The Occupational English Test (also known as OET) is the English language test for healthcare Professionals. It assesses the language communication skills of healthcare professionals who Wish to register and practice in an English-speaking environment. OET was designed in the late The 1980s by Professor Tim McNamara, under the guidance of the Australian National Office for Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR), which administered the test at that time.  

The test has been researched and developed continuously since then to ensure that it has kept up with current theory and practice in language assessment. This work has been done by the University of Melbourne’s Language Testing Research Centre and by Cambridge Assessment English. Since March 2013 the test has been owned by Cambridge Box hill Language Assessment Trust (CBLA), a venture between Cambridge Assessment English and Box Hill Institute.

OET has been developed specifically for 12 healthcare professions: Dentistry, Dietetics, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Radiography, Speech Pathology, and Veterinary Science.  

Healthcare professionals choose OET because it helps them prove they have the right level of English for work or study, while also learning the kind of language they will need every day at work.  

Healthcare professionals choose OET because: 

• OET uses real healthcare scenarios so you’ll feel more confident on test day. 
• OET is widely recognized as proof of English proficiency for registration, study, and work in the healthcare sector, as well as for visas in some countries. 
• OET helps you develop language skills for success in your career – see stories about people like you. 
• It’s easy to prepare for the test using the OET Preparation Portal – check it out now! 

A list of organizations that recognize OET results as proof of English language proficiency:

Australia, Dubai, Ireland, Namibia, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, USA, and Ukraine. 

OET is recognized by regulatory healthcare boards and councils in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Dubai, Singapore, Namibia, USA, and Ukraine. Many organizations, including hospitals, universities, and colleges, are using OET as proof of a candidate’s ability to communicate effectively in a demanding healthcare environment. Also, OET is recognized by the Australian Department of Home Affairs and Immigration New Zealand for all visa categories where an English test may be required. Each recognizing organization determines which grade results mean that candidates meet the language competency standards to function in their profession.