There can often be some confusion as to what the pass grade is for the OET exam. Do different organisations have different passing marks and does the exam allow resits?
The general rule to remember is:
Most organisations will require a grade of B in each of the four sub-tests.
A grade B in the OET exam is the equivalent of IELTS band score 7.0.
However there are some exceptions to this and things can be a little more complex.
In this article we will look at two case studies in the UK of both the GMC (General Medical Council) and the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) to find out their pass score. We will also look at what the pass grade is in each area of the exam.
1. What is the NMC pass score?
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 combining 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 September 2018.
- B is achieved in each sub-test of the exam at least once.
Example 1
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July Exam | B | 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.
2. What is the GMC pass score?
Things are a little simpler when discussing the General Medical Council’s passing grade.
You will require a B in each area of the exam and the results must be achieved in one sitting.
There are no exceptions to this rule.
| 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.
3. Test Scores Explained
Writing Exam
Your letter in the writing exam is graded against five criteria:
- Overall Task Fulfillment
- Appropriateness of Language
- Comprehension of Stimulus
- Presentation Features (spelling, layout, punctuation)
- Linguistic Features (grammar and cohesion)
You will be given a grade between A-F for each of these criteria and are required an overall score of B to pass.
Speaking Exam
Your speaking exam is graded against several criteria:
- The fluency of language
- How easy to understand the conversation is
- How well the task has been understood
- The usefulness of grammar and appropriateness of language
Similarly to the writing exam, learners will be given a grade between A-F for each of these criteria. You can find more information here and here on the exact requirements.
Listening and Reading Exams
Unfortunately, the OET exam board does not confirm exactly what the passing score is for the listening and reading exams.
We reached out to a representative from the OET examining board and they said:
“A new Listening and Reading test is written for each test each month with a different topic. This means each month the challenge of the test is slightly more or slightly less than any other month. This is reflected in the grade boundaries which are set for each test. This means there isn’t a pass score we can tell you to aim for because the pass score for one test will be different for another.
The advice we give to candidates is to aim for two thirds of the questions in the test you are taking to be correct. On test day, you may need a few more or a few less to achieve a B based on the challenge of the paper that month but it gives you something to aim for. During practice, we recommend aiming for a score in the low 30s to be confident of a B on test day.
If you are consistently achieving 30-32 in practice, you can feel confident of achieving a B whatever the pass score. It is better to aim higher than aim for the absolute minimum.”
That means the passing grade for OET reading and listening is 29/42.
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