OET (Occupational English Test) is designed to assess the English language skills of students or professionals who would like to study or work in countries where English is the language of communication. OET is specifically designed for the following 12 healthcare professions - Veterinary science, Nursing, Dentistry, Dietetics, Speech pathology, Medicine, Radiography, Optometry, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Occupational therapy and Podiatry.
The OET has four sections that each test the following of an applicant -
Reading - The whole reading subtest is 60 mins with three parts, with part A being approximately 15 minutes and the rest of the 45 minutes are for parts B and C.
Writing - The writing test takes 45 minutes to complete.
Listening - The whole listening subtest is 45 mins with three parts. Part A has consultation extracts of 5 minutes each. Part B has small workplace extracts, which are 1 minute, and finally, part C comprises the presentation of extracts, with each section being roughly 5 minutes long.
Speaking - The speaking subtest is 15 to 20 minutes long, where the applicant is expected to play out a role as a health care professional like a nurse or a doctor and interact with the examiner who plays the part of a patient.
The cost of registration to attend a OET test is AUD 587 (Australian Dollar). The applicant can pay more or less depending on the number of subtests she/he wants to give.
