Nurses and doctors: an OET grade B may still be too low for Australia's Proficient English
Published 6 min read
Many nurses and doctors treat an OET grade B as the finish line. For an Australian visa, the letter is not what counts: Home Affairs sets a separate minimum score for each of the four sub-tests, and a B at the bottom of its range can still fall short. If you book, pay and sit the test with the wrong number in mind, you may have to sit it again. This article puts the OET numbers for Competent, Proficient and Superior English side by side, explains how they sit on the OET score scale, and shows how to plan your preparation around the skill that is furthest from its target.
It is for healthcare workers using OET for an Australian visa. Registration with a professional board is a separate step with its own rules, covered briefly below.
How OET scores work: numbers first, letters second
Each OET sub-test (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) is reported on a scale from 0 to 500 in ten-point increments, and each score is also shown as a letter grade from A (highest) to E (lowest). The full scale is explained on the OET results and scoring page.
The letter is a band, not a single number. On the OET scale, grade B covers 350 to 440 and grade A covers 450 to 500. Two candidates can both hold a "B in Writing" with very different scores: one with 350, the other with 440. Visa rules in Australia are written in these numbers, so always read the number on your results, not only the letter.
Why this matters for your visa
Australia's English levels each have their own minimum per sub-test, and the numbers are different for each skill. Reading and Speaking often need more than Listening. That means one strong overall result does not help if a single sub-test is ten points short.
The OET numbers for each Australian English level
The Department of Home Affairs publishes the minimum OET scores for each level. The figures below apply to OET taken on or after 7 August 2025.
| English level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competent | 290 | 310 | 290 | 330 |
| Proficient | 350 | 360 | 380 | 360 |
| Superior | 390 | 400 | 420 | 400 |
Competent English
For Competent English, OET taken on or after 7 August 2025 needs at least 290 for listening, 310 for reading, 290 for writing and 330 for speaking. All four numbers are below 350, the start of grade B. Notice that speaking has the highest minimum at this level. The official list is on the Competent English page.
Proficient English
For Proficient English, OET taken on or after 7 August 2025 needs at least 350 for listening, 360 for reading, 380 for writing and 360 for speaking. This is where the grade B trap appears. A Listening score of 350 is enough, but a Reading or Speaking score of 350 is ten points short, and a Writing score of 350 is thirty points short, even though every one of them is a B. Check the current figures on the Proficient English page.
Superior English
For Superior English, OET taken on or after 7 August 2025 needs at least 390 for listening, 400 for reading, 420 for writing and 400 for speaking. These are high B scores, not A grades, but a B in the low 350s is far from them. Writing again has the highest bar. The figures are on the Superior English page.
If you are still deciding which test to take, the overviews of Competent English across IELTS, PTE and OET and Superior English in each test compare the three tests for the same level.
Which OET format counts for an Australian visa
OET can be taken in three ways: OET Test on Paper, OET Test on Computer and OET@Home. Home Affairs does not accept English tests delivered completely online (at-home), and OET@Home is one of the examples it names. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the department lists OET among the accepted tests when it is taken at a secure test centre.
So if your goal is a visa, book a test centre sitting on paper or on computer, not the at-home version. If you are also using the result for registration, check the board's own page, because boards set their own rules.
Visa scores and registration scores are not the same thing
Professional boards decide which tests they accept and the scores they need, separately from Home Affairs. OET Test on Computer is accepted by major regulators including AHPRA in Australia, but the score a board asks for can differ from the visa level you need. Read the English language standard of your national board for your profession before you decide which number to aim for. Nurses weighing up their options can also read how OET and IELTS compare for nurses.
How to plan your OET preparation around the numbers
Treat each sub-test as its own target. A plan built on "get a B" can leave one skill short.
- Write down your four targets. Copy the numbers for your visa level from the table above, and the numbers for your registration board if you need one.
- Find your gap in each skill. Take a timed practice set in each sub-test and compare the estimate with each target. The skill with the biggest gap gets the most time.
- Watch Writing for Proficient and Superior. It has the highest minimum at both levels, so plan regular letter practice under the 45-minute limit: 5 minutes reading time and 40 minutes writing time.
- Do not ignore Speaking at the Competent level. Its minimum is the highest of the four at that level.
- Book only when every skill is close. A strong overall picture does not help if one sub-test is below its number.
- Check the rules again before you book. Requirements can change, and they apply to the date you take the test.
Example: a study plan with one weak skill
Example: Grace, a fictional registered nurse, needs Proficient English. Her practice estimates sit around the high 300s in Listening and Speaking, but her letters are in the mid 300s, below the 380 needed for Writing. She keeps one listening and one reading set a week to stay sharp and spends most of her time on letters: one full letter under test timing on three days a week, then rewrites the weakest paragraph using the feedback.
Practising for OET with PractiseNow
PractiseNow has OET Listening Parts A to C and Reading Parts A to C for every profession, plus clinical letters and role-plays for nursing and medicine. Its writing and speaking answers get AI feedback with an estimated score per criterion, and every score on PractiseNow is a practice estimate, not an official OET result. The free plan gives you the first 3 Starter sets and the first Builder set of every task type in your test, plus 3 AI credits, with no payment details needed to start. Choose OET in the test list on the home page, or start practising free.
When your result comes through, put the score for each sub-test on your CV where an employer can see it; Build AI CV has a section for language tests and their scores.
Frequently asked questions
Is an OET grade B enough for Proficient English in Australia?
Not always. Proficient English needs at least 350 for listening, 360 for reading, 380 for writing and 360 for speaking, so a B at the bottom of its range can still be short in three skills.
Can I use OET@Home for an Australian visa?
No. Home Affairs does not accept English tests delivered completely online, and it names OET@Home as an example. Book a test centre sitting instead.
How long are OET results valid?
There is no global validity period for OET results; each organisation that accepts OET decides how long results are valid. Check the rules of the visa or board you are applying to.
Do I need the same OET score for registration and for my visa?
Not necessarily. Registration boards set their own English standards, so check your board's page as well as the Home Affairs page.
Last checked: 23 October 2026. Test rules and score requirements change: confirm on the official pages linked in this article before you book or apply.
