OET Exam assesses the speaking, listening, writing and reading skills of candidates for English language proficiency. Healthcare professionals who are looking to work in the medical sector in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Maldives, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America are required to appear for the OET exam. These countries use the score of this exam to understand the proficiency of the applicants. To score well in this exam, you must have a clear understanding of the OET exam pattern. This will help you to create a strategy of the exam. This article will help you to understand the section-wise information about the OET test pattern.
In the OET exam, the scores of every sub-test vary between 0 to 500 in increments of 10. it is represented in A, B, C, D, and E. Your numerical score is also converted into a letter grade (A, B, C, D and E). Below, we have mentioned the representation of OET scores:
- A (450-500)
- B (350-440)
- C (250-340)
- D (150-240)
- E (0-140)
As of now, no changes have been announced for the OET exam. The overall exam pattern remains consistent, with no modifications to the four sub-tests: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Changes to the OET (Occupational English Test) exam can only be made by the official conducting body, Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (CBLA) only
Occupational English Test (OET) is designed to assess the English language communication skills of healthcare professionals who want to register and practice in English-speaking countries such as USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. OET evaluates the listening, reading, writing and speaking skills of a candidate. The objective of the exam is to ensure that the candidate can effectively communicate with patients.
- OET Exam Pattern 2025
- OET Exam 2025 Preparation Tips
- OET Exam 2025 Results
OET Exam Pattern 2025
There are 4 sections of OET pattern:
OET Exam Pattern: Listening Section needs to be completed in 45 minutes
The Listening Section or Listening Subtest is divided into three parts. It consist of total of 42 question types that need to be solved within 45 min. OET listening section topics revolve around generic healthcare interests and are accessible to candidates across all professions.
OET Syllabus: Listening Section Pattern
The OET syllabus for OET Listening Subsection is divided into three parts:
- Part A Consultation Extracts: For first task, healthcare professionals would be required to identify specific information during a consultation. Candidates would be required to complete health professional notes from listening to two recorded health professional-patient consultations. [Duration: 5 minutes each]
- Part B Short Workplace Extracts: For the second task candidates would be required to listen to multiple recorded extracts that could range from team briefings, and handovers, to health professional-patient dialogues and answer one multiple-choice question for each extract. In the second part, the candidate is tested on identifying details of short extracts from the healthcare workplace. [Duration: 1 minute each]
- Part C: Presentation Extracts: The third and final task of the Listening section would require candidates to listen to multiple recorded presentations or interviews on a range of accessible healthcare topics and answer multiple-choice questions for each extract. [Duration: 5 minutes each]
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OET Exam Pattern: Reading Section [60 minutes]
The Reading Sub-section is divided into three parts that consist of a total of 42 question types that need to be solved in 60 minutes. OET Reading section topics revolve around generic healthcare interests and are accessible to candidates across all professions. topics revolving around section are as follows.
OET Syllabus: Reading Section Pattern
- Part A - Expeditious Reading Task: For the first task, candidates would be required to read four short essays and locate specific information from the texts. The essays provided to the candidates would be related to general healthcare topics. The questions could vary from matching the following, sentence completion to short answer questions. [Duration: 15 minutes]
- Part B - Careful Reading: For the second task, candidates would be given multiple short texts related to generic healthcare topics and candidates would be required to identify the main points and answer multiple-choice questions. The essays can include topics ranging from policy guidelines, hospital guides, manuals, emails, memos to internal communication.
- Part C - Careful Reading: For the third and last task, pertaining to the Reading section, candidates would be required to identify the detailed meaning of the topic provided to them and answer multiple questions for the same. [Part B and Part C Duration: 45 minutes]
OET Exam Pattern: Writing Section [40 minutes]
OET Syllabus: Writing Section Pattern: With a total duration of 40 minutes, Writing section requires candidate to write a letter, usually a letter of reference in his/her field of speciality. candidate would be provided with background information to his task which he may or may not incorporate into his reference letter. This particular task is profession-specific, hence while a nurse would have to write a letter specific to nursing a dentist would be required to write a reference letter specific to dentistry.
OET Exam Pattern: Speaking Section [20 minutes]
OET Syllabus: Speaking Section Pattern: With a total duration of 20 minutes, candidates are required to individually enact their professional role in real-life scenarios in a professional healthcare environment. In a profession-specific exercise, candidates are required to roleplay their profession while panellist plays a patient for first part, and roles are reversed in latter. Candidates are given 3 minutes to prepare for each side before start of each act. roleplays are basically based on mock workplace situations that reflect mood of healthcare environment. candidates would be given enough background information to prepare for their roleplay sessions.
OET Exam Pattern Layout
| OET Exam Pattern |
Test Duration |
OET Description |
|---|---|---|
| Listening |
45 minutes |
The Listening subsection is divided into 3 parts that test the candidates listening capabilities in various formats. |
| Reading |
60 minutes |
The Reading subsection is divided into 3 parts that test the candidates reading capabilities in various formats. |
| Writing |
40 minutes |
The Writing subsection is profession-specific and requires candidates to write a letter of reference. |
| Speaking |
20 minutes |
The Writing subsection is profession-specific and requires candidates to enact a roleplay from the healthcare environment. |
Commonly asked questions
There is no negative marking system in OET (Occupational English Test) exam. This means your score won't be deducted for incorrect answers. Try to attempt every question of the exam even if you’re unsure. There is no penalty for guessing. Your score will only be based on the number of correct responses.
The OET exam syllabus is divided separately to assess listening, writing, speaking and reading sections. Here we have mentioned to give you an idea:
| OET Syllabus 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Listening |
|
| Reading |
|
| Speaking |
|
| Writing |
|
Whether the OET test is hard or easy is very subjective. However, the OET test has been created to test applicants' understanding of the English language as medical professionals. So, if your medical concept is clear then this test is easy for you. All you need to do some practice be forw appearing in the test.
OET Exam 2025 Preparation Tips
Similar to other exam prep, students can choose to study on their own or join a coaching centre to prepare for OET exam. It is important for candidates. Decision lies entirely up to candidate, as you need to see whether you have enough time and resources for both. Newer methods of studying are gaining popularity, like online GRE prep classes. It includes both self-studying and coaching class methods. You join a virtual classroom and you learn in the comfort of your home. To choose the best method on how to prepare for GRE you first need to look at your criteria and decide accordingly. Check out our OET preparation plan for beginners on our website.
Commonly asked questions
Today, technology can be your perfect partner during exam preparation. In this case, you can use several online platforms where you can appear in the OET practice test which will give you detailed feedback to identify areas for improvement.
Other than this, multiple language learning apps and online courses are available. Some are free and many of them offer their premium services at minimal fees. Also, you can get personalized support in the form of virtual tutors. In short, technology is helpful for OET preparation.
Yes, it is possible that students prepare for Occupational English Test without attending formal home tuition. However, in this case, you need to be discplined and focused during your preparation. Here are some tips to prepare for OET exam without coaching:
- Practice question paper or sample paper regularly
- Create realistic study goals and follow it strictly.
- Use online study materials
- Take the guidance of your senior students.
- Watch videos on OET preparation strategies and language skills.
Here are some of the famous preparation books for Occupational English Test:
- The Official Guide to PET (2nd Edition)
- OET Pulse
- Official OET Ready – Online Course for Medicine
- OET Reading & Listening Skills Builder
- Free Writing Review by Medical English Plus
These books are easily available in the online or offline stores.
OET Exam 2025 Results
Candidates who have successfully appeared for their Occupational English Test (OET) can view their OET test scores after 16 business days from each test date. Candidates are required to enter their OET Login credentials to get access to their online profiles where their OET scores would be published. Furthermore, candidates can also download the hard copy of their OET statement of results from their online profile.
Also, Read
Still, have doubts? Check out our OET frequently asked questions to understand the nuances of the OET exam pattern better.
Commonly asked questions
Candidates wanting to access their OET results must visit the official website. Log in to 'myOET' account to view their OET results on the dashboard. Candidates can view, download, and print their electronic statement of results from their profile dashboard. OET will not provide test results by email, fax, or phone.
The Occupational English Test (OET) does not have a good score benchmark. A good OET score is generally considered to be 350 or above in each of the four sub-tests (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking) for the best opportunities. The specific score requirements can vary depending on the country, healthcare board, and profession.
The OET results are available to candidates after 16 business days from the date of taking the test. Candidates can download the official copies of their statements of results from their 'myOET' profile. The OET test results would typically have scores of four sub-tests that make up the OET reported on a scale from 0 to 500 in ten-point increments.
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