OET Registration Guide

OET English Requirements by Regulator

Q: What OET score do I need for healthcare registration?

Every major English-speaking healthcare regulator — including the NMC, GMC, HCPC, GPhC, GDC, RCVS and AHPRA — requires OET Grade B, which is a score of 350 out of 500, in all four sub-tests (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking). A handful of regulators accept Grade C (300) in some sub-tests when scores are combined; check the specific regulator's page.

Q: Can I combine OET scores from two sittings?

Most regulators allow you to combine sub-test scores from two OET sittings taken within a set window (commonly 6 to 12 months), provided no sub-test falls below Grade C and at least the required grade is reached in each. The ECFMG/USMLE pathway is stricter and generally expects the required scores in a single sitting. Always confirm the rule on the relevant regulator's page.

Q: Is IELTS accepted instead of OET?

Yes. The same regulators that accept OET Grade B also accept IELTS Academic, typically at an overall band 7.0 with a minimum of 7.0 in each section (7.5 in some cases). OET is healthcare-specific, so many candidates find the Writing task more relevant to clinical work than the IELTS essay.

Q: Which OET sub-test do healthcare candidates fail most often?

Writing is consistently the sub-test that holds candidates back from Grade B. Listening, Reading and Speaking are often passed first time, while the Writing letter is re-sat most frequently because content selection and task fulfilment — not grammar — decide the grade.

Nearly every English-speaking healthcare regulator that accepts the Occupational English Test asks for the same headline score — Grade B (350) in each sub-test (Ireland's NMBI is the exception, accepting C+ in Writing). This hub maps each regulator's requirement, score-combining rules and the writing-first path to registration.

Get Examiner Feedback Jump to the regulator list →

In short

The NMC, GMC, HCPC, GPhC, GDC, RCVS and AHPRA all require OET Grade B (350) across Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
Most regulators let you combine two sittings within 6–12 months if no sub-test drops below Grade C; the ECFMG/USMLE pathway expects a single sitting.
Writing is the sub-test re-sat most often — content selection, not grammar, is what decides Grade B.

350

Grade B, out of 500

Score required across the board

UK · Ireland · AU · US

Regulators mapped here

all at Grade B

Sub-tests assessed

OET requirements at a glance

The minimum is Grade B (350) for almost every regulator — Ireland's NMBI is the exception, accepting C+ (300) in Writing. What also differs is who each regulator covers, which OET version you sit, and how scores can be combined.

Regulator	Country	Who it covers	OET version	Minimum	Score combining
NMC	United Kingdom	Nurses & midwives	OET Medicine	Grade B (350)	Yes — see guide
GMC	United Kingdom	Doctors (IMGs)	OET Medicine	Grade B (350)	Yes — see guide
HCPC	United Kingdom	15 allied health professions	OET (relevant profession)	Grade B (350)	Yes — see guide
GPhC	United Kingdom	Pharmacists	OET Medicine	Grade B (350)	Yes — see guide
GDC	United Kingdom	Dentists	OET Dentistry	Grade B (350)	Yes — see guide
RCVS	United Kingdom	Veterinary surgeons	OET Veterinary	Grade B (350)	Yes — see guide
AHPRA	Australia	15 registered health professions	OET (relevant profession)	Grade B (350)	Yes — 12-month window
ECFMG	United States	Doctors	OET Medicine	Grade B (350)	Single sitting
NMBI	Ireland	Nurses & midwives	OET Medicine	B (L/R/S); C+ Writing	Yes — 6-month window

Combining windows and exemptions vary — open each regulator's guide below for the exact, current rules before you book.

Choose your regulator

Each guide covers the exact OET score, score-combining window, exemptions, the IELTS alternative, and the writing-first route to registration.

NMC

United Kingdom

Nursing & Midwifery Council

Nurses & midwives

View NMC requirements

GMC

United Kingdom

General Medical Council

Doctors (IMGs)

View GMC requirements

HCPC

United Kingdom

Health & Care Professions Council

15 allied health professions

View HCPC requirements

GPhC

United Kingdom

General Pharmaceutical Council

Pharmacists

View GPhC requirements

GDC

United Kingdom

General Dental Council

Dentists

View GDC requirements

RCVS

United Kingdom

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Veterinary surgeons

View RCVS requirements

AHPRA

Australia

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

15 registered health professions

View AHPRA requirements

ECFMG

United States

ECFMG / USMLE pathway

Doctors

View ECFMG requirements

NMBI

Ireland

Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland

Nurses & midwives

View NMBI requirements

"Candidates almost always clear Listening, Reading and Speaking before Writing. The letter is the bottleneck to Grade B — and it is the one sub-test where targeted human feedback moves the score fastest."

— Senior OET Corrector, Writing Correction Service (10+ years of OET assessment experience)

Frequently Asked Questions

What OET score do I need for healthcare registration?

Every major English-speaking healthcare regulator — NMC, GMC, HCPC, GPhC, GDC, RCVS and AHPRA — requires OET Grade B (350) in all four sub-tests; Ireland's NMBI accepts C+ (300) in Writing. Some also accept Grade C+ in a sub-test when scores are combined — check the specific regulator's page.

Can I combine OET scores from two sittings?

Most regulators allow combining two sittings taken within 6–12 months, provided no sub-test falls below Grade C. The ECFMG/USMLE pathway is stricter and generally expects the required scores in a single sitting. Confirm on the relevant regulator's page.

Is IELTS accepted instead of OET?

Yes. The same regulators accept IELTS Academic, typically overall band 7.0 with 7.0 in each section. OET is healthcare-specific, so many candidates find its Writing task more relevant to clinical work than the IELTS essay.

Which OET sub-test do healthcare candidates fail most often?

Writing. Listening, Reading and Speaking are often passed first time, while the Writing letter is re-sat most frequently because content selection and task fulfilment — not grammar — decide the grade.

Does an OET result expire?

An OET result is generally valid for two years from the test date, though individual regulators may apply their own recency rules. Check before booking so your result is still valid when you apply.

Related OET Writing guides

Continue your preparation with these related resources.

OET Scoring Criteria →

How the 6 criteria are assessed and where most candidates lose marks.

Grade B Sample Letters →

20 worked sample letters by profession × scenario with line-by-line annotations.

Mistake Clinics by Profession →

10 profession-specific mistake clinics — wrong vs right examples per criterion.

Grade A vs B vs C Compared →

Three letters from the same case notes at three bands — what moves you up one.

OET Writing Correction

Clear the Writing sub-test that stands between you and registration

Dr Mariam's OET writing team assesses every letter against the same 6 criteria your official examiner uses, then returns an annotated PDF showing exactly where Grade B marks are being lost — and how to recover them.

5-Letter Pack — From $35 See all packages

11,000+ letters corrected since 2014 · 4.9★ from 1,900+ reviews