OET

OCCUPATIONAL ENGLISH TEST: MEDICINE IN NEPAL 

Hello All

The Occupational English Test, also known as OET in short form, is the 1st step to start your PLAB journey. Only when you clear your OET test, you are eligible for PLAB 1. In Nepal, a huge number of medical graduates are fascinated about PLAB and are willing to start their career in the UK.

Let us have a brief introduction of what OET is, what it comprises, how much it costs and where we can give examinations in Nepal.

OET: INTRODUCTION

What is OET?

OET is an English language test specifically for healthcare professionals who seek to register and practice in an English speaking environment. This test has been specifically developed for 12 healthcare professionals which include medical doctors as well and it tests on those things that reflect real workplace tasks and relevant english language skills.

OET comprises four basic language skills with an emphasis on communication in a healthcare environment. It consists of:

1. Listening 

2. Reading

3. Writing

4. Speaking

For more details about OET, please visit OET Official Website.

OET TEST CENTERS IN NEPAL

Luckily, this is the only exam during the whole PLAB journey that gives us the luxury of giving it by staying in Nepal. 

There are altogether three test centers in Nepal; two test centers in Kathmandu and one test center in Chitwan allocated for Nepal.

Kathmandu

1. Universal Language and Computer Institute, Dillibazar, Kathmandu

Location: Universal Language & Computer Institute

2. Fulbright Commission in Nepal (If you would like to give OET in Computer)

Location: USEF-Nepal

Chitwan

1. Chitwan Medical College, Bharatpur, Nepal

Location: Chitwan Medical College

OET COST/PRICE

The price of OET is a bit expensive than other english language tests. 

Cost: AUD 587 that is roughly around 50-55000 NRS.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR OET IN NEPAL

Well, every person has a different way of preparing for the OET and they ace the exam in their own ways. However, to put it all in a nutshell, there are three ways in which you can best prepare for the OET exam. 

1. SELF-STUDY

To be honest, the OET is not a difficult exam to pass. If you know the pattern of the exam and marking criteria, you just need lots of practice in four sections of OET to clear this exam on your own. The only disadvantage of this way of preparation is that you don't have anyone to check your writing and you won't have anyone to practice speaking with. 

However, if you could find a speaking partner and someone senior or those colleagues who have passed OET and are free to check your writing, there is hardly any need for an OET Institute or Online Class.

For Self-study you will need OET books and resources to enrich your skills.  Please find the link of free OET study resources below.

There are few merits and few demerits of self study:

Merits:

• If you are working full-time or staying in periphery, it is best for you

• You can plan study schedule as per your circumstances

Demerits:

• No one to check your writing

• No speaking partner

2. OET Institute

There are a number of institutes in Kathmandu, where you can get an OET session for a month. This will cost you around 30k on an average but varies as per the institute.

There are various advantage and disadvantages of OET institute:

Advantages

• You will find speaking partner

• You have someone to judge your speaking and writing

• Mock test

          Disadvantages

• Costly 

• Very hard to commit if you are working full time

• Not suitable for people working in peripheries

3. Online OET Class/Subscription

Similarly, you can subscribe and pay for any available online OET classes and prepare for it. In such online classes, you will find your instructor who will check your writing and speaking and they will do mock exams as well.

Some of the mostly used online class platforms are:

E2 Language Class

Swoosh English

However just like other way of preparation it has its own merits and demerits:

Merit:

• OET class at your comfort

• OET instructor to check your writing and speaking

• MOCK Class

• Good for doctors working in peripheries as well

Demerit

• Expensive

OET STUDY RESOURCES 

We have compiled all available and necessary OET study resources here and you can find a google drive folder link to find the OET study materials.

OET Study Materials Google Drive Link

This google drive link consists of:

• OET Preparation Guide Book from Official OET Website

• OET Full Book for Candidate

• OET Writing Do’s and Don'ts

• Grammar Exercise

• Tips and Tricks for Reading

• OET Common Mistakes in writing

• Listening Tips

• Key Phrases for Speaking

• Speaking Tips

Exam Preparation

The actual examination preparation can seem quite clueless at first. You can join any of the above institutions as per your convenience and timing. The commonly preferred institute in Kathmandu is the Universal Language & Computer Institute (ULCI) in Dillibazar, which is a preparation center as well as a test center. ULCI offers a 2-hour-class everyday from Monday to Friday for four weeks. They have both online as well as offline classes available. The course is quite well structured with a week for each subsection of the exam- Reading, Writing, Listening and Writing.  

Tips for Listening: Listening can be tricky and could get ignored as well. The misbelief that the answers are all in the audio and it would not be hard to miss would be an issue as if concentration is lost even for a matter of seconds, students can miss 1-2 questions from the test. The presence of mind is vital to catch the answers as people might not be comfortable with the accent and the speech of some audio sets. 

1. Familiarize yourself with various accents and pronunciations with the help of various audio formats.

2. Build your vocabulary via repeated exposure to medical texts, journals, textbooks, etc.

3. Skim and identify the information during the preparation time and try to keep up.

4. Always focus during the practice tests as well because you could end up missing answers.

5. Do not worry if you have missed a question and focus for the next question or else you will miss the subsequent questions as well.

Tips for Reading: Understanding the key message of the paragraphs and eliminating wrong answers in the question set is of paramount importance in acing the reading section. What is tricky about this section is that the answers of the multiple choice questions are mostly similar except minor changes, so the probability of making mistakes is high, especially in Part C. 

1. For part A, your focus should be on skimming and scanning texts rather than reading the entire text one by one slowly. Learn how to find keywords from the question in the paragraph. Use the words directly from the text. You will be penalized for spelling mistakes.

2. For part B, you should be able to read for the gist, key message, purpose and main points. Rule of elimination always helps.

3. For part C, learn how to take inference, attitude and opinion from the paragraphs. Rule of elimination always helps here as well.

Tips for Writing: Writing section is pretty straightforward. The most common types of letters encountered are referral letters and occasional discharge letters. Adequate practice of the sample tests with sample answers can help acknowledging the key facts that are needed to be included in the writing. Also, individual feedback from the tutor of the institute helps a lot.

1. Focus on the reader and think about the letter from their perspective. 

2. Ask yourself, what will the reader need to know, and what they already know. Accordingly, select information from the case notes.

3. Avoid using a single learned template in all practice letters but some sentences do help.

4. Checklist of your common mistakes to refer to later.

5. Read official sample answers for outline, layouts, language and structure, not as templates.

6. Don’t worry about the word limit. If you have selected only the relevant information, your letter will be of the appropriate length. 

7. Allow some time for proofreading the letter.

Speaking: Practicing with study partners by interchanging the roles of doctors and interlocutors with settings and practice sessions structured as per the real exam can help you gain insights on common mistakes, and tricks. 

1. Focus on the listener (patient) and imagine a real patient and structure your communication accordingly.

2. Learning the language criteria beforehand and marking of the key criteria in the roleplay card itself can be crucial in the formation of good sentence structures with major criteria fulfilled that can help earn points. 

3. The key factor that helps in overcoming hesitation is practice…practice… and practice…

4. 
   

Day before the exam: Now, coming to the day before the exam, adequate rest and revision of key points would be crucial. All your hard work prior to the exam will pay off, so it is okay if students rest on the day before the exam. Looking at the writing that you have done during the preparation phase is quite important, that drastically reduces the minor mistakes you may make during the exam. 

EXAM DAY

The students are required to reach the exam center by 8 am for registration and verification. A passport or identification should be on hand for the verification. The test center takes a photo prior to the exam which will be printed in your final marksheet. The exam is pretty much like the mock tests. Also, the exam can take the entire day so make sure you do not rely on the food offered by the test center and arrange a meal for your prior.

LISTENING (approx 50 minutes): This is the first sub-section. As mentioned earlier, presence of mind and focus is very important in order to not miss any of the questions. Don't get carried away if you miss some of the answers of part A.

READING (1 hour): Concentration is the key in this section since the tricky lines and hidden meanings in the text can only be identified by proper understanding only.  And, as this is a multiple-choice question, ruling out answers before marking the final one, to increase the probability of selecting the correct answer.

WRITING (45 minutes): Proper time allocation for the writing during the exam is necessary. You are required to write only relevant points from the case notes within the word limit. Your mind will only grasp what’s relevant and what’s not with proper practice. Do not use a pencil to highlight the texts  before the invigilator asks you to do so.

SPEAKING (approx 20 minutes): This will usually be the last sub-section. The interlocutors are well experienced and they will begin by asking a couple of casual questions about yourself before starting the test to make you comfortable and get used to the scenario. That is the warm up section and is not assessed. An added bonus is that you are allowed to look down at the role-play card as just the audio is being recorded. The timer is also set facing you so that you can know the time that you have and tailor your conversation accordingly. You’ll get 2 role-plays with 3 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to speak in each. The interlocutor plays the patient, while you play the healthcare professional. Plan how much time you’ll take on each task so that you can cover as much as possible. 

Tips

• Understanding the assessment criteria will help you score higher as your performance is evaluated based on those criteria.

• The preparation timeline and way of preparation can vary depending on the individual. So understanding yourself and tailoring your preparation according to your level is important. For some it can take months of preparation and for some, it can take a week or two.

• Always study with a partner as far as possible. Two way practice will help because of feedback and learning from each other’s mistakes. And if you do not have a partner, recording yourself while practicing speaking subsection and reviewing yourself is necessary. 

• Start the preparation early but do not rush to give the exam until you feel confident with your language skills. Also, remember that the exam is an assessment of your language and communication skills, not your medical knowledge.