Occupational English Test
OET guides
How the test is marked, how to prepare for each part, and what happens after your result.
A model OET nursing discharge letter, taken apart
An invented heart failure discharge, a full model letter to a community heart failure nurse, and a paragraph-by-paragraph look at why each sentence is there, how the opening and the request are built, and what was left out of the case notes.
Read the postILR changes for nurses, doctors and care workers: what the government decided on 2 November 2026
The government has published its final plan for settlement. The usual wait goes up to 10 years. Registered nurses, doctors and many other health professionals in eligible public-sector jobs can qualify after five years, and care workers who came before May 2025 can keep five years if they meet the pay, English and other requirements. None of the new plan applies until new Immigration Rules are published.
Read the postOET Writing for nurses: a five-step method for the 45 minutes
A practical routine for OET Writing on the nursing paper: a suggested way to use the 45 minutes across five steps, from reading time to the final check, with an invented school-nurse example.
Read the postOET Writing for nurses: how to choose what goes into your letter from the case notes
The OET Writing task for nurses tests how well you select from the case notes, not only how well you write. Here is a practical way to decide what to include, what to keep brief and what to leave out, with an invented example.
Read the postCombining two OET results for the NMC: the rules, and two worked examples
The NMC lets you put together scores from two OET sittings, but only under six conditions. Here they are in plain English, with the NMC's own accepted and rejected examples explained.
Read the postWorking in UK care and narrowly missed your OET score? How the NMC's SIFE route works
Supporting information from employers (SIFE) lets a UK employer's reference make up a near miss in one OET sub-test. Here is who can use it, who must sign it, and the timing rules to watch.
Read the postYour OET result and the NMC: the date that counts, and the step that delays applications
The NMC measures your OET result's age at the point it assesses your complete application, not when you start applying. Here is what that means for timing, plus the verification step to do before you submit.
Read the postWhat the NMC asks for after you pass OET: the registration steps in order
Passing OET is one requirement among several. Here is the order the NMC's overseas registration process usually runs in, what each step involves, and where to check the current rules.
Read the postHow OET is scored: the 0 to 500 scale, the grades, and what Grade B means
Each OET subtest is reported as a number from 0 to 500 and a letter grade. Here is how the two fit together, what the grades mean, and why Grade B is the figure most regulators ask for.
Read the postOET Writing: the six criteria assessors use, and the mistakes that cost the most
The Writing subtest is one letter, written in 45 minutes from a set of case notes, and marked against six published criteria. Knowing what each criterion rewards is the fastest way to a Grade B letter.
Read the postOET Speaking: what happens in the role-play, and what the assessors listen for
The Speaking subtest is two short role-plays with an interlocutor playing a patient or carer, assessed from the recording against nine criteria. Here is the format, the criteria, and how to prepare for a conversation rather than a speech.
Read the postOET Reading: Parts A, B and C, and how to use the 60 minutes
The Reading subtest has three parts with different skills and very different time pressure. This guide explains what each part asks, where the marks are, and a plan for the clock.
Read the postOET Listening: the audio plays once. How to prepare for Parts A, B and C
The Listening subtest has three parts, 42 questions, and one hearing of every recording. This guide covers the format, what each part is testing, and the habits that stop a single missed phrase turning into a run of lost marks.
Read the postAn eight-week OET study plan for a nurse who is working full time
Most nurses prepare for OET around shifts, not instead of them. This plan fits the four subtests into the hours a working week leaves, puts the weakest subtest first, and builds up to full timed tests in the last fortnight.
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