OET (Occupational English Test) for Healthcare Professionals

What is OET?

OET (Occupational English Test) is an international English language proficiency test specifically designed for healthcare professionals. It assesses language communication skills in a medical and clinical context.

• Developed by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment.
• Recognized by healthcare boards and councils across countries such as UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the USA, Canada, and more.
• Used to demonstrate English language proficiency for registration, immigration, and employment purposes.

Who Should Take the OET?

OET is intended for 12 healthcare professions, including:

• Nurses
• Doctors
• Dentists
• Pharmacists
• Physiotherapists
• Radiographers
• Occupational Therapists
• Optometrists
• Podiatrists
• Speech Pathologists
• Dietitians
• Veterinary Scientists

For this guide, we’ll focus on NURSES.

What is OET Used For?

For nurses and healthcare workers, OET is mainly used for:

• Professional registration in English-speaking countries
• Visa applications (where English language proof is needed)
• Employment in healthcare sectors
• Demonstrating workplace-relevant English skills

Module	Time	Content
Listening	40 minutes	3 parts – consulting patients, professional discussions
Reading	60 minutes	3 parts – general healthcare texts, patient-focused texts
Writing	45 minutes	1 task – writing a referral/transfer/discharge letter
Speaking	20 minutes	2 role-plays – typical healthcare workplace conversations

Profession-specific: For nurses, all content relates to nursing practice.

OET Passing Score (Nurses) – Country-wise

OET is scored on a scale from 0 to 500 in each sub-test. Scores are given in grades A to E:

Score	Grade	Proficiency Level
450–500	A	Very high proficiency
400–440	B	High proficiency (acceptable)
350–390	C	Acceptable for some institutions
300–340	C+	Limited proficiency
Below 300	D / E	Low proficiency

Download the 6-week OET Study Plan

60 Days OET Plan – Study Resources