The OET is the most relevant English proficiency exam for doctors planning to practise in the UK, Australia, Ireland, or any of the 30-plus countries that accept it for medical registration. Unlike IELTS, every section of the OET uses clinical content — you write referral letters, not essays; you conduct patient consultations, not general interviews. For doctors, this makes the test content far more intuitive.
This guide covers the full OET Medicine exam as it stands in 2026: format, scoring, country requirements, and targeted preparation strategies for each sub-test.
What Makes OET Different for Doctors?
The OET offers profession-specific versions for 12 healthcare fields. When you register as a doctor, your Writing and Speaking sub-tests are tailored to medical practice. You write referral and discharge letters based on clinical case notes, and your speaking role-plays simulate doctor-patient consultations — history-taking, explaining diagnoses, discussing treatment options, and managing difficult conversations.
Listening and Reading are common across all professions but use healthcare-related content: recorded consultations, medical lectures, hospital policies, and clinical research extracts.
OET Exam Structure for Doctors
Listening (Approximately 45 Minutes)
Three parts with 42 questions. Part A presents a clinical consultation — you take notes while listening (played once). Parts B and C use short healthcare workplace extracts and longer presentations with multiple-choice questions. The challenge is maintaining concentration for 45 minutes of continuous audio with no replays.
Reading (60 Minutes)
Three parts with 42 questions. Part A tests expeditious reading — quickly finding information across multiple short healthcare texts. Parts B and C present longer passages (clinical studies, hospital guidelines, health policy documents) with comprehension and inference questions. Time pressure is the primary challenge.
Writing (40 Minutes)
You receive a set of patient case notes and a prompt specifying who to write to and why. For doctors, the task is typically a referral letter to a specialist, a discharge summary to a GP, or a letter to a patient. You select relevant information from the notes and write a professional clinical letter of approximately 180 to 200 words. You are assessed on purpose, content selection, conciseness, genre, organisation, and language.
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Speaking (Approximately 20 Minutes)
Two role-play scenarios, each approximately five minutes, with preparation time. You play yourself as a doctor; the interlocutor plays the patient. Common scenarios include taking a focused history, explaining a new diagnosis, discussing investigation results, counselling about treatment options, and managing a patient who is anxious, angry, or non-compliant.
Scoring and Requirements by Country
Each sub-test is scored 0 to 500. Grade B (350+) is the standard benchmark. Key country requirements for doctors:
- UK — GMC: Grade B (350+) in all four sub-tests, achieved in a single sitting. Score combining is not permitted.
- Australia — AHPRA: From April 2026, numeric thresholds apply: Listening 350, Reading 360, Writing 350, Speaking 360. Score combining is allowed from two sittings within twelve months.
- Ireland — Medical Council: Grade B in all four sub-tests.
- New Zealand — MCNZ: Grade B in all four sub-tests.
- UAE — DHA/HAAD: Grade B in all four sub-tests (check specific authority requirements as they vary).
- USA — ECFMG: Grade B in all four sub-tests, single sitting. No score combining.
OET vs IELTS: Which Should Doctors Choose?
Most doctors find OET easier because the clinical content is familiar. Writing a referral letter to a specialist is a routine professional task; writing a 250-word argumentative essay for IELTS is not. The speaking section — a patient consultation — mirrors what you do every day, whereas IELTS speaking is a general interview about hobbies, travel, or social issues.
However, IELTS is cheaper (approximately USD 255 vs USD 587), has more test centres, and delivers results faster (3 to 5 days vs 16 business days). If you need a single score for both medical registration and immigration, IELTS may be more practical since immigration authorities universally accept it.
How to Prepare: Sub-Test by Sub-Test
Writing
Practice with clinical case notes and write referral, discharge, and transfer letters. State the purpose in your opening sentence. Select only information relevant to the reader — if you are referring to a cardiologist, the patient's dermatological history is irrelevant. Paraphrase the case notes; do not copy them verbatim. Aim for 180 to 200 words and leave five minutes for proofreading.
Speaking
Record yourself doing consultations. Focus on structured history-taking (open questions first, then focused questions), clear explanations using patient-friendly language, empathy markers at appropriate moments, and a summary with agreed next steps. The most common mistake doctors make is over-explaining — launching into detailed pathophysiology when the patient needs a simple, clear explanation.
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Listening
Part A is the most demanding — you listen to a consultation once while taking notes. Practice with medical podcasts and recorded clinical interviews. For Parts B and C, focus on identifying the speaker's opinion or attitude, not just factual content.
Reading
Spend no more than 15 minutes on Part A. Use skimming and scanning techniques — read headings and topic sentences, then locate specific information. Allocate 45 minutes to Parts B and C, where the questions require deeper comprehension.
Exam Logistics
- Fee: Approximately USD 587 for all four sub-tests.
- Delivery modes: OET on Computer (Prometric centres), OET on Paper, and OET@Home (remote proctored).
- Test frequency: Approximately 14 test dates per year, usually Saturdays.
- Results: Available within 16 business days.
- Validity: Results are valid for two years from the test date.
- Retakes: No limit on attempts; minimum two-week gap between sittings. Individual sub-test retakes available at a reduced fee.
Final Advice
Start with a diagnostic mock test to identify your weakest sub-test. Most doctors score well on Speaking and struggle with Writing (content selection and conciseness) or Listening (Part A note-taking speed). Build a four-week preparation plan that allocates extra time to your weakest area, practise under timed conditions throughout, and take at least two full mock tests before your exam date. With focused preparation, Grade B is achievable for most practising doctors.