Internationally trained podiatrists need Grade B across all four OET sub-tests for UK HCPC or Australian AHPRA registration. The Writing sub-test rewards selective communication of podiatric findings to a non-podiatrist addressee.
Quick answer
Internationally trained podiatrists need Grade B (350) in each of the four OET sub-tests for HCPC (UK) and AHPRA (Australia) registration. The Writing sub-test tests your ability to refer diabetic foot, vascular, and biomechanical cases to a non-podiatrist addressee — usually a GP, vascular surgeon, or orthopaedic team. Most marks are lost on Genre & Style: podiatric terminology used without context.
Sent to a vascular surgeon (ischaemic foot, claudication), orthopaedic team (structural deformity, post-trauma) or diabetic foot clinic. Tests urgency framing and selective findings.
Marking watch-out: Purpose — urgency must lead, especially in ischaemic or infected diabetic foot cases.
Communication to another podiatry service for ongoing management — e.g. from acute hospital podiatry to community service after discharge.
Marking watch-out: Organisation — logical handover order: history → current status → ongoing plan.
Stop using Wagner grades, neuropathic ulcer classifications, or biomechanical shorthand without context for a GP or vascular team. Expand on first use. Mapped criterion: Genre & Style.
Stop hedging escalation with 'I would be grateful if you could review' when an ischaemic or infected diabetic foot needs urgent vascular input. Use 'urgent review required'. Mapped criterion: Purpose.
Stop listing every neurovascular and biomechanical finding from the assessment. Include only findings that justify the referral question. Mapped criterion: Conciseness & Clarity.
The UK HCPC and Australian AHPRA both accept OET for podiatry registration. Grade B (350) is required across all four sub-tests. Combined sittings within the validity window are accepted.
Podiatrists most often write referral letters to vascular surgeons, orthopaedic teams, or diabetic foot clinics — or a transfer letter for a patient moving between podiatry services. Diabetic foot urgency framing matters: vascular and ulcer cases need clear escalation language.
The most common loss is in Genre & Style — assuming the addressee knows podiatric terminology (Wagner grade, neuropathic ulcer classification, biomechanical findings). The second is hedging diabetic foot urgency when escalation is clinically warranted.
Yes. Generic medical case notes won't prepare you for diabetic foot, neurovascular assessment, ulcer staging, or biomechanical referral conventions. Profession-specific practice is essential because the Conciseness & Clarity criterion depends on knowing what counts as relevant for podiatry-specific addressees.
Marked against the six OET criteria by a corrector aware of diabetic foot, vascular, and biomechanical conventions. 24-hour turnaround.
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