OET for UK doctors: the GMC requirement
Before an international medical graduate can even book PLAB 1, the GMC wants proof of English — and for many, that proof is OET Medicine.
Requirements checked against official sources: July 2026
The requirement, precisely
Grade B (350 or above) in all four sub-tests — Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking — in a single sitting.
- No combining. The GMC does not accept sub-test scores added up across two sittings (unlike the NMC's rule for nurses). A 340 in one sub-test means a full retake.
- Two-year currency. The certificate must be in date when you use it — at PLAB booking and at registration.
- It comes first. An in-date OET (or IELTS) result is required before booking PLAB 1 — the exam that now delivers the UK Medical Licensing Assessment content for IMGs.
- The alternative: IELTS Academic at 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in each band, in one sitting (the GMC also accepts an IELTS One Skill Retake to reach the required score — there is no OET equivalent). Other evidence routes exist (a degree taught and examined in English, or recent practice in a majority-English country with employer support).
Where candidates actually fall short
For working doctors, the sub-tests that most often need dedicated preparation are Writing (the letter task is a selection exercise with its own craft — see select, don't copy) and Speaking, where the role-play is marked on clinical communication (cue-picking, structure, checking understanding) as well as on language. Since one weak sub-test forces a complete resit, the efficient strategy is to practise the two skill sub-tests to a clear-B standard before booking, not after a failed attempt.
That is OEZ's exact territory: timed medicine role-plays with an AI patient and letters checked against the case notes, both marked against the published OET criteria so you can gauge your likely band before exam day. See also all medicine practice cases.
Full speaking role-plays with an AI patient, timed writing tasks, and marking modelled on OET’s published criteria. No card needed.