What is OET? The test, the four sub-tests, and how it's scored

Listening runs about 40 minutes across three parts with 42 questions. Reading runs 60 minutes, also three parts and 42 questions. Neither Listening nor Reading is profession specific: every candidate, whatever their profession, sits the same test.

Writing runs 45 minutes and is profession specific: a single letter, usually a referral, discharge, or transfer, based on case notes for your own profession. Speaking runs about 20 minutes across two profession specific role plays of around 5 minutes each.

Each of the four sub-tests is reported on a 0 to 500 scale in ten point steps, mapped to a letter grade from A, the highest, to E, the lowest, for that sub-test. Reading and Listening are scored from 42 questions each, one mark per correct answer, converted to the 500 scale. Grade B typically needs at least 30 of 42 marks, though the exact boundary can move slightly between sittings since new material is used each time.

Writing and Speaking are scored against published criteria by trained OET assessors, then converted to the same 500 scale.

Alongside the four individual sub-test results, OET reports an Overall Score: the sum of your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking scores. Some regulators set a minimum Overall Score alongside minimum individual sub-test scores, and requirements differ by regulator and by profession, so always check your own regulator's current published requirement rather than assuming.

OET is delivered in three modes: OET Test on Paper, OET Test on Computer at a test venue, and OET@Home, taken remotely on your own computer under full proctoring. Booking windows differ: Paper bookings close 24 days before the test date, while Computer at a venue and OET@Home bookings close 7 days before, at 11:59pm UTC.

On the day, you need a valid passport showing your full name, date of birth, photograph and expiry date. A national ID is also accepted for the Paper format, but a driver's licence is explicitly not accepted as ID for OET.

How long you need depends on your current level of English, how much regular study time you have, and your previous test taking experience. Candidates already close to a B grade may only need a few weeks of format familiarisation; candidates closer to C or C+ need more time to genuinely improve, not just more practice tests.