OET (Occupational English Test) Exam 2023 – Complete Details for Indians

Be it in education, agriculture, or minerals, each country has its dominant domain. And to harness the best of opportunities in these domains, we must visit these nations only. Hence, a medical professional who wishes to expand their knowledge in the field of medical sciences should visit a country that is advancing in the same domain so that the person can be given suitable opportunities.

But to realize this dream, all the medical aspirants must appear for an OET exam, which is the gateway to their dream destination.

So, through this article, we will delve into the fine details of the OET exam.

What is the OET Exam?

The occupational English test, called OET, is an English language proficiency test for medical students and professionals. The test is specifically designed to test the linguistic capability of students and professionals entering the following twelve domains:

• Occupational therapy
• Pharmacy
• Nursing
• Radiology
• Medicine
• Veterinary
• Dentistry
• Dietetics
• Speech Pathology
• Optometry
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry

All those professionals who wish to explore a career in any of these domains in a foreign land must appear for the OET exam.

The exam is conducted by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (CBLA). It is a joint venture of Box Hill Institute – a dynamic Australian institute offering over 150 courses, and Cambridge English – the department of English in the third oldest continuous university in the world – Cambridge University.

The exam has been conducted since 2013, and more than 20,000 students appear for this exam annually.

The test is generally conducted in physical mode at the test centers (OET on paper/ computer), with virtual exams only available for Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy.

Today, the test is unavailable in selected nations, including- Iran, Sudan, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, and the Crimea region of Ukraine.

OET on Paper Exam Dates 2023

How to Register for the OET Exam?

• Candidates are required to visit the official website for the OET registration process.
• Candidates are required to register through OET online mode only.
• Then, candidates have to do an OET login to register and create an account by following the step-by-step process.
• The OET exam is divided into two sections: section one, OET on paper, and section two, OET on a computer at a location or OET at home.

Key points to follow:

• Candidates are asked to use their email ID and ensure that the email address mentioned is not an educational or office email address.
• Read the terms and conditions and the privacy policy carefully before signing up.

Exam Pattern:

Like other English proficiency tests such as IELTS and TOEFL, the OET Exam assesses applicants’ English reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

The section-wise breakdown of each section is given below:

Reading Section: This is the longest section of the approximate three-hour test. This section includes two sections to be completed in one hour. In this section, the candidate is required to read and interpret medical-related texts.

Writing test: In this test, the student must write a letter related to their medical field. This section contains one section only, which lasts for 45 minutes.

Listening test: This test again contains two sections to be completed in 40 minutes. The test evaluates candidates’ ability to listen and understand spoken English accurately. 

Speaking test: this test is divided into two sections- linguistic and clinical communication- to be completed in 20 minutes.

A candidate must score fairly well in all nine test sections to earn an overall B or A. To achieve that, most of the study material and preparation sources are also available on the official website of OET. These resources are free-of-charge for the students.

Eligibility Criteria:

The OET exam is specifically designed for medical professionals from the above-mentioned twelve fields only.

Fees:

To appear in the OET exam, a candidate must pay a fee of $587, or 31331.13 INR. Since this is a specialized language proficiency test for medical students and professionals, the fees are comparatively higher than other generic English tests, such as IELTS and TOEFL.

The fee is 100% refundable if the student cancels their exam 48 hours before commencement.

Test duration:

Although the test is around three hours, candidates must keep their schedule free for the entire day, as a speaking test can be scheduled anytime between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM.

This schedule, however, is shared a week in advance so that candidates can prepare accordingly.

OET Scores:

OET scores are measured in grades from A to E, with A being the highest and E being the lowest. Along with the alphabetic grade, the test result is displayed in numeric scores of 0 to 500.

The test results can usually be accessed after 16 days. The results grade each section individually; no overall grade point is provided.

Although no passing marks are mentioned, most universities and institutes require a minimum of 350 marks in each section.

Performance of Indian students in the OET Exam:

As per the statistical data released by the OET’s official website, the average score of Indians for 2021 is given in the table below:

Marks distribution of Indians in the OET exam (2021), as reported by the OET official website

Through the table, it is evident that most of the Indian students have managed to score B and C+ grades in their OET exam, which is fairly good.

OET Test Preparation Tips

Like any exam, preparing for an important exam like OET is very important. If you want to excel in your upcoming or next OET exam, follow the OET preparation tips below.

• Start preparing as early as possible, which will help you understand the syllabus and other components of the exam.
• Be honest about your approach to the exam. Be well-versed with your English language skills and improve the areas that need attention.
• Identifying weaker sections and paying more attention to them. This will enable you to perform well in the exam and take a balanced approach towards the OET exam.
• Solve as many OET practice papers as possible. Solving OET Sample Papers will enable you to self-evaluate your performance before the exam.
• Apply when you’re ready.

Which Countries Accept the OET Exam:

The test is conducted since 2013. Since then, the test has become a go-to for medical professionals seeking admission overseas.

This is a widely accepted language proficiency proof if you wish to study or work in the medical field in several countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America, among others.