Occupational English Test or OET is a language proficiency test conducted to check proficiency in English. It’s purpose is to check the language skills of healthcare professionals. The International English Language Test System or IELTS is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non native speakers of English. Both the tests serve its purpose. We cannot say that one test is superior or inferior to the other.
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A COMPARISON – OET EXAM VS OTHER ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TESTS
IELTS offers two versions of test format. Academic and General. While the OET has 12 versions. IELTS is more flexible. It caters to a wider range of educational purposes, making it a better option for those seeking academic or general employment opportunities.
Both the tests evaluate listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. IELTS has a more or less comprehensive assessment of your skills in the English language. IELTS presents before you a wider range of everyday situations just like in real life. At the same time it also equips you with fluency in English and prepares you for professional opportunities.
The target audience of IELTS is health care professionals, students as well as immigrants. For OET the audience is health care professionals.
Academic and General Training versions of IELTS are there and for the OET 12 professional variations are there.
Timing of the IELTS is 2 hours and 45 minutes and for the OET exam it is around 3 hours.
The test format is the same for both the exams i.e, assessment of listening, speaking, reading and writing. General academic topics and everyday situations form the syllabus content of the IELTS. The syllabus content of the OET is related to medical terms, procedures and protocols in the healthcare industry.
THINGS YOU NEED TO CONSIDER BEFORE ATTEMPTING IELTS OR THE OET
It is said that IELTS is much more renowned than the OET exam. It is more widely accepted and recognised in more than 140 countries.
The IELTS covers a wider range of topics which includes education, general knowledge, cultural values etc. But healthcare professionals usually opt for the OET exam because it has contents like consultation, writing a discharge summary or a referral letter.
Both the tests need English language proficiency. For patient interaction English language is a necessity. Proficiency in English is essential for understanding medical terminologies, documentation, research etc. English proficiency opens up global opportunities especially for nurses to work in various healthcare industries around the world.
TOEFL ( TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Just like the OET and the IELTS, TOFEL is also a standardized test that checks the candidates’ mastery of the English language. Mainly used by universities for higher studies. TOEFL scores are used primarily for university admissions.
- CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH TEST ( CET)
CET is an entourage of English certification exams. It is recognized globally. The grading system varies by the specific test.
- THE COST OF VARIOUS EXAMS
The cost as well as difficulty of language proficiency exams like IELTS, OET or PTE can vary depending on your geographical location, test center availability etc.
- CONCLUSION
Each proficiency test serves different purposes. The English language is fundamental for any proficiency test. All proficiency tests enhance diverse career opportunities on a global level. No proficiency exam is easier than the others. IELTS 7.5 and OET B shows advanced level in English. One may find the OET simpler to understand as it is healthcare related and tests the language you use in daily practice. To sum up there really is no absolute easier between tests. Everything depends on the candidates’ personal preference.
