Taking a high-stakes English language test for migration or registration with a country’s healthcare board can be stressful. This is because success leads to more than registering and working, it’s an opportunity to start a new chapter in your life!
Because the stakes are so high, it’s important to feel comfortable taking an English language test.
This is the reason why so many healthcare professionals take the Occupational English Test (OET). It uses real-world healthcare scenarios that can help you feel at ease when you sit OET.
Let’s look at some of the other benefits of taking OET.
1. Learn the language skills needed in a healthcare job
OET is the only English language test designed for the healthcare industry. It can help you learn the language skills you will need to succeed in your role.
OET uses roleplays to simulate healthcare environments. When you practise and take OET, you learn how to communicate with patients in a safe, controlled environment.
By putting these skills into practice, you’ll gain valuable experience that can help you when you perform your duties in an English-speaking healthcare job.
2. Build your confidence
A key aspect of communication that tends to be played down is confidence. Healthcare professionals whose English is a second language can often lack the confidence to communicate effectively in English.
OET’s is specifically designed for 12 professions, including medicine, nursing and dentistry. OET’s test materials assess listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in a language a healthcare professional will understand.
One of the benefits of OET is that it tests your writing skills through a referral letter, not an academic essay.
For example, the Writing subtest requires candidates to produce a letter, such as a referral letter or a letter of discharge, based on case notes and other documentation. For a healthcare professional, this is a better test of English than writing an academic essay.
Taking OET helps you prepare and practise communication tasks you can expect to find when working in an English-speaking healthcare role.
3. Register and practise in an English-speaking country
OET is recognised as proof of English by healthcare regulators around the world.
Alongside the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, OET is recognised by the UK’s General Medical Council and the Nursing Medical and Midwifery Council, as well as regulators in Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore and several other countries.
If you’re looking to start working in an English-speaking healthcare industry, then OET is the ideal test to achieve this.
OET can help you kickstart your internal healthcare career, so make sure to register today!