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OET Preparation
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Occupational
English Test (OET)
Registration is open for the Occupational English Test (OET) at Waikato Institute of Education. To register, or for more information visit occupationalenglishtest.org
The Occupational English
Test (OET) is a language test for
health practitioners who have qualified to
practise in one country and wish to gain
provisional registration to practise their
profession in another which has
an English-speaking context.
The
Test measures the language competency of health
practitioners who are seeking registration and
the ability to practise in an English speaking
context. It is designed to ensure that language
competency is assessed in a relevant
professional context.
The OET is administered by
the OET Centre up to ten times a year in over 40
locations around the world, including at WIE in
Hamilton.
Waikato Institute of
Education is Authorised Examination Centre
for Cambridge The Occupational English Test (OET),
Candidates in New Zealand who wish to
sit for the test must apply directly via the OET
website:
http://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/.
Each OET sub-test is scored as one of five grades, from A - E. A is the highest grade, E is the lowest. Most professional registration bodies require a minimum of B in each sub-test.
Candidates can resit any component of the test
(listening, reading, speaking and writing)
rather than having to do the whole test again.
The speaking component is comprised of 2
recorded role plays where the examiner plays the
part of a patient with a particular problem. The
candidate gets 3 minutes thinking time then has
to respond professionally and refer the patient
if necessary. The test rubric can involve any
kind of medical problem and can require the
patient to be angry, upset, impatient etc.
Comparing IELTS and OET
IELTS
OET
+ Pros +
+ Used for a wide range of purposes including University Entrance and Immigration purposes.
+ Is more workplace-orientated than IELTS and is aimed at health & medical professions specifically.
+ More widely recognised than OET.
+ Argued to be more relevant to nursing and healthcare professions.
+ Tests are offered approximately twice a month (25 times a year).
+ Can re-sit individual skill areas separately.
+ Cheaper than OET to sit
+ Test is specific to candidates' field of profession.
– cons –
_ Cannot re-sit individual bands; if one skill area is failed candidate must re-sit entire test.
_ Students cannot re-sit the test until previous results have been published.
_ Requires a very high level of English to achieve 7.0 score.
_ Offered only up to 10 times a year in New Zealand.
_ Is not directly relevant to healthcare or nursing professions.
_ Less test centres available, candidates may have to travel.
_ Does not have cultural component relative to New Zealand.
_ Overall more expensive than IELTS.
Phone:
64 - 7 - 8382450
Fax: 64 - 7 - 838 2453
Email:
info@wie.ac.nz
There is no overall grade in OET; candidates receive a separate grade for each sub-test.
The written papers are normally scheduled in the morning starting at 9.00am. The Listening, Reading and Writing sub-tests are completed by 1.00pm. The individual Speaking interviews are timetabled for the afternoon, from around 1.00pm until 6.00pm. You must be available for the whole of this period; the exact time of your interview is sent to you with the detailed venue information.
For more information on OET, please visit the official website at: http://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/
For more information on OET Preparation Course, please visit OET Preparation Course
FREE OET Seminar for examinees registered for the most recent and the next OET Test in Waikato Institute of Education (WIE). For more information visit FREE OET Seminar
Waikato Institute of Education
218 Anglesea Street,
PO Box 773, Hamilton, New Zealand
Phone: 64 - 7 - 8382450
Fax: 64 - 7 - 838 2453
Email:
info@wie.ac.nz