OET is the English test written specifically for healthcare — instead of essays about tourism or the environment, you read ward policies, write a referral letter from case notes, and role-play with a patient. If you are choosing between OET and IELTS for NMC or GMC registration, or you have already picked OET and want to know exactly what each part demands, here is the breakdown.
- Accepted by NMC and GMC, alongside IELTS
- Four sub-tests Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking
- Scoring 0–500 per sub-test, mapped to grades A–E
- Result validity Two years
The four sub-tests
- Listening — about 40 minutes, 42 questions: consultations, presentations and workplace extracts.
- Reading — 60 minutes, 42 questions: Part A is a fast, timed 15-minute task across four short texts; Parts B and C test careful reading of workplace extracts and two longer articles.
- Writing — 45 minutes: one letter of 180–200 words, usually a referral, written from case notes.
- Speaking — about 20 minutes: two role plays with an interlocutor playing a patient or carer.
What the NMC and GMC actually require
This is where the two regulators genuinely differ, and getting it wrong costs a resit:
| NMC (Nursing version) | GMC (Medicine version) | |
|---|---|---|
| Listening, Reading, Speaking | Grade B (350+) | Grade B (350+) |
| Writing | At least C+ (300+) | Grade B (350+) |
| Combining sittings | Allowed within 12 months, if all four sub-tests were sat each time and no score falls below C+ (or grade C/250 for writing) | Not allowed — all four in one sitting |
In short: the NMC is more forgiving on Writing and allows you to combine two sittings, while the GMC requires grade B across all four sub-tests in a single, most recent sitting with no combining. If you are applying to the GMC, do not plan around a strategy that only works for NMC applicants.
Practise what can be trained on screen. PassNova covers Reading (all three parts), the vocabulary and grammar Writing is marked on, and the full format and scoring rules — 96 free questions, every answer explained.
How to approach each sub-test
Reading Part A is a race against the clock: find the text that holds the answer, copy the exact words, spell them correctly, and use no abbreviation the texts themselves do not use. Papers are collected after 15 minutes regardless of how far you have got.
Reading Parts B and C reward different skills — Part B is about finding the one condition or exception buried in a short workplace policy; Part C rewards reading for the writer's attitude and implication, not just stated facts.
Listening is heard once only, so you write as you listen rather than listening first and writing after — and in Part A specifically, you must use the exact words you hear, not a paraphrase.
Writing is marked on purpose, content selection, conciseness, genre, organisation and language. The single most common failing is copying every detail from the case notes instead of selecting what the reader of the letter actually needs — a referral letter is not a full case summary.
What PassNova covers, and what you'll need elsewhere
PassNova's practice covers everything that can genuinely be trained on screen: Reading Part A-style location questions across four short texts, Parts B and C, the healthcare vocabulary and grammar the Writing sub-test is marked on, and the format, marking criteria and registration requirements for all four sub-tests. Listening and Speaking need audio and a live interlocutor, so use OET's own official sample tests for those two specifically.
Frequently asked questions
Which version of OET do I need — Nursing or Medicine?
Match it to your profession and regulator. Nurses and midwives registering with the NMC sit the Nursing version; doctors registering with the GMC sit the Medicine version. Other healthcare professions have their own OET versions too.
Can I combine scores from two OET sittings?
The NMC allows this within 12 months, provided all four sub-tests were sat each time and no score in either sitting falls below C+ (or grade C, 250, for writing). The GMC does not allow combining — all four sub-tests must meet grade B in a single, most recent sitting.
How long is an OET result valid for?
Two years from the test date.
One point of clarity: PassNova is a practice and revision site, not the OET organisation — book and sit the real test through OET's own registration process. Details here come from OET's official test overview and the NMC's and GMC's accepted-tests pages, checked in September 2026; confirm current requirements directly with your regulator before you book.