IELTS vs OET - which test is best?
OET vs IELTS - which exam should I take?
If you are planning to work as a healthcare professional in an English-speaking country, you will most likely have heard the debate about IELTS versus OET.
The questions we often get asked are:
- Which is the best one to take for a nurse?
- Which is easier to pass?
- Which is cheaper?
- How are they different?
So, the aim of this blogpost is to help explain the main differences:
Exam content
Both tests include 4 components: reading; listening; speaking; writing
Both tests are similar in length: IELTS (2h45 mins) and OET (3 hours)
The main difference is that the content of OET is 100% medical, whereas IELTS uses a variety of sources and topics which could cover any area of life and work.
This means that the OET questions will be more familiar to health professionals, in terms of vocabulary and context, but the IELTS test will prepare you for using English in a much broader range of situations.
Exam fees
OET is significantly more expensive than IELTS. Here’s how they compare in different currencies (at the time of writing):
| OET | IELTS |
|---|---|
| $587 AUD | $340 AUD |
| €380 | €220 |
| 339 GBP | 196 GBP |
| 30,481 INR | 17,636 |
| 22,774 PHP | 13,211 PHP |
*fees may vary slightly from country to country
The cost of the exam could be a serious consideration, especially if you need to retake either exam more than once.
Test availability
| OET | IELTS |
|---|---|
| 14 dates per year | 48 dates per year |
| 110 test centres | 1,200 test centres |
| 40 countries | 140 countries |
It is clear from the information shown in the table above that IELTS is much more accessible than OET for people across the globe.
This also explains why more than 3 million people took IELTS in 2017, making it the world’s most popular English language test for higher education and immigration.
Test scoring
In OET you are awarded a grade between A and E for each sub-test (with no overall score) and in IELTS you are awarded a band score between 0-9 for each sub-test, plus an overall score (the average of all 4 sub-tests).
The following table shows how the scores compare:
| OET | IELTS |
|---|---|
| A | 8.0-9.0 |
| B | 7.0-7.5 |
| C+ | 6.5 |
| C | 5.5-6.0 |
| D | 4.0-5.0 |
*In IELTS you can also be awarded half bands for each sub-test (eg 5.5 or 6.5) or as your overall score.
NMC requirements
To register as a nurse with the NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council) in the UK, you need to achieve either:
OET - a minimum of Grade B in all four sub-tests of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
Academic IELTS - overall band 7; a minimum of band 7 in Listening, Reading, Speaking and 6.5 in Writing
It is also possible to combine the scores from two tests but only if they have been taken within 6 months of each other.
Combining scores from two tests is only valid if NO individual score is below Grade C+ (OET) or Band 6.5 (IELTS).
Final considerations and useful links
In the end it will come down to personal choice, but it is worth remembering that Academic IELTS is a test of English for general or academic contexts, whereas OET is a test of English for healthcare contexts.
Also important to note is that IELTS is the only Secure English Language Test (SELT) approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for visa customers applying both outside and inside the UK. This means that as a nurse, even if you are accepted by the NMC with OET results, you will still need to take the IELTS test to apply for your work visa.
To find out more information, you might find these websites useful:
NMC English language requirements
GMC English language requirements
IELTS requirements to work as a RN in the US
IELTS requirements to work as a RN in Canada
English language requirements for health professionals in Australia
English language requirements for nurses in New Zealand
OET or IELTS - which exam should nurses take?
