The OET English Exam: What Healthcare Professionals Need to Know
February 20, 2025
Healthcare Heartbeat is a show produced by Avant Healthcare Professionals for international healthcare professionals and hospital leaders. In this podcast, we hear from Anna on what information is essential and what not to include on your resume.
In This Episode...
On this episode of Healthcare Heartbeat, a podcast by Avant Healthcare Professionals, Ross Herosian and guest Jennifer Reeves delve into the details of the Occupational English Test (OET), a specialized English proficiency exam tailored for healthcare professionals. This exam is particularly relevant for those seeking US immigration and serves as an alternative to more general exams like IELTS and TOEFL.
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Topics We Cover
What is OET?
Jennifer Reeves explains that the OET is designed to assess English communication skills within a healthcare context. Unlike other English proficiency tests, OET focuses on real-life scenarios that healthcare professionals encounter, making it a more practical choice for those in the medical field.
Breakdown of OET Subtests
The OET comprises four subtests: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Each subtest is crafted to simulate real healthcare situations:
- Speaking: Involves role plays with an interlocutor acting as a patient or family member.
- Listening: Includes consultations, short dialogs, and presentations to evaluate different aspects of healthcare communication.
- Reading: Tests skimming, scanning, and comprehension through workplace extracts and long passages.
- Writing: Requires writing a profession-specific letter based on clinical case notes.
Assessment and Scoring
Jack OET, a US education specialist, highlights that the OET assesses English language proficiency rather than healthcare knowledge. The scoring system uses both letter grades (A+ to D+) and numerical scores. Importantly, the speaking test's interlocutor facilitates the role play but does not assess the candidate.
Cost and Preparation Resources
The OET exam costs $587 AUD (approximately $390 USD), reflecting its specialized nature and the double-grading by trained assessors. Preparation resources are plentiful on the OET website, including free digital courses, study guides, and skill-specific courses. Additionally, the Avant English Program offers personalized support for healthcare professionals.
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Need nurses? Avant Healthcare Professionals is the premier staffing specialist for internationally educated registered nurses, physical therapists and occupational therapists. Avant has placed thousands of international healthcare professionals across U.S. facilities to help improve the continuity of their care, fill hard-to-find specialties, and increase patient satisfaction, revenue and HCAHPS scores. Avant is a Joint Commission accredited staffing agency and founding member of the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment (AAIHR). Avant Healthcare Professionals is a member of the Jackson Healthcare® family of companies.
