Molly
Author
Although both OET and IELTS are accepted by the NMC and GMC, more and more healthcare professional are choosing OET. These are the main differences between the tests:
OET |
IELTS |
|
| Who is it for? | A medical English language test written specifically for healthcare professionals | An academic English exam used to test language level and often used for entry to university |
| Topics | Every part of the exam relates to real workplace scenarios; the speaking and writing sub-tests are profession specific | Topics are general and are therefore not specifically related to healthcare |
| Writing | The writing test assesses your ability to communicate effectively when writing in a healthcare context (e.g. a letter of referral) | The writing test assesses your ability to produce the type of text most likely to be produced for a university course (e.g. a report and an essay) rather than a healthcare related text |
| Speaking | The speaking test assesses your ability to communicate effectively in the workplace and assesses the clinical communication skills needed at work (e.g. building relationships with patients and their carers) | The speaking test assesses your ability to communicate clearly on a range of more general topics which are not specifically related to healthcare |