a year across multiples cities in India. The OET Exam dates for 2021 are as follows:
| OET Test Date 2021 | OET Registration Window | OET Results 2021 |
| January 09, 2021 | Start Date: September 30, 2020 End Date: December 04, 2020 |
January 29, 2021 |
| January 23, 2021 | Start Date: September 30, 2020 End Date: December 11, 2020 |
February 12, 2021 |
| February 06, 2021 | Start Date: September 30, 2020 End Date: January 11, 2021 |
February 25, 2021 |
| February 20, 2021 | Start Date: September 30, 2020 End Date: January 25, 2021 |
March 12, 2021 |
| March 06, 2021 | Start Date: October 5, 2020 End Date: February 8, 2021 |
March 25, 2021 |
| March 20, 2021 | Start Date: October 5, 2020 End Date: February 22, 2021 |
April 12, 2021 |
| April 10, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: March 15, 2021 |
April 29, 2021 |
| April 24, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: April 13, 2021 |
May 13, 2021 |
| May 9, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: April 13, 2021 |
May 28, 2021 |
| May 29, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: May 17, 2021 |
June 18, 2021 |
| June 12, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: May 17, 2021 |
July 01, 2021 |
| June 26, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: May 31, 2021 |
July 15, 2021 |
| July 10, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: June 14, 2021 |
June 29, 2021 |
| July 24, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: June 28, 2021 |
August 12, 2021 |
| August 7, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: July 12, 2021 |
August 26, 2021 |
| August 28, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: August 2, 2021 |
September 16, 2021 |
| September 11, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: August 16, 2021 |
October 1, 2021 |
| September 25, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: August 30, 2021 |
October 14, 2021 |
| October 9, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: September 13, 2021 |
October 28, 2021 |
| October 23, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: September 27, 2021 |
November 12, 2021 |
| November 6, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: October 11, 2021 |
November 25, 2021 |
| November 20, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: October 25, 2021 |
December 10, 2021 |
| December 4, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: November 8, 2021 |
January 12, 2021 |
| December 18, 2021 | Start Date: November 13, 2020 End Date: November 22, 2021 |
January 21, 2021 |
OET Exam: Paper Pattern
| Sections | Test Duration |
| Listening | 45 mins |
| Reading | 60 mins |
| Writing | 45 mins |
| Speaking | 20 mins |
OET Exam Eligibility Criteria
There are no hard-and-fast rules applied to the requirement section of the OET exam. All those who have completed higher level degrees or certifications in Medicine related fields and wish to practice in the healthcare sector of the aforementioned nations can appear for this exam.
OET Exam Fees and Registration
In order to register for the OET exam, it is mandatory for the candidates to submit the required examination fees. As per the official authorities, the standard examination fees for OET exam is AUD 587 (INR 32,900).
To register for the OET exam, candidates can visit the official website and can successfully complete their registration online in a few simple steps. Candidates will first have to complete the login steps and then proceed with registration.
OET Exam: Sample Papers
Following are the sample papers of the reading and writing section along with their answer keys:
OET Exam: Preparation Books
Enlisted are the suggested books:
- OET Speaking and Writing Skills Builder by Ros Wright
- OET Speaking and Writing Skills Builder by Tom Fassnidge
- Dear Doctor by Norman Whitby and Stephen Nickless
- OET Writing Strategy Guide by Gurleen Khaira
- Grammar Booster for OET Nursing by Beth McNally and Anne Mackenzie
OET vs IELTS
Students often confuse OET with IELTS. Despite, both of them being the language proficiency tests, they are poles apart. IELTS is the general English language proficiency test for those seeking admissions in universities abroad. On the other hand, OET is an exam for medical professionals who want to work in an English environment. OET having a different purpose is conducted by a separate organization while IELTS is conducted by the government as well as private organizations.
Here’s the rough comparison of IELTS score vs OET exam score.
| IELTS | OET | OET Score |
| 8-9 | A | 450-500 |
| 7-7.5 | B | 350-440 |
| 6.5 | C+ | 300-340 |
| 5.5-6 | C | 200-290 |
| 4-5 | D | 100-190 |
| 4 | E | 0-90 |
Preparing for an OET Exam
While IELTS requires you to develop a high vocabulary to perform well in the test, OET is completely profession-based. Moreover, it requires you to have an understanding of the medical terms and its possible usage in various situations. You are expected to write various types of medical letters, one being the referral letter. If you want to score well, you need to go through the requirements and assessment process for OET on the official website before you start preparing for the test.
OET Exam: Test Centers
OET is available at more than 140 venues in 42 countries. In India, OET is conducted at more than 14 states including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Chandigarh, etc.
Also Read: How to Write a Medical Representative Resume
FAQs
The OET is held twice a month and can register themselves that is most appropriate to them. For more go through the exam dates mentioned above.
There is no minimum age required.
Yes. The test is available both online and in the paper-based mode for the convenience of the test taker.
The OET is priced at AUD $587. Late scheduling or special request for the exam comes with an additional cost.
OET Exam broadens your horizons for working abroad as a medical practitioner. If you’re planning to expand your field of practising medicine and using your skills to contribute to the improvement of healthcare in different societies, then Occupational English Test allows you to do that.
To know more about various language tests like IELTS and TOEFL, reach out to our experts at Leverage Edu and take the help you acquire a promising score.
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