What is the OET pass score?
There is no single OET pass mark: your regulator sets it. Most UK regulators want B (350), and the NMC accepts C+ (300) in Writing.
- 350Grade B, most UK regulators
- 300C+, NMC Writing
- 1,400HCPC, all four added
Do my OET scores meet the requirement?
Pick your regulator and type your four scores.
Your regulator
Nurses and midwives: B (350) in Listening, Reading and Speaking, and C+ (300) in Writing.
Your scores
Needs B (350)
No score yetNeeds B (350)
No score yetNeeds C+ (300)
No score yetNeeds B (350)
No score yet
Type the four scores from your Statement of Results.
Only have marks out of 42 from a practice test? Turn them into a score with the OET score converter.
What OET score does each UK regulator need?
Grade B (350) is the usual bar. The NMC accepts C+ (300) in Writing, and the HCPC looks at your total.
| Regulator | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Prepare with |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NMCNurses and midwives | B (350) | B (350) | C+ (300) | B (350) | OET Nursing course |
| GMCDoctors | B (350) | B (350) | B (350) | B (350) | OET Medicine course |
| GPhCPharmacists | B (350) | B (350) | B (350) | B (350) | OET Pharmacy course |
| HCPCPhysiotherapists and radiographers | 1400 in total, none below 300 | OET Physiotherapy course OET Radiography course | |||
| GDCDentists | Check with the GDC | OET Dentistry course | |||
NMC Nurses and midwives
- Listening
- B (350)
- Reading
- B (350)
- Writing
- C+ (300)
- Speaking
- B (350)
HCPC Physiotherapists and radiographers
1400 in total, none below 300
Sit the OET for your own profession, such as OET Nursing for the NMC or OET Medicine for the GMC. For dentists, there is no published OET grade: the GDC’s guidance names IELTS, so check with the GDC that it will accept your OET result before you book.
Checked 9 November 2026: nmc.org.uk, gmc-uk.org, GPhC guidance, June 2025, hcpc-uk.org and gdc-uk.org.
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What is OET Grade B?
A score from 350 to 440 in a sub-test, and the grade most UK regulators ask for.
OET scores each sub-test from 0 to 500, in steps of 10, and gives it a grade from A to E. The NMC, GMC and GPhC check each sub-test on its own, so a high score in one cannot make up for a low one in another. The HCPC adds the four together, but none can be below 300.
Practising with marks out of 42? The OET score converter turns them into grades. Source: results and scoring, oet.com.
How long are OET results valid?
Each regulator sets its own time limit, and its own rule on combining sittings.
NMC
How long a result counts
Each result must be no more than two years old when the NMC assesses your complete application.
Combining and resits
You can combine two sittings taken within 12 months of each other, if each sitting has at least C+ (300) in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 250 in Writing, and between them you reach the required grade in all four.
GMC
How long a result counts
Your certificate counts for two years: on the day you sit PLAB 1, or when the GMC approves your registration.
Combining and resits
The GMC does not combine sittings: you need B in all four in one test, and it must be your most recent sitting.
GPhC
How long a result counts
Your result must be recent: older than two years only counts with evidence that you have kept your English up to date.
Combining and resits
The GPhC does not combine sittings: you need B in all four at one sitting.
HCPC
How long a result counts
Your certificate must be no more than two years old when the HCPC receives your application.
Combining and resits
The HCPC accepts a retake of one sub-test only, taken within six months of the original test.
GDC
How long a result counts
Check with the GDC how recent your result must be.
Combining and resits
The GDC publishes no OET rules, so check with the GDC before you rely on combining or retaking.
The GMC only accepts your most recent sitting, so if you sit OET again, the later result is the one that counts. OET@Home is not offered in the UK; if you sit OET abroad, the GPhC and HCPC do not accept OET@Home results. Nurses can read every NMC rule, including combining, in NMC English requirements.
Missed your OET score?
Three steps, in this order.
- 1
Decide on a remark
OET can remark one or more sub-tests. Read OET remarking to see whether it is worth it for your score.
- 2
Plan your resit
The rules, costs and timing for your next attempt are in OET resits and retakes.
- 3
Check if you can combine
Nurses can combine two sittings for the NMC: see NMC English requirements. The GMC and GPhC need every grade from one sitting.
Focused preparation for your OET resit
Secure your grade with British OET experts. See the OET resit course.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions our students ask us.
- OET has no single pass mark: your regulator decides. The GMC and GPhC need B (350) in all four sub-tests, the NMC accepts C+ (300) in Writing, and the HCPC needs 1400 in total with none below 300.
- Grade B is a score from 350 to 440 in one sub-test. It is the grade most UK regulators ask for, and the NMC asks for it in Listening, Reading and Speaking.
- 340 is a C+, one step below B (350). The NMC accepts it in Writing, and the HCPC accepts it in any sub-test if your four scores add up to 1400. The GMC and GPhC need B.
- B (350) in Listening, Reading and Speaking, and C+ (300) in Writing. You can combine two sittings taken within 12 months of each other, if each sitting has at least C+ (300) in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 250 in Writing, and between them you reach the required grade in all four. NMC English requirements.
- B (350) in all four sub-tests, in the same sitting. The GMC does not combine sittings: you need B in all four in one test, and it must be your most recent sitting. OET Medicine course.
- No published OET grade: the GDC’s guidance names IELTS, so check with the GDC that it will accept your OET result before you book.
- It depends on your regulator. For the NMC, each result must be no more than two years old when the NMC assesses your complete application. For the GMC, your certificate counts for two years: on the day you sit PLAB 1, or when the GMC approves your registration.
- You can ask OET to remark a sub-test, or book a resit. Some regulators let you combine sittings, so check your regulator’s rule before you choose. OET resits and retakes.
Not sure what your scores mean?
Send us your four scores and your regulator. We will tell you which skill is costing you the pass.
