In the realm of international healthcare, the Occupational English Test (OET) emerges as a vital tool for professionals seeking to establish their practice in English-speaking environments. Since 2013, OET has been managed by the Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment Trust (CBLA), a collaborative effort between Cambridge Assessment English and Box Hill Institute.
- Dentistry
- Dietetics
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Nursing
- Occupational Therapy
- Optometry
- Pharmacy
- Physiotherapy
- Podiatry
- Podiatry
- Radiography
- Speech Pathology
- Veterinary Science
Global Acknowledgment
OET holds recognition from regulatory Health Care Boards and Councils across the globe.
Its acceptance spans countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Dubai, Ukraine, Namibia, and Singapore.
Comprehensive Test Structure
Listening Module
- Duration: Approximately 45 minutes
- Components: Divided into 3 parts and a total of 42 questions.
It evaluates the candidate’s ability to comprehend health-related spoken materials.
Same for all professions.
Reading Module
- Duration: Approximately 60 minutes
- Components: Divided into 3 parts, with a total of 42 questions
An expeditious reading task (15 minutes).
4 short texts related to a single healthcare topic.
20 matching, sentence completion and short answer questions.
Careful reading tasks (45 minutes)
22 multiple choice questions
The topics cover generic healthcare interests accessible to candidates across professions.
Writing Module
- Duration: Approximately 45 minutes
Profession-specific writing task based on a typical workplace situation.
Write a letter: referral/discharge/transfer/information
To a patient/care taker/another healthcare practitioner.
Speaking Module
- Duration: Approximately 45 minutes
Role plays where candidates assume their professional roles (e.g., nurse or pharmacist) while interacting with an interlocutor playing the patient, client or caregiver
OET's Impact on
Healthcare Professionals
Healthcare Professionals