2020 UPDATE: We have made a video about this topic!
Nobody wants to think about the dreaded resit. You want to pass the exam first time of course! You spend so long studying for the exam only to miss out on a mark or two (usually due to a silly mistake!) and don’t get the score that you need.
For years IELTS students faced this problem. Certain sections of the test (such as the writing exam) can be very difficult and it can be painful to have to resit the entire exam after missing out on just one or two sections of the test.
The good news is that OET allows you to resit the exam one section at a time. You may for example fail and retake the reading exam only instead of taking all four tests again.
However…
Different healthcare organisations have different rules regarding resits.
Resits for Nursing & Midwifery Council
To earn a nursing pin in the UK you will be required to achieve a grade B in all areas of the exam (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking).
However, if you do not pass first time there are some exceptions and you may be able to combine your results from two tests.
The rules for combing test results are:
- The two tests must be within 6 months of each other.
- No grade is ever below C+ in any exam.
- Both tests were taken after February 2016.
- B is achieved in each sub-test of the exam at least once. (Although they WILL accept a C+ in the writing exam).
- You take all four OET sub-tests each time. (Therefore as such, partial exam resits in just one area are not available for NMC registration.)
Example 1
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July Exam | C+ | B | C+ | B |
| August Exam | B | C+ | B | B |
This result would be accepted. The student has achieved a B in each of the exams (across both tests) and has scored at least a C+ in every exam.
Example 2
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February Exam | B | B | C+ | B |
| November Exam | C | C+ | B | B |
This result would not be accepted. The student has achieved a grade of C in one of the areas of the test (listening) and the results were achieved more than 6 months apart.
Resits for General Medical Council
To apply to the GMC, you must achieve a B each area of the exam and the results must be achieved in one sitting.
There are no exceptions to this rule and you can not resit single sub-tests of the OET exam or combine results.
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February Exam | B | A | B | B |
This result would be accepted. The candidate has achieved at least a B in each section of the exam.
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October Exam | B | B | C+ | C |
This result would not be accepted as the correct grade has not been achieved and the candidate would be required to take the complete exam again.
It is important to know…
Different government bodies such as those in Dubai, Ukraine and Australia may accept resits. You should contact the regulating body for more information.
How do I apply for an OET resit?
- To apply for a re-sit you will need to visit the official OET website and login to your Candidate Profile.
- You are only able to re-sit the section if you achieved a score of C+ or higher. Any lower and you will have to retake the entire exam.
- Please note some professions (often medical professions) will insist that you pass the entire test in one sitting. You should check with the relevant Regulatory Authority to make sure before booking a resit.
- There is an additional charge for a resit however this will be discounted compared to the original price. Each
Have a question about OET resits? Let us know in the comments below.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]