about the oet >
What is the OET?
The Occupational English Test (OET) is a language proficiency test for overseas qualified medical and health professionals whose first language is not English. Currently, it assesses English language competency as used in medical and health professions in Australia and is adaptable as a language competency testing model for other professions.
Purpose of the OET
The OET, administered by The OET Centre, assesses the English language competency in the medical and health professions of candidates seeking admittance to training programs or examination in order to practice their profession in a new country.
It is designed to ensure that language proficiency is assessed in a relevant professional context.
Professions tested
| Dentists | Dietitians | Doctors |
| Nurses | Occupational Therapists | Optometrists |
| Pharmacists | Podiatrists | Physiotherapists |
| Radiographers | Speech Pathologists | Veterinarians |
Recommendation
In order for candidates to meet the requirements of your board or council, the OET Centre strongly recommends you check the relevant website at regular intervals.
The OET Centre and The University of Melbourne - Partners in the OET
The OET Centre is supported by it partnership with The University of Melbourne, which originally developed the test under contract to the Australian Federal Government. The University of Melbourne is an internationally renowned research and teaching institution with particular strengths in its Language Testing Research Centre, which has been the technical advisor for the OET since its inception.
The OET Centre is supported in these ways:
- Expert advice on materials and assessment practices
- Development of new test materials
- Analysis of test results and the setting of benchmarks and cut-scores
- Monitoring of rater severity and adjustment of results using multifaceted Rasch analysis
- Training of assessors in relation to new test materials
- Research and development
The University’s Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics in the School Languages provides advice directly and also through membership on the OET Strategic Committee.
Documents on this site
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