The format in one paragraph
OET has four sub-tests, always in this shape: Listening (approximately 40 minutes, three parts, 42 items, common to all professions), Reading (60 minutes, three parts, 42 items, common to all professions), Writing (45 minutes, one profession-specific letter from case notes) and Speaking (approximately 20 minutes, two profession-specific role plays of five minutes each, with three minutes of preparation before each). Those figures are from the OET Ready pages for each sub-test, read on 19 and 20 October 2026. You can sit it in three ways: OET on Paper at a venue on set Saturdays, OET on Computer at a venue with Speaking online from home (or at the venue in select countries), or OET@Home entirely on your own computer. Content, length and marking are the same across modes, per OET. What changes is the booking cut-off (24 days before for paper, 7 days for computer and home), how fast results come (as little as 48 hours on computer, 5 days for paper in India and the Philippines), which professions can book paper, and whether your regulator accepts the mode. The fee is AUD 587 whichever mode you choose, per each of the three mode pages.
- Listening and Reading: 42 marks each; Grade B (350) typically needs at least 30, and the boundary moves slightly per version.
- Writing: 5 minutes of reading time, then 40 minutes of writing time (OET Test Handbook 2026), for a letter in the 180 to 200 word range.
- Speaking: only the two role plays are assessed; warm-up and preparation are not.
- Paper bookings close 24 days before the date; computer and home bookings close 7 days before, 11:59 pm UTC.
- Paper is open to 7 professions; computer and home to all 12.
The four sub-tests, part by part
| Sub-test | Time | Parts and items | Marks | Profession-specific? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | About 40 min | Part A: 2 consultations, 12 gaps each. Part B: 6 short extracts, 1 MCQ each. Part C: 2 presentations or interviews, 6 MCQs each. | 42 (A 24, B 6, C 12) | No |
| Reading | 60 min (15 for Part A, 45 for B and C) | Part A: 4 short texts, 20 questions. Part B: 6 extracts, 1 MCQ each. Part C: 2 extracts from longer articles, 8 MCQs each. | 42 (A 20, B 6, C 16) | No |
| Writing | 45 min (5 reading + 40 writing) | One letter (referral, discharge, transfer, advice) from case notes, 180 to 200 words in the body. | 6 criteria, converted to 0 to 500 | Yes |
| Speaking | About 20 min | Warm-up (not assessed), then 2 role plays: 3 min preparation + 5 min each. | 9 criteria, converted to 0 to 500 | Yes |
Listening (about 40 minutes, 42 items)
Everything here is from the OET Test Handbook 2026 and the Ready listening page. You hear each recording once. Accents are mainly Australian, British and American, with New Zealand, Irish, Canadian and South African also used. Part A is two consultations between a health professional and a patient, with 12 note-completion gaps per extract; you must complete the notes with the same word or short phrase you hear, not a paraphrase, and OET says you lose marks if you repeat words from the notes, add information that is not in the recording or contradict yourself. Part B is six short workplace extracts (a handover, a briefing, a conversation between colleagues) with one three-option multiple-choice question each. Part C is two presentations or interviews with six three-option questions each. Before each part you get a short time to read the notes or questions; the free sample tests on OET Ready show exactly how long. On paper you have two minutes at the end to check all parts; on computer and at home there is a short pause after each question instead. Part A answers are written in the question booklet, so handwriting must be legible; Parts B and C are answered by shading a lozenge on paper or clicking on screen. Spelling and grammar can cost marks in Part A, though OET says there is more flexibility over spelling than in Reading.
Reading (60 minutes, 42 items)
From the same two sources. Part A is strictly 15 minutes: four short texts on one healthcare topic (a dosage chart, a guideline, a flowchart) and 20 questions in three types, matching, short answer and sentence completion. Answers must use exactly the same form of the word or phrase as the texts, abbreviations only if the texts use them, and in Reading a misspelt answer scores nothing. On paper the Part A papers are collected after 15 minutes, so there is no going back. Parts B and C share 45 minutes. Part B is six short extracts of workplace communication with one three-option question each. Part C is two extracts from longer articles with eight four-option questions each, testing main points, detailed meaning, attitude and opinion, and vocabulary in context. Our advice for Part C: do not skim the whole article; take each question to the part of the text it points to and read that part slowly.
Writing (45 minutes)
You get a set of case notes and a task (for example, a referral to a specialist or a discharge letter to a community nurse). The Test Handbook splits the 45 minutes into five minutes of reading time and 40 minutes of writing time; the Ready writing page says the reading time is for understanding the task and planning, and that you can consult the notes at any point during the 40 minutes. OET gives 180 to 200 words as the range for the task and says there is no automatic penalty for going over or under it, but that a much longer letter usually means irrelevant material or poor organisation. Two assessors mark against six criteria: Purpose (0 to 3), Content, Conciseness and Clarity, Genre and Style, Organisation and Layout, Language (each 0 to 7). The OET Ready writing page says Grade B candidates have achieved 2 of 3 for Purpose and 5 of 7 for the rest. Our Writing page has two full sample letters and the common faults.
Speaking (about 20 minutes)
The interlocutor checks your ID and asks warm-up questions that are not assessed. Then two role plays: for each you receive a card, have three minutes to read it and make notes on it, and then about five minutes playing your professional role while the interlocutor plays the patient or carer. The role play is recorded and scored later by two assessors against four linguistic and five clinical communication criteria; the interlocutor does not mark you. On the Speaking Platform (computer and home modes) you may have one blank sheet of paper and a pen or pencil for notes, per the Speaking Platform User Guide. How those nine criteria work, and what a Grade B opening sounds like, is on the criteria page; cards to practise are on the nurses' and doctors' pages.
Paper vs Computer vs OET@Home
Same test, three deliveries. Every row below is from the three OET mode pages and the booking page, read on 19 and 20 October 2026.
| OET on Paper | OET on Computer | OET@Home | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Approved venue, printed papers | Approved venue, on a computer | Your own computer, remote proctoring |
| Listening | At the venue, noise-cancelling headphones provided | At the venue, headphones provided | At home with a wired headset (Bluetooth not allowed) |
| Reading and Writing | On paper, handwritten letter | On screen, typed letter | On screen, typed letter |
| Speaking | Face to face with an interlocutor in a private room, same day | At home via the OET Speaking Platform, up to 5 days before or after the other three; at the venue in select countries | Via the OET Speaking Platform with a live interlocutor |
| Fee | AUD 587 | AUD 587 | AUD 587 |
| Booking closes | 24 days before the test date (subject to change) | 7 days before, 11:59 pm UTC | 7 days before, 11:59 pm UTC |
| Dates | Set Saturdays; see below | Many dates each month (the booking page lists them day by day) | Many dates each month |
| Results | As little as 5 days in India and the Philippines; from 13 days elsewhere (results page says 12 days generally and 6 for the Philippines) | As little as 48 hours after all four; 95% within 6 calendar days | As little as 48 hours after all four |
| Professions | 7 (Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Radiology, Veterinary Science) | All 12 | All 12 |
| Acceptance | Accepted by the major regulators | OET lists AHPRA, ECFMG, GMC, NMC, HPC, NMBI, NZ Midwifery Council and FMRAC as accepting it; check your Speaking mode | "May not be accepted by all recognising organisations"; offered where venue tests are not available; check first |
| First sitting | All four sub-tests must be taken the first time | Same rule in the Test Regulations | Same |
Two details catch people out. First, the paper results page and the paper mode page do not quite agree with each other on timing (12 days versus 13 days outside India and the Philippines, 5 versus 6 days for the Philippines); both say the dates are indicative and can slip around public holidays, so plan on the longer figure. Second, on computer, your Speaking is a separate online appointment from home, and the booking page tells you to make sure that Speaking mode is accepted by the organisation you are applying to. If your regulator wants a venue Speaking test, the paper mode is the simple answer in India and the Philippines.
Which mode to choose, by situation
| Your situation | Our suggestion | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse in Kerala, Chennai or Hyderabad, NMC or AHPRA route, no rush | Paper | Face-to-face Speaking with no home-internet risk, a 5-day result in India, and venues in several Kerala towns (see dates). Book 24 days ahead. |
| Nurse in Manila or Cebu with a hospital deadline next month | Computer | Dates most weeks and results in as little as 48 hours. Make sure you have a quiet room and stable broadband for the home Speaking session, or choose venue Speaking if your country offers it. |
| Doctor on the PLAB/GMC route | Paper or Computer | Both are accepted by the GMC per OET; the GMC asks for Medicine Grade B in all four in one sitting (per the GMC page on using your OET certificate, read 20 October 2026; our regulator page has the detail). |
| Pharmacist, dietitian, OT or podiatrist | Computer or OET@Home | Paper is not offered for your profession. |
| Nurse in Nigeria, Egypt, Sri Lanka or a Gulf city without a nearby venue | Check OET@Home acceptance first | OET@Home exists for places without a venue, but OET itself says not every regulator accepts it. Confirm with the regulator in writing before paying AUD 587. |
| Handwriting is slow or untidy | Computer or OET@Home | The Writing letter is typed, and Listening Part A answers are typed. On paper both are handwritten in the booklet, and an answer the assessor cannot read cannot score. |
| Retaking one sub-test only | Paper | The OET Test Regulations say booking one or more sub-tests without the other three applies to OET on Paper only, and only where your regulator accepts a single sub-test resit. Single sub-test fees and the combining rules are on our fees and retake page. |
Whatever you pick, OET's own advice on its test overview page is the right order: confirm the minimum results, the accepted delivery modes and whether one sitting is required with your recognising organisation, then confirm the mode, profession, country and venue on the booking page before paying.
What happens on the day
OET on Paper (from the OET Test Regulations and the Test Handbook 2026)
- Arrive on the venue's timetable, at least 30 minutes before the Listening, Reading and Writing start time. The venue emails the timetable no later than 48 hours before the day. If you arrive late for registration you may not be permitted to sit. Phones and other electronic items are switched off and left in the cloakroom. Into the room you may take your ID, non-mechanical pens, pencils, an eraser, a sharpener and a small bottle of water in a clear plastic bottle; bags, notes, smartwatches, highlighters, mechanical pencils, scrap paper and correction fluid are not allowed.
- ID check and photo. Original passport or national ID (not a driving licence), the same one you booked with. Staff check that your account details match the ID and take your photo; the photo appears on your Statement of Results.
- Listening, about 40 minutes, each recording once. On paper you get two minutes at the end to check all three parts.
- Reading. Part A is completed separately and collected after 15 minutes; Parts B and C take 45 minutes, with no extra checking time at the end.
- Writing. Five minutes of reading time, then 40 minutes of writing time. Pen or pencil; you stop writing when instructed.
- Speaking in your own timeslot, face to face with an interlocutor in a private room, same day. Arrive on time for it: the regulations say a missed slot risks rescheduling, and rescheduling can be made only once. The interlocutor checks your ID, asks warm-up questions that are not assessed, then runs two role plays with three minutes of preparation each.
OET on Computer (from the Test Regulations and the Speaking Platform User Guide, June 2026)
Listening, Reading and Writing are at the venue on one day, in that order, with the same arrival, ID, photo and cloakroom rules as paper; you work on a computer with noise-cancelling headphones for Listening and type the letter. Speaking is a separate session, up to 5 days before or after per the mode page. At home it runs on Prometric's Secure Browser, which you download and test before the day; you sit alone in a quiet, well-lit room at a clear desk with the door closed, on a laptop or desktop (no tablets, no company-issued devices, no dual monitors), with a built-in or USB microphone and speakers; Bluetooth is not allowed and headsets or earphones of any type are on the prohibited list, as is anything on the desk except one blank sheet of paper and a pen. You need at least 5 Mbps up and down. The interlocutor checks your ID and your room on camera before the first card, and OET says the whole session takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Where venue Speaking is offered (OET's July 2026 list includes the Philippines, Nigeria (Lagos), Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Mumbai and Gurgaon in India), you take it at the test centre with the venue's headphones and no home set-up.
OET@Home (from the OET@Home User Guide)
You sit Listening, Reading and Writing in one session on Prometric's ProProctor application, with one scheduled 10-minute break after Reading Part A (tell the proctor before you leave the room; you are checked again on return). Before you start: a wired headset plugged in at all times for Listening (Bluetooth is not allowed), a webcam that can be moved for a 360-degree check of the room, screen resolution 1920 x 1080 with scaling at 100 per cent, and an internet connection of at least 5.0 Mbps download and 1.0 Mbps upload. Check-in is a system readiness check, a photo of you, a photo of your ID, the room check and a personal check with a Prometric Readiness Agent. Speaking runs through the same Speaking Platform as the computer mode. If anything on this list is not possible in your home, the venue modes are safer.
Dates and booking cut-offs
The dates block on this page is generated from our exam calendar and checked weekly. The next OET on Paper Saturdays in the calendar are 7 November, 21 November, 5 December and 19 December 2026, worldwide, as listed on the OET booking page on 19 and 20 October 2026. The booking page also prints the last booking day and the results day for each: 21 November (bookings close 28 October, results 8 December), 5 December (close 11 November, results 22 December) and 19 December (close 25 November, results 5 January 2027); the 7 November sitting closed on 14 October, before we checked. Those dates follow the 24-day rule exactly, and OET marks the rule "subject to change", so treat the closing date shown next to each sitting on the booking page as the only one that counts. The same listing shows 7 November and 5 December open to all seven paper professions, and 21 November and 19 December to Nursing and Medicine only. OET on Computer and OET@Home run on many dates each month (the booking page lists them day by day with their own result-publication dates) and close 7 days before each date at 11:59 pm UTC, which is 5:29 am IST and 7:59 am in Manila the following morning. Profession availability varies by date and by country, and OET's regulations allow one booking per test administration, so do not hold a paper and a computer booking for the same window. For India and Kerala venue specifics, and which Saturdays are open to Nursing and Medicine, see OET exam dates 2026.
If you have not yet decided between OET and IELTS, that decision changes the dates and the money, so read OET vs IELTS for nurses first. Once booked, set OET as your exam in TalkDrill so the daily plan counts down to your date.