OET vs IELTS

What is OET?

The OET is designed specifically for healthcare professionals and assesses English language skills in a medical context. It is designed to assess your communication skills in English to ensure you can effectively work in a healthcare environment by evaluating four core skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. 

It is a healthcare-specific test tailored towards 12 professions including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry. The OET is accepted by the GMC in the UK, NMC, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), amongst others.

 

The basic structure of the exam is as follows:

• Listening (45 mins) - Healthcare topics

• Reading (60 mins) - General and medical texts

• Writing (45 mins) - Write a letter (e.g. referral/discharge)

• Speaking (20 mins) - Profession-specific role-play

 

What is IELTS?

The IELTS is another widely-recognised English proficiency test, but this one isn’t profession specific as opposed to OET, and is more often used for education, work, and migration. It is designed to test your general English language ability across a broad range of topics. The IELTS was developed and managed by the British Council, IDP Education, and Cambridge Assessment English, and is accepted by employers, Visa authorities, and universities. 

The basic structure of the exam is as follows:

• Listening (30 mins)

• Reading (60 mins)

• Writing (60 mins)

• Speaking (11–14 mins)

At a glance

Which test is accepted where?

If you're a doctor planning to practise in the UK, there are two critical checkpoints that you will need to pass:

• Registering with the General Medical Council (GMC)

• Securing a Tier 2 (Health and Care Worker) visa

To pass both, you’ll need to prove your proficiency in the English language, and that’s where OET and IELTS come in.

GMC registration requirements

The GMC accepts both OET and IELTS to demonstrate English language skills.

You must take IELTS Academic - not General Training - and OET must be the medicine-specific version, and you must take the tests within 2 years of your GMC application.

UK tier 2 (Health and Care Worker) visa requirements

To meet the English language requirements for the tier 2 visa, you must either:

• Pass IELTS for UKVI (Academic or General Training)

OR

• Use your GMC registration to prove English proficiency - there’s no separate IELTS or OET needed. If you're registering with the GMC via the MRCP route, there's no need to sit an additional English language test, however, if you're taking the PLAB route, you'll still need to prove your English skills with either IELTS or OET.

• Use your GMC registration as proof of English proficiency (there is no separate test required)

If you register with the GMC using OET, you do not need to take IELTS for the visa, the GMC registration is sufficient proof for the Home Office.

Similarities and differences

Similarities

The two exams are very similar in a number of ways:

• Four key language skills are assessed:

• Reading

• Writing 

• Speaking 

• Listening

• All four skills are assessed on the same day

• Both exams are graded, meaning it is not pass/fail

• Both are recognised by the GMC

Differences

It’s also important to note that there are a few key differences that you should consider when choosing between OET and IELTS:

• The aim of IELTS is to test your overall English skills

• International Medical Graduates (IMGs) - non-British citizens - will be required to do the ‘Academic IELTS UKVI’

• This is required for your Visa

• IMGs (British citizens) will be required to do the ‘Academic IELTS’

• The OET was designed specifically for medical professionals

• Doctors will need to choose the option ‘medicine’, as there are a number of categories for other healthcare professionals

• The language in the exams will be different

• IELTS is typically:

• More academic

• Requires more vocabulary on a range of academic subjects

• There may be a stronger emphasis on writing reports and/or essays

• Data analysis and writing about your findings may be required

• OET is for medical professionals

• A specific knowledge of healthcare-related vocab and language is required

• OET will contain clinical scenarios, and medical conversations and texts

• You will be required to write a referral letter

• IELTS is recognised across the world

• OET is recognised only in specific locations

Exam structure

Which test should you choose?

Choose OET if you…

• Work in healthcare and want to practise in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada

• Prefer medical-based scenarios for speaking and writing

• Want a test aligned with real-life workplace communication

Choose IELTS if you…

• Are applying for academic courses or general migration

• Prefer a more general English test

• Are comfortable with a wide range of topics beyond healthcare

Both OET and IELTS are respected and internationally recognised tests. However, the right choice for you depends on your individual career goals, where you see yourself in years to come, your language skills, and the specific requirements of the medical body or immigration service you are applying to.

Once you’ve aced either the OET or IELTS, make sure your medical qualifications are up-to-date! Check out Pastest’s complete collection of medical revision resources - with everything from MRCS for budding surgeons to MRCGP for aspiring general practitioners!