OET is an international English language test that assesses the language proficiency of healthcare professionals seeking to register and practise in an English-speaking environment. It assesses all four language skills- listening, reading, writing and speaking- with the emphasis on communication in healthcare professional settings.

OET tests candidates from the health professions including Medicine, Nursing, Radiography, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Dietetics,   Occupational Therapy, Optometry,  Physiotherapy, Podiatry,  Speech Pathology and Veterinary Science.

There is a separate sub-test for each skill area. The Listening and Reading sub-tests are designed to assess the ability to understand spoken and written English in contexts related to general health and medicine. The sub-tests for Listening and Reading are common to all professions. The Writing and Speaking sub-tests are specific to each profession and are designed to assess the ability to use English appropriately in the relevant professional context. 

The duration of Listening and Writing test is  45 minutes whereas Reading test is conducted for 60 minutes.