The OET  is an English proficiency test for healthcare professionals who wish to register to work in an English-speaking environment, and is recognised in the UK, the US, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai and Singapore.

The test is available for professionals in 12 areas of healthcare including Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry and Veterinary Science. Some areas of the exam are the same for all test takers, and some are tailored to reflect each of the 12 different workplaces.

Prepare for the OET with Basil Paterson College

Prepare for the OET with a course of individual tuition. The course is tailored to the area of healthcare and OET exam type which the learner requires, including work on the specific exam skills and vocabulary needed. The course can be taken as:

• 15 hours per week
• 20 hours per week
• 25 hours per week

There is an entry level test prior to the start of the course so the tutor can identify the areas which need the most work on. The learner also completes a detailed Needs Analysis with a tutor who will adapt the course to ensure the highest score possible is achieved.

Progress is constantly monitored in weekly tests to track progress and ensure that targets are met. Tutors set new goals each week to make sure learners remain motivated and challenged throughout the course.

Course content

The course covers all aspects of the exam content and strategy. As the exam varies by area of healthcare each course is tailored to the specific exam, but all courses include work on the four core skills:

Listening: This aspect of the exam is the same for all test takers, and follows a range of healthcare scenarios.

Reading: This aspect of the exam is the same for all test takers, and is based on texts related to medical subjects.

Writing: This aspect of the exam varies by profession, but the task is to write a letter to either advise or inform.

Speaking: This aspect of the exam varies by profession, with the test taker having to take part in two role-plays related to their profession.

How the OET exam works

The exam is made up of four sub-tests which cover the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. 

The context of the test focuses on the real scenarios that takers will face in their professional careers, with questions focussing on areas such as writing patient referral  letters, role-playing patient care scenarios and identifying specific information from a consultation.

The test can be taken either on paper or by computer. The test is taken over the course of one day, with each sub-test lasting from 20 – 60 minutes.

Results

The test is scored on a scale of 0-500 in each of the four sub-tests, with a score of 350 in each sub-test required by most recognising boards. 350 is equivalent to a level 7.0 in an IELTS exam, with 500 equalling a score of 9.0