English Language Teaching Unit

OET preparation course

This course is typically delivered as a three week online semi-intensive programme designed to prepare healthcare professionals to take the OET (Occupational English Test) exam to enable them to requalify to practice in the UK. The OET exam is a four-skill English exam which is accepted by bodies such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the General Medical Council (GMC) as part of their registration process. 

N.B. If you are an NHS Trust and are interested in having a bespoke version of this course delivered for your staff (online or face-to-face), please contact internationalcpd@le.ac.uk to discuss your requirements.

English language level required

  • Minimum IELTS 6.0 / CEFR B2 / ESOL Level 1

Previous qualifications required

  • Must be a qualified healthcare professional (non-UK doctor, nurse or other healthcare specialism)

Delivery mode

  • Online (live taught sessions plus independent-study tasks)

Course length

  • Ten mornings of classes spread over three weeks (classes run 3 or 4 mornings per week of the course)

Taught hours per morning of class (average)

  • 2.5 (25 hours in total over the three weeks)

Self-study hours per morning of class (average)

  • 2+ (20+ hours in total over the three weeks)

Tech requirements

  • A stable internet connection (particularly for the live classes)
  • Access to a laptop/computer/tablet
  • Microphone (and ideally also webcam)

Course fees

  • £175

Next course dates

  • 25 September to 13 October 2023

Course aims

In this course, participants will be supported in preparing for their OET exam through:

  • Familiarising them with each of the four skill sections of the OET exam (speaking, listening, reading and writing)
  • Exploring effective strategies for each part, and putting these into practice
  • Taking timed practice tests, and receiving in-depth feedback on mock writing and speaking tests
  • Exploring a range of useful OET resources and strategies
  • Connecting them with other healthcare professionals studying for OET
  • Reflecting on their individual progress towards being exam-ready, and deciding what their next steps will be

Course features

  • 2.5 hours of classes on each day of the course (24 taught hours in total, usually in the mornings)
  • Experienced OET tutors
  • 2 hours of set homework and/or independent study are expected on each day of the course
  • Access to a dedicated online learning platform for this course (available for one year after the end of the course) containing:
    • daily class materials and homework tasks
    • a range of useful OET learning resources and practice test questions (some of which are not widely available online)
    • recordings of the live classes (so that participants can re-watch these at a later date if they wish to)
    • a discussion forum where participants can post questions and share useful resources and strategies for succeeding in the exam
  • in-depth feedback on writing tasks and mock speaking tests
  • meet other healthcare professionals who are working towards their OET exam
  • exam and study tips from a successfully requalified health professional
  • an opportunity to reflect on one’s learning needs going forward, via a 1:1 tutorial with a tutor and an individual action plan
  • certificate of completion if you attend 85% or more of the taught sessions and complete the majority of the set homework

Previous students’ testimonials

Thank you so much for your feedback and support. It has been an enjoyable and useful experience for me.

I appreciate all your assistance and support through our two weeks course. I have learnt a lot and gained valuable knowledge of OET preparation. I will definitely recommend this to my friends and colleagues.

How to apply

To apply for a place on our OET preparation course, please complete our OET application form.

If you don’t know what your current level of English is, you can roughly check your level using this quick online Cambridge English Language Assessment before you fill in the application form. That way, you can let us know in the application form what your approximate level is. To have the best chance of benefiting from this course, your level should be B2, C1 or C2. If your level is lower than that, we recommend that you work on improving your level of general English first.

If you are a qualified healthcare professional with a refugee background and would like to be considered for a sanctuary fee waiver for this OET programme, please complete the needs analysis form on the Sanctuary Seekers’ Unit English language classes and support page. We also strongly recommend that you fill in the RefuAid language application form (RefuAid is our partner organisation, and can provide refugee background students with additional support with course-related costs and exam fees).

If you are an NHS Trust and are interested in having this course delivered for your staff (online or face-to-face), please contact internationalcpd@le.ac.uk to discuss your requirements.

For further information about this OET programme, please email internationalcpd@le.ac.uk.

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