The General Medical Council (GMC), the UK’s independent regulator for doctors, has decided to accept results from OET@Home, OET’s remote-proctored, computer-based version of the test. This means that overseas-trained doctors who wish to work in the UK can now achieve their goal by taking OET safely and securely, under strict test conditions, in the comfort of their own homes.
Richard Hankins, Head of Assessment at the GMC, said:
“We have reviewed the test with policy colleagues and we are confident that it provides a sufficient level of security at this time. We will, therefore, accept remotely proctored OET results for both PLAB and registration”.
OET@Home is delivered using the ProProctor solution by Prometric, a world leader in technology-enabled testing. Security measures include remote monitoring by live human proctors, 360° environment checks, continuous biometric facial and audio detection, and locking down the candidate’s computer to run the test only and no other applications.
Sujata Stead, CEO of OET, said she was delighted that the GMC had agreed to accept OET@Home results.
“Since the Council first recognised OET in late 2017, we have continued to work closely with them to ensure that doctors coming to the UK have the communication skills in English to provide high quality and safe patient-centred care. In accepting OET@Home results, the GMC has yet again shown their confidence in our ability to provide a test that is valid, secure, and reliable, provides an excellent experience for doctors, and meets the needs of healthcare workplaces in the UK.”
While the Reading, Listening and Writing sub-tests of OET@Home are delivered via computer, the OET Speaking sub-test continues to be carried out with a human interlocutor via Zoom. “The ability of a live human interlocutor to measure critical communication skills for doctors, such as the ability to show empathy and understanding, is a key advantage of OET that will not be compromised,” Stead added.
OET ran a pilot of the remote-proctored test at the end of June and plans to make OET@Home available from September.
Discussions with other healthcare regulators around their acceptance of OET@Home results are ongoing.