Doctors, nurses, dentists and midwives who desire to practice in the U.K. will no longer have to appear for English language tests like TOEFL and IELTS as Occupational English Test (OET) scores, which candidates were supposed to clear and register with the appropriate healthcare regulator, will be accepted now.

The OET is an international English language test that evaluates language communication skills of healthcare professionals who seek to register and practice in an English-speaking environment. Earlier, candidates had to take the OET to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Medical Council, two healthcare boards in the U.K., along with tests like TOEFL or IELTS to apply for a visa.

Sujata Stead, CEO, Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment, which conducts the OET, said that the U.K. Home Office has updated English language testing ensuring that doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives, who have already passed an English language test accepted by the appropriate professional body, do not have to sit for another test for gaining entry to the U.K. on a Tier 2 visa. This modification which was announced last week will make the hospitals and medical practices across the country to access the staff quickly as per their requirement. The change will be applicable to all Tier 2 (General) visa applications submitted from October 1.

The Occupational English Test (OET) is designed to meet the specific English language needs of the healthcare sector. It assesses the language proficiency of healthcare professionals who wants to register and practice in an English-speaking environment. The OET is conducted by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (CBLA), a project between Cambridge Assessment English and Box Hill Institute. Cambridge Assessment English is a not-for-profit department of the University of Cambridge. This test is recognized as proof of English proficiency for registration purposes by major healthcare boards and councils in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Singapore, Namibia and Ukraine. It is accepted in Australia and New Zealand for visa and immigration purposes too.

The OET test is conducted for health practitioners from 12 professions — dentistry, dietetics, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, podiatry, radiography, speech pathology and veterinary science. It is also used as an entry or exit test for healthcare courses by educators and as enrollment criterion for employment of healthcare professionals.