How much time do you need to prepare for OET?

If you need to pass an English language test for your visa or studies, you may be asking yourself – how much time should I set aside to prepare for the OET language test? 

Those looking for an easy answer will be disappointed because there is no one-size-fits-all approach. 

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to prepare for an English language test. We’ve put together this useful explainer of ways you can prepare for the OET (Occupational English Test), one of the most commonly used English tests by health professionals to enter English speaking countries. 

Whether you have a year to prepare or you’re wondering how to prepare for OET in a week, E2 Test Prep has resources to suit your time and budget that will boost your confidence and, more importantly, your test score. 

Understand the structure of the OET test

Firstly, it is crucial to understand that the OET test has the same structure but different content depending on the occupation of the candidate. For example, the cases and questions a professional nurse will find in the test will differ entirely from the ones a doctor would get.

There are four sections in the OET test: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The OET is a specialist exam, meaning it will have a very occupation-specific terminology.

Listening

The OET listening task takes 45 minutes and the content of the test is exactly the same for all professions. In this section, the candidates will be required to listen to diverse health-related material like lectures and patient consultations, and then answer some questions immediately after each passage.

If you want to get into more detail on how to answer each of the sections we recommend creating your own OET for doctors or OET for nurses account at E2 Test Prep or watching our video on the topic.

Reading

In the reading section, all candidates have to go through different texts on health-related subjects. The task takes 60 minutes and the content is exactly the same for all professions.

Writing

The writing task is entirely occupation-specific. The candidates will have 45 minutes to write a health-related text piece. One of the most frequent types of texts requested is a referral letter for a patient. Check out our video about understanding OET writing in six minutes!

Speaking

The OET speaking section is specific to your profession. The task is based on role-plays. You will assume the role of a healthcare professional and the interviewer will be a patient, client or relative of a patient. Remember that the test will present only typical workplace situations, so you should be familiar with what you see in the day to day of your healthcare occupation.

How to prepare for OET at home with high-quality materials

When preparing for the OET test, it’s important you use high-quality OET preparation material. This will ensure you are preparing in line with the requirements of the test. 

E2 offers a range of high-quality OET preparation packages, which you can use to study OET online. Depending on your budget and timeline, you can choose a bronze, silver or gold package from E2. While your success is ultimately in your hands, these packages give you the best possible chance to pass OET on the first go and obtain a high score.

We are aware that as a healthcare professional you need to be as time and resource-efficient as possible. That’s why all our course material has been developed and approved directly by our partner OET for both doctors and nurses.

OET Bronze package

The bronze package gives you six months of access to the materials provided and contains both a mock test and many practice questions and assessments to help you understand what areas you need to work on to succeed. It also includes a one-on-one tutorial with a teacher, which will give you valuable, personalised feedback on your performance. 

OET Silver package

In addition to the features listed above, the silver package includes an additional tutorial with a teacher. This means you could complete the mock test and then have a one-on-one tutorial with an expert, giving you even more insight into where you have performed well or need to improve. The silver package gives you nine months of access to the materials, which is excellent for those who have begun studying well in advance. 

OET Gold package

The gold package includes all the features of bronze and silver. It contains an additional one-on-one tutorial with a teacher, giving students access to over two hours of personalised feedback and training.  

If you’re not ready to commit to a package, E2 has a broad range of free OET exercises and materials you can use to supercharge your test preparation. 

A great place to start is with our YouTube channel and podcast. These resources will help you get into the swing of test preparation.

Taking a full mock test with E2 will help you understand where you need to improve to achieve your desired score. You can purchase a Mock test through your E2 Test Prep account. It is a real-life test simulation including a timer and a realistic grade, and you will receive personalised feedback you can use to improve your result. 

For those who like to multitask, a podcast is a handy way to prepare as you can listen in and learn while preparing dinner for the family, commuting or doing some exercise. With a new episode every week, the Everyday English podcast will help you improve your English fluency. 

Set realistic expectations

One way to help you understand your current language skills and what you can hope to achieve in the time you have available is to take the E2English placement test. 

This 30-minute test is available for free, and the results will act as a diagnostic tool to help you understand your overall English language skills. It’s a great tool if you’re trying to figure out what language level course you should enrol in, so make sure you set aside time to complete it. 

Your personal circumstances will decide how well you can prepare – but remember, everybody can find a way to approach the OET test as prepared as possible. E2 is committed to making it as easy as possible to achieve your English language goals, no matter your situation. 

Some of you might be asking yourselves, ‘can I prepare if I’m a single parent?’ or ‘can I study for OET while at home with a baby?’ The answer is yes. Just remember that if you have significant obligations outside of your test preparation, you may need to begin preparing earlier than someone else with more free time. 

How to prepare for OET in a month

If you’ve found yourself pressed for time and need to prepare for OET in a hurry, investing in the E2 OET express package is a great option to help you prepare for OET in a month. 

The 30 day OET course includes live classes and recordings in case you miss one. With these resources at your disposal, you’ll become more comfortable for your coming test day. 

If you have a specific skill you would like to reinforce, there are also Speaking and Writing Intensive packages at your disposal to focus on each skill respectively.

Find ways to prepare for your test without stress

Test preparation doesn’t have to be stressful. You can do simple things to help your English skills along, even in your downtime. For instance, hop on the E2 TikTok channel. Here you can practice and learn English without pressure.

We also have a free OET youtube channel with heaps of free content on how to prepare for the general and academic versions of the test. Here you can find very useful videos like how to pass OET in 2022 which help you learn at your own pace.

Did you know E2 Test Prep is an official partner of the OET test?

Our final advice to you

Learning English can seem a daunting experience, but you can take simple steps immediately to start your journey to English proficiency and an excellent OET score. Sign up to E2 Test Prep, make use of all our learning resources and tune into our podcast and Youtube channel. We assure you’ll feel closer to your English learning goals day by day.