We are excited to announce that the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) has added the OET Test as a recognised English language qualification. That means international applicants who need to demonstrate their language proficiency to join the HCPC register can use their OET Test results, starting from 29 January 2025.
This recognition marks a significant expansion of OET's presence in the UK healthcare sector, offering internationally qualified health and care qualified professionals a reliable path to meet HCPC’s English language requirements.
What is the HCPC?
The Health and Care Professions Council is the regulatory body responsible for protecting the public by overseeing the standards of health and care professionals in the UK. To facilitate effective communication in clinical settings, HCPC has established English language requirements for applicants trained and practicing outside the UK —requirements that can now be met by taking the OET Test, our English language test designed for health and care professionals.
Why choose the OET Test for HCPC registration?
OET offers internationally qualified health and care professionals a better path to meet HCPC’s English language requirements. The OET Test is the only test designed specifically for health and care professionals, making it the best choice for HCPC registration. Here’s why:
- The best choice for healthcare professionals. Unlike generic English tests, the OET Test is uniquely tailored for health and care professionals, so it’s easier for you to succeed. Every part of the test mirrors tasks and scenarios you will encounter in your day-to-day work in the UK, making it familiar, relevant, and practical for studying and applying to your future career.
- Assess real-life workplace skills in line with HCPC Standards of Proficiency. To be registered with HCPC, you will be required to demonstrate key skills as listed in the HCPC Standards of Proficiency to ensure patient safety and quality care. The OET Test will assess you on several of these skills, helping you from day one in the workplace. This will enable you to integrate into your work environment more easily and give you the key communication skills to thrive and succeed.
| “You want to communicate well with patients and OET allows you to focus on the specific English you need for podiatry. It was also great that I could use OET for my job .” Andrea Richarte Lopez, Specialist Podiatrist at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust |
Preparing for the OET Test
To help you succeed, OET offers a range of preparatory materials designed to make your study experience as effective and enjoyable as possible. These resources have been created by OET’s expert Education team and provide reliable and trusted advice on how to be successful in the test.
Your guide to our best preparation resources, all in one place.
A downloadable compilation of OET preparation resources with a handy checklist to help candidates monitor their progress.
Free Introduction to OET for Allied Health Professionals
This short course is designed to kickstart your OET preparation. It's packed with useful tips, strategies and resources to boost your scores in the four sub-tests.
Free sample tests for each OET sub-test for all 12 professions can be found here.
How to book your OET Test
You can book the OET test through the online booking platform. Use the search feature to find a testing location that's convenient for you: oet.com/test/book-a-test. For more details, read further here.
Sharing your OET Test results with HCPC
After completing your OET Test, sharing your results with HCPC is straightforward. You will need to give access to HCPC to view your results through your OET account. Here is how.
Once submitted, HCPC will receive access to your verified OET Test scores, ensuring your results are part of your application without needing additional documents.
With HCPC’s recognition of OET, healthcare professionals around the world now have another pathway to achieve their dreams of working in the UK. By choosing OET, you’re selecting a test that aligns with your profession and provides a realistic assessment of your ability to communicate in healthcare settings.
We’re here to support you on your journey to success.
For further information on this announcement, please check out the news from HCPC: New English language requirements for international applicants to come into effect in 2025.