OET for Nurses 2026: Format, the Scores the UK NMC Requires, and How to Pass

Updated October 2026.

The Occupational English Test (OET) is an English test built for healthcare workers. Instead of general topics, it uses real clinical situations: patient consultations, referral letters, hospital handovers. For many Nigerian nurses heading to the UK, it feels more familiar than IELTS, and the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) accepts it for registration.

What the NMC requires

To join the UK register with the OET, nurses and midwives need:

Sub-test	Minimum grade	Score
Listening	B	350
Reading	B	350
Speaking	B	350
Writing	C+	300

If you’re taking IELTS instead, the NMC asks for Academic IELTS with an overall 7.0, at least 7.0 in listening, reading and speaking, and at least 6.5 in writing.

Narrowly missed? You can combine two sittings

The NMC lets you combine results from two OET sittings taken within 12 months. You must reach the required grade in each sub-test across the two sittings, and no sub-test in either sitting can fall more than half a grade below the requirement. For writing, that means nothing below a C at 250 or more.

Already working in a UK care setting? The NMC also accepts supporting information from employers (SIFE) in some cases, for example if you trained in English in a country where English isn’t the majority language and have worked for the employer for at least 12 months in the last two years. More than 5,300 international nurses joined the register this way in 2024-25.

The OET format

The test has four sub-tests. Each is scored from 0 to 500 and turned into a grade from A (highest) to E.

• Listening (about 40 minutes, 42 questions): recorded consultations, workplace conversations and short health talks.
• Reading (60 minutes): Part A is a fast 15-minute task scanning four short texts. Parts B and C share 45 minutes of workplace notices and longer articles.
• Writing (45 minutes): you write one letter, usually a referral or discharge letter, from a set of case notes. Nurses write nursing-specific letters.
• Speaking (about 20 minutes): two role-plays with an examiner playing a patient or relative.

Tips for each sub-test

Writing: the one most nurses struggle with

• Decide first who you’re writing to and why. Everything in the letter should serve that purpose.
• Select only the case notes the reader needs. Leaving irrelevant details out is part of the mark.
• Use a clear structure: purpose, key current issue, relevant background, then what you’re asking the reader to do.
• Turn notes into full, professional sentences. Never copy them word for word.

Speaking

• Lead the conversation, the way you would with a real patient.
• Show empathy, check understanding and explain without jargon.
• Ask open questions and respond to what the “patient” actually says.

Listening and reading

• Reading Part A is a speed test: practise scanning for numbers, drug names and doses rather than reading every word.
• In listening, spelling counts. Practise writing medical terms correctly while you listen.
• Do full timed practice tests, and review every wrong answer to find out why.

Booking the test

Book through the official OET website, where you can see current test dates, venues and fees, and whether OET@Home (taken online from home) is available where you live. Choose the nursing version of the test. Book only through the official site: never pay agents who promise guaranteed scores.

Bottom line

For the UK, aim for B in listening, reading and speaking and C+ in writing. Writing is where most candidates fall short, so spend most of your practice time on letters, and get feedback from someone who knows the OET marking criteria. If you narrowly miss one sub-test, remember you can combine two sittings within 12 months.

Read also: NMC fee rises to £143 as Nigerian nurses joining the register fall · IELTS resource library · NCLEX 2026 guide

Sources: OET: NMC writing requirement; OET: NMC changes English language requirements; NMC: employer-supported English route; IDP: OET exam format. Requirements can change, so confirm on the NMC website before you apply.