OET Score for Ireland

Living with comfort and harnessing lucrative opportunities have always been a primary target of any human being in the world, and in modern times this has become even more vigorous. Circumstantially, the screening level has been more acute, owing to the increase in population, and that’s what we commonly see when it comes to appearing for a coveted exam like the OET.

The OET is one of the most eminent tests for the medical professionals that is taken worldwide in order to get one’s feet landed on the grounds of the nation they aim for. As an exam that considers one’s full potential to survive in a country not so familiar in terms of language and communication, the competition among the aspirants is even higher. Hence, millions of people appear for the exam and prepare diligently for it.

The OET exam came into existence in 1980 and was administered by the Australian National Office for Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR). In the year 2013, Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (a joint venture between Cambridge Assessment English and Boxhill Institute) took over the ownership and had been administering the test ever since then.

The Occupational English Test evaluates professionals from 12 medical fields such as Dentistry, Dietetics, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Radiography, Speech Pathology and Veterinary Science. It is widely accepted across various medical councils and universities in countries like Australia, Canada, Ireland, Maldives, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. It is accepted as an evaluator of the communication skill of the applicants.

OET score for Ireland

The wide acceptance of the OET as an English language assessment is hardly unknown to anyone. It has notably made a mark for itself as a prime evaluation test for healthcare professionals. One of the nations that welcome OET scores is Ireland.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) embarked on the journey of accepting the OET scores on January 2, 2018, and the Irish Medical Board (IMB) started accepting them on February 8, 2018. As of now, as per the OET website’s centre availability, the only mode of delivery (medium of the test) is the OET on paper in Ireland. At present, only Nurses, Midwives and Doctors can use OET results for registration purposes. But, there is a hope that this will extend to the other OET professions soon.

Initially, for Nurses and Midwives, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland required a B grade in the Speaking subtest of the OET and a B grade in the Writing subtest. In addition to that, the aspirants for the Nursing domain had to score a C+ grade in the Reading task and a C+ grade in the Listening task as well. Furthermore, the results had to be achieved within the last 2 years and from the same test sitting. However, since May 1, 2020, the OET score requirements have been changed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).

As per the new score requirements guideline, the aspirants have to score a C+ in the Writing subtest of the OET, a B grade in the speaking subtest, a B in the Reading subtest and a B in the Listening subtest of the OET. This move was made to ease the selection process of the Nursing aspirants who wish to pursue their career in Ireland, and this has been concluded in consultation with many domain experts across the world. However, the results must be achieved within the last 2 years of the same test in which the candidate appeared for.

For Doctors, the Medical Council of Ireland has determined the qualifying grades for all the subtests of the OET, i.e., Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Aspirants are expected to score a B grade in the Listening subtest of the OET, a B grade in the Reading subtest, a B grade in the Writing subtest and a B grade in the Speaking subtest of the OET. The results must be achieved within the last 2 years of the same test in which the candidate appeared for, as in the case of the Nursing and Midwifery aspirants.

So, this was all about the score requirements and a briefing about the OET assessment in Ireland. So, in case you are planning to pursue your endeavours as far as the medical profession is concerned, this is what you need to keep in mind while you prepare for the OET for your preferred nation.

All the best!