UK, Ireland or New Zealand
Choose OET (or IELTS): none of the regulators we checked in these countries lists PTE Academic. UK dentists should read the GDC page first, because it names IELTS.
Test comparison
OET vs PTE: which English test should healthcare professionals take?
OET tests the English you use at work in healthcare, with a letter and role-plays written for your own profession. PTE Academic tests academic English in short, timed computer tasks. Ahpra accepts both, but none of the UK, Irish or New Zealand regulators we checked lists PTE Academic, so your regulator usually decides for you.
OET or PTE: the short answer
Start with your regulator, not the test. If its accepted tests are only OET and IELTS, as with the NMC, the GMC, NMBI and the New Zealand councils, you cannot plan your registration around a PTE Academic score, however high it is. If it accepts both, as Ahpra does, compare the formats below and choose the test that suits you. Scores and rules change, so confirm them on the regulator's own page before you book.
OET and PTE Academic side by side
Both tests cover listening, reading, writing and speaking, but the tasks, the timing and the way you sit them are very different.
| OET | PTE Academic | |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for | Healthcare professionals in 12 professions | Study, migration and professional registration; not specific to healthcare |
| Structure and timing | Four sub-tests: Listening (about 40 minutes), Reading (60 minutes), Writing (45 minutes, including 5 minutes of reading time) and Speaking (about 20 minutes) | Three parts in about 2 hours: Speaking & Writing (76–84 minutes), Reading (23–30 minutes) and Listening (31–39 minutes) |
| Writing | One letter from case notes for your profession, such as a referral or discharge letter, with a guide of 180–200 words | A summary of a written text and an essay of 200–300 words |
| Speaking | Two role-plays with an interlocutor playing a patient, relative or carer; three minutes to prepare each card | Short answers recorded into a microphone, such as Read Aloud and Describe Image; each answer is recorded once |
| Listening and Reading | 42 questions each, on healthcare topics, the same for every profession | Academic item types such as multiple choice, reorder paragraph and write from dictation |
| How you sit it | On paper or computer at a venue, or OET@Home where offered | On a computer at a test centre only; it cannot be taken at home |
| Scores | Each sub-test from 0 to 500, with a grade from A to E | An overall score from 10 to 90, plus a score for each skill |
| Results | On computer in as little as 48 hours; on paper from 12 days after the test | Typically within 2 days |
For OET dates and fees, see OET test dates and fees; to choose between OET formats, read OET on computer vs paper.
Healthcare English or academic English?
OET designs Listening and Reading for all candidates on general health topics, while Writing and Speaking reflect workplace situations in your own profession. Pearson describes PTE Academic as a computer-based academic English test for study, migration or work abroad.
What OET rewards
Choosing the right case notes for a named reader, and a structured, patient-centred conversation. Speaking is marked on linguistic criteria and on clinical communication: relationship building, understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering and information giving.
What PTE Academic rewards
Speed and accuracy in short, timed items. The microphone opens on a countdown and each answer is recorded once; for Read Aloud, Pearson scores content, pronunciation and oral fluency. A fluent speaker who freezes on a timer can find this harder than a conversation.
How the scores work
Neither test has a single pass mark. Each regulator sets its own minimums, so the same result can be enough in one country and short in another.
OET: 0 to 500 for each sub-test
Scores go up in steps of 10, with grades from A (highest) to E (lowest). Grade B starts at 350 and C+ at 300. The GMC, the GPhC and the Irish medical and dental councils ask for B in each sub-test; the NMC, NMBI, the New Zealand medical and nursing councils and ECFMG accept 300 in Writing.
PTE Academic: 10 to 90
You receive an overall score and a score for each of speaking, writing, reading and listening. Of the regulators in this guide, only Ahpra publishes PTE Academic minimums for registration.
Ahpra minimums for tests taken on or after 23 April 2026
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OET (any profession, at a test centre) | 350 | 360 | 350 | 360 | Not used |
| PTE Academic (at a test centre) | 58 | 59 | 60 | 76 | 63 |
Two sittings of the same test within 12 months are accepted if no score in either falls below Ahpra's floors: 320, 340, 350 and 350 for OET; 53, 54, 60 and 66 for PTE Academic, with 63 overall in each sitting. Tests taken on or before 22 April 2026 use Ahpra's older table. Never convert between OET and PTE scores yourself.
Which regulators accept OET, and which accept PTE Academic?
Checked on each regulator's own page on 2 November 2026. "Not listed" means the page does not name PTE Academic, so you cannot rely on it for registration.
| Regulator | OET | PTE Academic |
|---|---|---|
| GMC (UK doctors) | OET Medicine: B in each sub-test, in the same and most recent sitting; OET@Home accepted | Not listed: the GMC names IELTS and OET as its tests |
| NMC (UK nurses and midwives) | OET Nursing: B in Listening, Reading and Speaking, C+ in Writing; OET@Home accepted | Not accepted: IELTS Academic and OET are its only tests |
| HCPC (UK allied health) | Listed professions: total 1400, none below 300 (speech and language therapists 1800, none below 400); test centre only | Not accepted: IELTS, TOEFL iBT and OET only |
| GPhC (UK pharmacists) | OET Pharmacy: B in each sub-test, one sitting; not OET@Home | Not listed |
| GDC (UK dentists) | Not named; the page names IELTS. Check with the regulator | Not named; check with the regulator |
| Ahpra (Australia, all National Boards except the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board) | From 23 April 2026: Listening 350, Reading 360, Writing 350, Speaking 360; test centre only | From 23 April 2026: 63 overall, with Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 60, Speaking 76; test centre only |
| NMBI (Ireland nurses and midwives) | OET Nursing: B in Listening, Reading and Speaking, C+ in Writing; one result; not OET@Home | Not listed |
| Medical Council of Ireland | OET Medicine: B in each sub-test, single sitting; not OET@Home | Not listed; check with the regulator |
| Dental Council of Ireland | OET Dentistry: B in each sub-test; not OET@Home | Not listed |
| Medical Council of New Zealand | OET Medicine: 350 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 300 in Writing | Not listed |
| Nursing Council of New Zealand | 350 in Reading, Listening and Speaking, 300 in Writing | Not accepted |
| Dental Council of New Zealand | A or B in each sub-test, in one sitting | Not listed |
| ECFMG (USA, 2027 Pathways) | OET Medicine: 350 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 300 in Writing, in one test taken on or after 1 January 2025 | Not an option: every Pathways applicant must pass OET Medicine |
For the main Gulf health authorities we did not find a published English test rule naming OET or PTE Academic, so check with the regulator and your employer; the Gulf pathway guide covers the wider licensing steps. Validity periods and sitting rules are in the OET score requirements guide.
Worked example: checking two score reports against Ahpra
These are invented practice score reports written by OET with Dr Hesham to show the method, not real candidates or results. Both tests were taken after 23 April 2026.
Practice case 1: a physiotherapist with PTE Academic
- Overall 70: meets the minimum of 63
- Listening 68, Reading 72, Writing 75: all above 58, 59 and 60
- Speaking 71: below the minimum of 76
Outcome: not enough from one sitting. A second PTE Academic sitting within 12 months could complete the requirement if it reaches 76 in Speaking and 63 overall, with no score in either sitting below 53, 54, 60 and 66. An OET result could not be added.
Practice case 2: a nurse with OET Nursing
- Listening 380 and Writing 360: above 350
- Speaking 390: above 360
- Reading 350: grade B, but 10 points below Ahpra's 360
Outcome: short for Ahpra, yet the same report meets the NMC rule. A second OET sitting within 12 months with Reading at 360 or above, and no score in either sitting below Ahpra's floors, would meet the Australian rule.
Key takeaway
Read your regulator's table for your test date, line by line. A grade B is not always enough, a high overall PTE score cannot rescue one weak skill, and the gap tells you exactly which skill to train before a second sitting.
Who should choose OET, and who should choose PTE Academic?
Your regulator comes first, your strengths second, and convenience last.
Australia
Both work. PTE Academic suits you if short computer tasks and a strict timer do not unsettle you and your speaking can reach 76. OET suits you if you communicate best in a clinical conversation and a structured letter.
Doctors heading to the USA
ECFMG's 2027 Pathways require OET Medicine from every applicant. See the USA pathway guide for the other steps.
You already hold a score
A recent PTE Academic result that meets Ahpra's table is a good reason not to switch. If your regulator does not list PTE, do not rely on it for registration.
Comparing OET with IELTS instead? Read OET vs IELTS. Dentists will find the dental rules and OET Dentistry tasks in the OET course for dentists.
Common mistakes when choosing between OET and PTE
Each of these can cost you a test fee and several weeks.
Treating a visa score as a registration score
A score that works for a visa or a university may not be on your regulator's list. Pearson says PTE Academic UKVI has the same content and scoring as PTE Academic; neither is on the NMC, GMC or HCPC list.
Mixing providers
A good OET Writing score and a good PTE Speaking score do not make a valid set. Ahpra states that results from different test providers cannot be combined.
Using the wrong Ahpra table
Tests taken on or before 22 April 2026 are assessed against Ahpra's older minimums; tests from 23 April 2026 against the new ones. Check the date on your report.
Booking the wrong version
PTE Academic cannot be taken at home, and OET@Home is refused by Ahpra, the HCPC, the GPhC and the Irish councils. Regulators also name the OET profession they want, such as Medicine for the GMC or Pharmacy for the GPhC.
Official sources
The test and regulator facts on this page were checked against these official pages on 2 November 2026.
- OET: OET Test overview and Results and scoring
- OET Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking sub-tests
- OET: three preparation minutes in Speaking and Speaking criteria overview
- OET Test on Computer
- Pearson: PTE Academic and PTE Academic scoring
- Pearson: PTE Academic Speaking & Writing, Reading and Listening
- GMC: Evidence of your knowledge of English
- NMC: Accepted English language tests
- HCPC: English language proficiency
- GPhC: Guidance on evidence of English language skills (June 2025)
- GDC: English language controls
- Ahpra: Accepted English language tests
- NMBI: English language requirements
- Medical Council of Ireland: English language
- Dental Council of Ireland: Language proficiency
- Medical Council of New Zealand: Policy on English language requirements
- Nursing Council of New Zealand: requirements
- Dental Council of New Zealand: Registration
- ECFMG: 2027 Pathways, communication skills
OET vs PTE FAQ
Short answers for healthcare professionals choosing a test. More exam questions are on the full OET FAQ page.
Does the NMC accept PTE Academic?
No. The NMC says IELTS Academic and OET are the only English tests it can accept, and that it is not looking to accept any other tests at the moment.
What PTE Academic score does Ahpra require?
For tests taken on or after 23 April 2026, Ahpra asks for 63 overall, with at least 58 in Listening, 59 in Reading, 60 in Writing and 76 in Speaking, taken on computer at a test centre.
Is OET easier than PTE?
Neither test is easier for everyone. OET uses a letter from case notes and two role-plays with a person playing your patient; PTE Academic uses an essay and short spoken answers recorded on a computer. Choose the test your regulator accepts that suits your strengths.
Can I combine OET and PTE results?
No. Ahpra states that results from different test providers cannot be combined, and the NMC only combines two sittings of the same type of test.
Can I take PTE Academic or OET at home?
PTE Academic cannot be taken at home. OET@Home exists, but Ahpra, the HCPC, the GPhC, NMBI and the Medical Council of Ireland do not accept it, while the NMC and the GMC do.
Chosen OET?
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