Many healthcare professionals delay or avoid booking OET because of fears and misunderstandings that are only partly true or completely wrong. Clearing up these myths can help you move forward confidently with your international plans.
Q1. “OET is harder than other English tests”
Many candidates believe OET is automatically harder than general English exams, but the reality is more balanced. OET is different, not simply “harder” or “easier”: it uses healthcare topics, clinical tasks, and profession-specific role‑plays rather than essays about general issues or university lectures.
For nurses and doctors who already work in English or use medical terminology daily, this can actually make the test feel more relevant and manageable. You are tested on skills you genuinely need at work—writing referral-style letters, understanding consultations, and speaking with patients—rather than abstract topics. For some, this makes OET a more natural option than purely academic tests.
Q2. “You must be ‘perfect’ at English to pass OET”
A common myth is that only near‑native speakers can get the required grades. In reality, OET expects safe, clear professional communication—not 100% perfect grammar or an accent with no trace of your first language. Examiners understand you are an international healthcare professional, not an English teacher or news presenter.
The key is whether you can be understood easily, organise information logically, choose appropriate language for patients and colleagues, and avoid serious errors that might cause confusion. Small slips in grammar, occasional hesitations, or a noticeable accent are normal and expected. Believing you must be “perfect” keeps many people from even starting preparation, when in fact consistent, focused practice is usually enough to reach the required level.
Q3. “OET is only for nurses, not for doctors or other professionals”
Some healthcare workers think OET is mainly a nursing exam, but it actually has versions for multiple professions. These include medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, and several other registered healthcare roles, each with profession‑specific tasks in Writing and Speaking.
The overall format—Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking—is similar across professions, but the content is adapted to your role. For example, doctors write medical referral letters and discuss diagnoses at a doctor–patient level, while physiotherapists focus on mobility, rehabilitation, and exercise advice. This profession‑specific design is exactly why many regulators and employers accept OET: it reflects real clinical communication in different disciplines, not just generic healthcare language.
Q4. “You can’t prepare for OET while working full time”
Another powerful myth is that full-time work and serious OET preparation are impossible to combine. It is true that shift work, overtime, and family commitments make study harder, but many candidates successfully prepare while working by using structured, realistic plans instead of trying to study “all day.”
Short, focused sessions (for example, 45–60 minutes a day, five days a week) can be more effective than occasional long marathons. You can also use your real workplace as a training ground—practising OET-style speaking structures in real patient conversations, treating ward rounds as listening practice, and turning anonymised cases into writing tasks. The problem is usually not work itself, but an unrealistic or unstructured approach to preparation.
Q5. “If I fail once, I’ll never pass OET”
Fear of failure stops many healthcare professionals from even booking the first test. Some believe that a low score means they are “bad at English” and will never improve. In reality, many successful candidates pass OET on their second or third attempt after identifying weaknesses and adjusting their preparation.
Language exams reflect your performance at a particular moment, under specific conditions. Maybe you were exhausted, unwell, or unfamiliar with the timing. With honest analysis—looking at which sub‑tests were weaker and why—you can create a targeted plan: more work on Writing structure, extra Speaking practice, or better time management in Reading. Seeing the first attempt as feedback, not a final verdict, turns a temporary setback into a stepping stone.
Q6. “OET is just about medical vocabulary”
Some candidates assume that if they know enough medical terms, OET will be easy. This myth can be dangerous because it ignores the test’s focus on communication skills. Yes, healthcare vocabulary helps, but OET also assesses how you explain things clearly in patient‑friendly language, build rapport, and organise information logically.
Knowing rare technical words is not enough if you cannot simplify them for a worried patient, or if your writing is disorganised and hard to follow. Successful candidates work on both sides: accurate terminology and everyday explanations (“high blood pressure” instead of only “hypertension”), plus good grammar, sentence structure, and cohesion. Focusing only on vocabulary leads to frustration when scores don’t match expectations.
Q7. “You must join expensive coaching to pass OET”
Many healthcare professionals delay OET because they think only costly coaching centres can get them the scores they need. While good coaching can be very helpful—especially for feedback on Writing and Speaking—it is not the only path to success. There are candidates who self‑study effectively with official-style materials, peer practice, and carefully planned mock tests.
The most important ingredients are quality resources, honest self‑assessment, regular practice, and feedback from someone who understands the exam (a trainer, a colleague with strong English, or a study partner). Coaching can speed up the process and give structure, but it is not a magical requirement. Believing “I can’t pass without expensive classes” can keep you waiting for the “right time” that never comes.
Q8. “OET is a one‑time decision about your whole future”
Because OET is linked to registration, migration, and career goals, many healthcare professionals treat the exam as a single, life‑defining event. This mindset increases anxiety and makes booking the test feel terrifying. In reality, OET is one important step in a longer professional journey, and you can retake it if needed.
Thinking of OET as a skill‑building process—improving your clinical communication, gaining confidence in English, and learning to manage exam pressure—takes some of the emotional weight away. Each stage of preparation and each attempt (if necessary) teaches you something valuable that you carry into your future practice, whether in your current country or abroad.
Once you recognise these myths for what they are—misunderstandings, half‑truths, or fears—it becomes much easier to make a clear, rational decision about booking OET. Instead of waiting for the “perfect” moment or “perfect” English, you can start where you are, with a realistic plan, and move steadily towards the scores you need and the international opportunities you deserve.
