Great news for pharmacists in the UK as the General Pharmaceutical Council GPhC have announced that OET will now be accepted for registration.
What happened?
Fast Track IELTS was consulted by the GPhC regarding the requirements of the exam. It is our opinion that the OET exam is an excellent option for overseas pharmacists and we have campaigned for it to be accepted immediately.
On 11th February, the GPhC wrote to us and said:
… our council agreed that applicants to the register of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will be able to use a recent pass of the Pharmacy Occupational English Test (OET) as evidence of English language competence as an alternative to the IELTS.
GPhC communications
Why is this important?
For years, pharmacists have struggled with the incredibly difficult IELTS exam. OET is an overall easier exam for healthcare professionals.
This is fantastic news for pharmacists who would like to register with the GPhC.
What will be the required passing grade?
The passing grade for GPhC registration will be a B grade in all four subtests of OET.
The test must also be completed in one sitting.
When will OET be accepted by the GPhC?
The GPhC are accepting OET now from March 2021.
You can visit the GPhC news page for the latest updates.
If you have not begun preparing for OET already, now is a great time. We recommend around 2 months of preparation with our teachers to prepare for OET with a first time pass.
Is IELTS still accepted by the GPhC?
Yes, IELTS will continue to be accepted by the GPhC. A band score of at least 7.0 is required in all parts of the exam.
How do I prepare for OET?
For your OET preparation, we recommend the OET fast track course.
This involves having 1:1 online lessons with an OET teacher focused on all techniques and methods of the exam.
It is a complete preparation package that also includes practice materials, training videos, writing corrections and flexible lesson times.
You can click here to find out more about the preparation course.
Do you have a question about the OET Pharmacy exam? Ask in the comments below and our teachers will contact you to answer your questions.