What OET costs in 2026
The full OET Test, all four sub-tests, costs AU$587 in every delivery mode. That figure is on the OET help-centre fee article and repeated on the OET on Paper, OET on Computer and OET@Home pages. The only variation is the USA, where OET on Computer and OET@Home are priced at US$455. The price includes an AU$7 online booking fee, which the cancellation article says is non-refundable. There is no separate registration fee, no fee to share results with a regulator, and no fee to use OET's result verification service.
| What you book | Price | Where available | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full test, four sub-tests | AU$587 | Paper, computer, OET@Home, worldwide (US$455 for computer and home in the USA) | Fee article; mode pages |
| One sub-test | AU$315 | OET on Paper only, after a full test, not in the USA | Fee article |
| Two sub-tests | AU$415 | Same conditions | Fee article |
| Three sub-tests | AU$515 | Same conditions | Fee article |
| Re-mark of a sub-test | AU$120 per sub-test; refunded if the grade changes | Request within 72 hours of results; outcome in three to six weeks | Results page; regulations section 8.3 |
The arithmetic is worth noticing. Three sub-tests cost AU$515, only AU$72 less than the whole test, and the single sub-test route is paper-only. If you missed two or three papers, or you want the computer format's faster result, a full retake is usually the better buy. The single sub-test price is designed for the candidate who missed one paper by a little.
In rupees, pesos and dollars
OET bills in Australian dollars. Your card converts on the day, so any rupee or peso figure is an estimate. The table uses the European Central Bank reference rates for 19 October 2026, where 1 AUD was 66.318 INR, 44.01 PHP, 0.699 USD and 0.524 GBP. Add your bank's foreign transaction charge, typically a few per cent, and round up when you budget.
| Booking | AUD | About INR | About PHP | About USD | About GBP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full test | 587 | 38,900 | 25,800 | 410 | 308 |
| One sub-test (paper) | 315 | 20,900 | 13,900 | 220 | 165 |
| Two sub-tests (paper) | 415 | 27,500 | 18,300 | 290 | 217 |
| Three sub-tests (paper) | 515 | 34,200 | 22,700 | 360 | 270 |
| Reschedule, before close | 120 | 8,000 | 5,300 | 84 | 63 |
| Reschedule, after close | 200 | 13,300 | 8,800 | 140 | 105 |
For comparison, our OET vs IELTS page sets AU$587 against the rupee price of IELTS Academic in India. OET is the dearer test per sitting, but a nurse who misses one paper by ten points pays AU$315 to fix it, a route IELTS only matches through its One Skill Retake where that is accepted.
Single sub-test retakes: who can, what it costs
A single sub-test retake means booking only Listening, only Reading, only Writing or only Speaking, instead of the whole test. The OET test regulations and the fee article set the rules:
- Only after a full test. "All four OET Test sub-tests must be taken the first time you sit the test." You cannot book a single Speaking test as your first OET.
- Only on paper. "If you are re-sitting one or more sub-tests, you are not required to book all four sub-tests (Note: this only applies for OET Test on Paper...)". OET on Computer and OET@Home are always the full test.
- Only if your regulator accepts it. The regulations put the check on you: "you should first check with the Recognising Organisation that you are applying with if they accept scores of single sub-tests." The fee article says the same.
- Not in the USA. The fee article says single sub-tests are offered at the majority of paper venues worldwide but not in the USA.
- One booking per administration. You cannot hold a single sub-test booking and a full-test booking for the same test date.
Note what a single sub-test retake does to your dates. Paper runs on two Saturdays a month and some Saturdays are open only to Nursing and Medicine (see our dates page), so a pharmacist retaking only Reading has half as many dates to choose from as a nurse. Paper results for India and the Philippines come in as little as five days, which keeps the single sub-test route quick in those two countries.
TalkDrill worked example (ours, not a real candidate)
A Manila nurse sits the full test on 21 November 2026 and scores Listening 360, Reading 330, Writing 350, Speaking 390. For the NMC she needs B (350) in Reading. She books Reading only on the first paper Saturday OET publishes for January 2027 (the 2027 calendar was not out when we checked), for AU$315 instead of AU$587, and if she scores 350 or more the NMC combines the two sittings, because they are within twelve months, all four papers were taken the first time, and nothing in either sitting fell below C+. If her target were the GMC, which asks for all four in one sitting, the single sub-test would not help and she would need the full test again.
Combining two sittings (clubbing), regulator by regulator
OET itself does not combine anything. Each sitting produces its own Statement of Results, and the regulations simply say that "some Recognising Organisations accept Clubbing of scores from tests taken on different dates". Whether your two results can be read together is entirely the regulator's rule. The rules below are quoted from the regulator pages we read on 19 and 20 October 2026; where a page blocked us we say so.
| Regulator | Two sittings allowed? | Window | Floors in each sitting | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NMC (UK nurses and midwives) | Yes, same test only (OET with OET) | Within twelve months of each other; all four sub-tests both times | C+ (300) in Listening, Reading, Speaking; C (250) in Writing | Verified: NMC OET page and language requirements guidance |
| AHPRA (Australia, all boards) | Yes, maximum two sittings | In a 12-month period; all four components each sitting | For tests from 23 April 2026: Listening 320, Reading 340, Writing 350, Speaking 350 | Verified: AHPRA accepted tests page and standard |
| Nursing Council of New Zealand | Yes, more than one sitting allowed | "The required scores must be achieved within 12 months of first sitting the test, and all sittings must be completed within the three years prior to your application" | None stated on the Council page | Verified: NCNZ English language requirements page, read 20 October 2026 |
| GMC (UK doctors) | No; B in all four in the same test, most recent sitting | Not applicable | Not applicable | Verified: GMC chapter on using your OET certificate, read 20 October 2026 |
| ECFMG (USA, Pathways) | No; minimums "in one test administration" | Not applicable | Not applicable | Verified: ECFMG Pathways OET page, read 20 October 2026 |
Two traps. First, "within twelve months" at the NMC is measured between the two test dates, and AHPRA's "12-month period" is the same idea; a retake thirteen months later starts you again. Second, the floors are applied to every paper in both sittings, not only the paper you are retaking. Under NMC rules a first-sitting Writing at C (280) can still be combined, because the Writing floor is C (250); a first-sitting Listening at C (290) cannot, however good the second sitting is, because the Listening floor is C+ (300). Check every number in both sittings against the floor row before paying for a partial retake. The full score tables, including AHPRA's new post-April 2026 minimums, are on our regulator requirements page.
Which sub-test you will most likely retake
Budgeting for a retake is easier if you know which paper is likely to need it. OET's 2025 demographic data gives grade distributions by first language and profession. Adding the A and B columns gives the share who reached Grade B or above:
| Group (2025) | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malayalam first language | 27.8% | 24.0% | 73.2% | 85.0% |
| Hindi first language | 58.2% | 48.9% | 73.1% | 89.1% |
| Tagalog/Filipino first language | 67.4% | 43.9% | 57.9% | 85.4% |
| Arabic first language | 66.1% | 69.7% | 73.1% | 91.1% |
| Indian nationals | 37.3% | 32.0% | 72.6% | 85.9% |
| Nursing, all candidates | 32.3% | 24.9% | 63.2% | 82.2% |
| Medicine, all candidates | 77.6% | 78.9% | 79.9% | 92.8% |
For nurses from Kerala, and for nurses generally, the retake is almost always Listening or Reading, often both. Speaking is the paper most of our readers pass first time, so "OET retake only speaking", a common search, describes the rare case. Plan your money accordingly: the most common second bill is two paper sub-tests at AU$415, and the cheapest way to avoid it is to put the practice hours into the receptive papers before the first sitting. Our Listening and Reading page is built around exactly this data; the free listening practice quiz is a place to start tonight.
Reschedule fees and windows
Rescheduling keeps your booking and moves the date or venue. The OET reschedule article and section 9.1 of the test regulations give these fees and limits:
| Mode and what you move | Before bookings close | After bookings close | Latest you can do it |
|---|---|---|---|
| OET on Paper, all four sub-tests | AU$120 | AU$200 | 11:59 pm local time the day before the test, in myOET; no late option on or after test day |
| OET on Computer or OET@Home, all four | AU$120 (US$95 in the USA) | AU$200 (US$155) | Up to 48 hours before your first sub-test in your account; within 48 hours, AU$200 via customer care |
| OET on Computer or OET@Home, Speaking only | AU$30 within the same administration | AU$100 | Up to 48 hours before, or within 24 hours after a missed Speaking slot (AU$100); once only |
Limits that surprise people: you cannot reschedule to change mode (paper to computer) or profession; you must cancel and rebook. You cannot reschedule a computer or home test to a venue in another country without contacting customer care. A booking bought with a discount code cannot be rescheduled. A rescheduled booking cannot be reversed. And a missed Speaking slot that is not rescheduled within 24 hours becomes a Speaking score of zero, shown as a blank on your Statement of Results.
Cancellation and refunds
Cancelling ends the booking and returns part of the fee. The OET cancellation article gives the amounts; the cancellation fee is AU$120 before the closing date and AU$200 after it, plus the AU$7 booking fee in each case, which is how the refunds below are reached.
| Booking | Cancel before the closing date | Cancel after the closing date | Last moment to cancel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full test, paper | AU$460 refunded | AU$380 refunded | 23:59 one week before test day |
| One paper sub-test | AU$188 | AU$108 | Same |
| Two paper sub-tests | AU$288 | AU$208 | Same |
| Three paper sub-tests | AU$388 | AU$308 | Same |
| Full test, computer or OET@Home | AU$460 (US$355 in the USA) | AU$380 (US$295) | 48 hours before your first sub-test; not after any sub-test has been taken |
Refunds go back to the card used to book within 7 to 10 business days. A no-show earns no refund unless you can show extenuating circumstances within five business days, per the regulations. You cannot cancel or defer once a test has started. Fall ill on the morning: tell venue staff before you begin and complete the withdrawal or deferral form if asked.
Spending the money well: a retake budget
Put the numbers together and a sensible plan for a nurse aiming at the NMC or AHPRA looks like this. Budget AU$587 for the first full sitting. Keep AU$415 in reserve for a two-paper retake on paper within twelve months, because the 2025 data says Listening and Reading are where nurses fall short. Do not keep AU$315 for Speaking; you will almost certainly not need it. If your target is the GMC or ECFMG, the reserve has to be another AU$587, since both require all four in one sitting, and the saving has to come from preparation instead.
The cheapest fee is the one you never pay. A six-week plan with daily Listening and Reading sets costs nothing on our study plan page, the AI role-play keeps Speaking warm for free, and OET's own OET Ready portal has free sample tests for every sub-test. Spend on a second sitting only after a timed sample set shows you within reach: 30 of 42 in Listening and Reading is the official guide to Grade B.