Difference between IELTS ( international English language Testing system) and OET (Occupational English Testing)

OET is an Exam which tests Healthcare professionals level of English in their specific area of expertise

Both IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and OET(Occupational English Test) are used to test the English language of healthcare professionals in different parts of the world.

Many Nurses who have attempted and failed to get the Band Score 7 in all areas will welcome this, especially those who have hit the wall of 6.5 in the written section

   

What is the same

1.    Each test the level of English in four areas skill: reading, listening, writing and speaking.

2.    There is no pass/fail, but a graded score – different institutions need test takers to achieve different scores.

3.    Both IELTS Academic and OET ask for required scores for similar levels of language skill when measured on the  The Standard of English is the same in both tests

4.    Both tests were developed in the late 1980s and are part-owned by Cambridge Assessment English. IELTS ownership is shared with IDP and the British Council. OET ownership is shared with Boxhill Assessment.

What is Different

1.    OET is a lot more expensive than IELTS Academic. If taken in the Pakistan  OET costs around 50,000 as compared to IELTS Academic 25000

2.    Numbers of test takers. Many more people took the IELTS Exam as compared to OET. Until now, the main market for OET has been those professionals wishing to work in Australia, New Zealand. A result of this is that the huge array of IELTS preparation materials including Youtube Videos, Social media and mock tests are simply not available for the OET Exam.

3.    Content IELTS tests academic English – this includes the ability to write essays, follow lectures, understand academic articles and discuss a wide range of topics, from the environment to education to social trends to cultural values. 

OET tests Healthcare English, including the ability to communicate effectively in medical scenarios, write a referral letter, understand a patient consultation, or follow a text taken from a medical journal. There are twelve versions for different healthcare professionals including a paper specifically for Nurses. The Reading and Listening sections are the same , the Speaking and Writing sections are tailored to specific scenarios in which Nurses would use English.

4.    Preparation

Preparing for IELTS involves learning huge amounts of vocabulary on a wide range of academic subjects so test takers are prepared to read academic texts quickly and effectively, understand lectures and discussions, talk about abstract questions and give opinions in detail. Test takers need to learn how to write reports on a variety of data, interpret graphs and a range of essay types. Written texts need to be at an advanced level and so include complex structures and grammar. Learning a set of key exam techniques is also crucial.

Preparing for OET involves learning a wide range of healthcare-related and profession-specific language, so test takers are able to follow, engage with and participate in a variety of clinical scenarios, as well as understand medical texts and talks. They need to be able to write a healthcare-related letter, such as a referral letter, at an advanced level. Applicants need to learn and understand the exam techniques required to quickly and effectively complete the questions

5. Scoring

IELTS is marked out of 9, with a separate score for each paper. Half marks are awarded as part of this. OET is graded from A (best) to E. The UK NMC will require level B