IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is the language of communication.

IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia. IELTS conforms to the highest international standards of language assessment.

IELTS is recognized by universities and employers in many countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. It is also recognised by professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies.

British Council

British Council connects people worldwide with the learning opportunities and creative ideas from the UK and builds lasting relationships between the UK and other countries. British Council is the UK’s international organisation for the educational opportunity and cultural relations and is represented in 107 countries worldwide.

Why IELTS with the British Council?

The British Council has more than 75 years’ experience teaching and testing English. We have more than 500 test locations around the world. We helped people in more than 90 countries gain English language qualifications that help them make the most of their chances in life. That’s a lot of experience, and it means that if you take an English language test with us, you can be confident that you’ll be well looked after.

IELTS Australia

IDP: IELTS Australia is a subsidiary of IDP Education, one of the world’s leading international education organisations offering student placement in Australia, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. IDP Education has 40 years’ experience in international higher education. IELTS Australia Pty Ltd manages a network of more than 100 IELTS test centres in over 45 countries.

• IELTS Score Requirements (U.S. Recognition List)
• Educational Institutions, Professional Organizations and Accrediting Bodies Recognizing IELTS
• United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Newzealand, Ireland, France and most of the other countries do accept IELTS.

OET (The Occupational English Test):

It is an English Proficiency Test specialising in particular professions including Nursing.  In order to become a registered nurse, people are required to submit an IELTS score to show English Competency or an OET score. OET accepted in Australia, Dubai, Ireland, Namibia, New Zealand, Singapore. UK and Ukraine.
Because not a lot of nurses know the fact that the OET score can be submitted instead of IELTS scores, we have seen many nurses struggling and giving up the chance to become a registered nurse. If you are facing the same situation, like being stuck on the same score and the same English level, why don’t you try to get a higher mark on the OET? The OET result is likely to be useful when you are applying for permanent residency as a proof of your English skill.

The demand for the Occupational English Test has been dramatically increasing, but still a lot of people do not know much about it. We have heard from people who have taken the test that the OET is more achievable than the IELTS test, but still we hear a lot of questions like “What is the OET anyway?” and “What is the best way to study for the OET?” from people in medical professions.

The medical professions that the OET covers include: Dentist, Pharmacist, Dietician, Podiatrist, Medical Doctor, Physiotherapist, Nurse, Radiographer, Occupational Therapist, Speech Pathologist, Optometrist, Veterinarian.

Like the IELTS test, the OET consists of 4 bands; Speaking, Reading, Writing, Listening. However, unlike IELTS, all topics within the OET are about medical related issues; this is very different from IELTS.

What is the difference between IELTS and OET?

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.

They are chosen by regulatory bodies to ensure doctors, nurses and other professions have sufficient language skills to communicate at a high level with patients and colleagues, and so ensure safe and effective care.

There are a number of similarities between the two tests. 

1. Each one consists of four sub-tests, one for each skill: reading, listening, writing and speaking.
2. A test takes place on one day.
3. There is no pass/fail, but a graded score – different institutions need test takers to achieve different scores.
4. In practice, the required scores in the two tests for professions such as nurses are for similar levels of language skill when measured on the Common European Framework of Reference.
5. 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.

However, that’s where the similarities end. As you can see from the below, they are quite different tests in many ways. 

Differences

Content

IELTS tests academic English – at least the version of IELTS used by Higher Education institutions and healthcare regulatory bodies around the world. 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.

Versions

IELTS offers 2 versions of the test – Academic as described, and General Training, used by organisations to test the more general language considered more appropriate for immigration or vocational purposes. The Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both. The Academic Reading and Writing is more geared to Higher Education than the General Training.

OET offers 12 versions of the test for different healthcare professions; nurses, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, optometrists, podiatrists, occupational therapists, vets, speech pathologists, dieticians, physiotherapists, and radiographers. The Reading and Listening sections are the same for both. The Speaking and Writing sections are tailored to the specific scenarios in which each profession uses English.

Preparation requirements

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 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. They need to acquire a range of exam techniques so they can work quickly and effectively in the test.

As a result, preparation courses for the two tests follow very different pathways and use very different materials.

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.

Healthcare regulatory bodies which use both exams to test English for healthcare professions tend to specify an advanced C1 level of language, i.e. around 7 in IELTS and a B in OET.

The score equivalencies between the two tests are as follows:

Recognition

IELTS is recognised by universities, regulatory bodies, immigration authorities and companies in many countries around the world. This includes universities in non-English speaking countries where a course may be delivered in English. There are over 1,100 test centres in over 140 countries.

OET is recognised by healthcare regulatory bodies and Higher Education healthcare educators in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Dubai, and Namibia. There are over 80 test venues in 35 countries.

Numbers of test takers

Over 3 million people took IELTS in the past year, compared to around 25,000 for the OET. This reflects the size and reach of the global Higher Education market on the one hand and the specialist nature of the OET on the other. Until now, the main market for OET has been those professionals wishing to work in Australia.

Preparation infrastructure

IELTS has a global infrastructure developed around preparing learners to take the test, including universities, private language schools, published materials, online content, and thousands of teachers and writers.

OET has a small, specialist preparation infrastructure, with a small number of providers and a minimal materials base.