The test
The test
OET is an international English language test that assesses the language communication skills of healthcare professionals who seek to register and practise in an English-speaking environment.
Who recognises OET?
OET is trusted by regulators, hospitals & universities in the UK, the US, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai and Singapore as proof of ability to communicate effectively.
Assessment Structure

Listening

Reading

Writing

Speaking
What makes OET a global leader in English language assessment?
OET accurately reflects a candidate's ability to communicate in an English-speaking healthcare workplace
OET reports a scaled score (from 0 to 500) and a letter grade (from E to A) for each individual sub-test. OET does not report overall scores or grades.
OET has been developed specifically to reflect workplace tasks for 12 healthcare professions
Tasks simulating real workplace scenarios and testing relevant language skills for healthcare.
Our test material is underpinned by ongoing research
The reliability of the Listening and Reading sub-tests is reported using Cronbach Alpha, and the reliability of the Writing and Speaking sub-tests is reported using Spearman Reliability. The figures below show the average reliability values for the combined administrations of the OET test per sub-test in 2021. Also provided are conditional reliability figures at C+ and B, which are the score points at which decisions are typically made.
