On Wednesday 27 November, the Nursing and Midwifery Council incredibly announced that they will be reducing the passing grade for the Occupational English Test (OET) Writing exam to C+!
This is brilliant news as it increases nurses in the UK’s chances of finally passing the OET exam.
What has changed?
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) board are now willing to accept a C+ grade in the Writing section of the OET exam.
The other exam areas will still require a B grade.
What have they said?
“We are delighted by the NMC’s decision to amend the required OET Writing score. Many nurses and midwives taking OET have been narrowly missing out on achieving a grade B so the NMC decision[‘s decision to accept OET Writing C+], together with UKVI no longer requiring candidates to sit a separate English language test to apply for a Tier 2 (General) visa, will allow many more highly capable professionals to register and work in the UK.”
OET CEO Sujata Stead
What is a C+ grade?
This means that some small grammatical mistakes will be accepted in OET letters.
You will require a score of 300 points.
Despite this HUGE announcement… we would still recommend studying OET writing until you are achieving a B grade or higher in practice so that you are confident of passing.
When does the change happen?
The change will start from 28 January 2020. If you have achieved a C+ in the writing in the past two years (after January 28 2018 and passed all other areas), then the NMC will consider your results. You should contact the NMC for more information.
Can I get a refund if I booked a test but I no longer need it?
Unfortunately, the OET exam board are not willing to refund you in this case – however the good news is that you have now passed!
Can I combine results?
You can still combine your grades if you meet the requirements set out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Is the OET exam now really easy?
Not really…
A C+ will still require practice (as will all of the OET exam areas). As mentioned earlier, we would still recommend practising and preparing a B grade to avoid failing the test.
Do you need help with the OET writing exam? Try our OET Writing Correction Service
Do you have a question about these changes? Feel free to leave a comment in the box below and one of our teachers will get back to you.
