OET Exam Dates 2026: Official Schedule & Booking Deadlines [Updated]

If you are planning to sit the OET in 2026, choosing your exam date is one of the most strategic decisions you will make. Book too late and your preferred slot will be gone. Book too early without adequate preparation time and you risk a result that pushes back your registration by months.

This guide covers everything you need to know: how often the OET runs, what the booking deadlines look like, how long results take to arrive, and how to find a test centre in Ireland, the UK, India, and the Philippines — the key markets for FluencyX candidates.

How the OET Exam Schedule Works in 2026

The OET is not a fixed annual exam with two or three sittings. It runs on a continuous calendar with two delivery formats:

OET on Paper runs approximately twice per month at designated test centres. Listening, Reading, and Writing are completed on paper; Speaking is conducted face-to-face with a trained assessor. Results are published within 17 business days (approximately 5 days for India and Philippines candidates).

OET on Computer runs up to eleven times per month at authorised centres, and is also available as OET@Home. Results are published within 10 business days, with 95% of candidates receiving results within 6 calendar days.

Both formats test the same content and award the same grades. The format does not affect your score. The practical difference is result speed and scheduling flexibility.

OET 2026 Exam Dates: Key Schedule Information

Rather than list every individual date (which changes frequently and varies by region), here is what you need to know to plan accurately:

For exact dates in your region and profession, go directly to oet.com/test/book-a-test, enter your city, and filter by your profession and preferred format.

Key Dates to Know for the Rest of 2026

Confirmed paper-based sittings continue through December 2026, with the final sitting of the year in late November/early December. Computer-based sittings run weekly in most major cities through to the final week of November, with a reduced schedule in December. Results from the final November sitting are typically published before the end of the year, which matters if you are targeting a January 2027 registration submission.

Result Timelines: Planning Around Your Registration Deadline

The most common mistake candidates make is booking an OET date without working backwards from their registration deadline. Here is how to plan correctly:

Step 1: Find out your registration body’s submission deadline (NMC, NMBI, AHPRA, etc.)

Step 2: Subtract the result turnaround time:

• OET on Computer: allow 10 business days minimum
• OET on Paper: allow 17 business days minimum (5 days if in India/Philippines)

Step 3: Subtract your remaining preparation time (see below)

Step 4: Book that date — and book early, because slots fill.

Example: NMBI Registration Deadline

If you are applying to NMBI (Ireland) and need your results submitted by 1 September 2026, you should sit the OET on Computer no later than mid-August 2026, giving 10 business days for results plus buffer time for the NMBI portal. That means your latest safe booking date is approximately early August — which means your serious preparation window closes in July.

How Much Preparation Time Do You Actually Need?

This depends on your starting level, but here is a realistic breakdown based on typical FluencyX candidates:

For OET Writing specifically, the most common bottleneck is the Content criterion — knowing what information to include, what to exclude, and how to calibrate the letter to the reader. This is the criterion most candidates underestimate and the one that takes longest to improve, because it requires understanding the case notes deeply, not just improving grammar.

For a full breakdown of how Writing is scored, see our guide on OET Writing for nurses: step-by-step guide.

Test Centres by Key Region

Ireland

Ireland is a high-demand location for OET, particularly for nurses targeting NMBI registration. Test centres operate in Dublin and Cork, with OET on Computer available multiple times per month. Paper-based sittings run approximately twice monthly.

Key cities with test centres: Dublin, Cork

For candidates outside these cities, OET@Home is worth considering — it offers the same result timeline as the computer-based test and eliminates travel time, which matters if you are working night shifts.

United Kingdom

The UK has one of the largest OET testing networks in the world, with centres across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Major cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, and Glasgow all have authorised venues. Leicester College, for example, runs monthly Saturday sittings throughout 2026.

Nurses targeting NMC registration should note: NMC accepts OET Writing at Grade C+ (unlike most other bodies which require Grade B). This gives you slightly more flexibility in choosing your sitting — but do not use it as an excuse to under-prepare. Grade B is achievable and gives you a cleaner application.

Grade requirements for NMC: Grade B in Listening, Reading, and Speaking; Grade C+ acceptable in Writing only.

India (Kerala focus)

India has one of the highest concentrations of OET candidates globally, and candidates in India benefit from faster result turnaround — approximately 5 days for paper-based tests. Test centres operate across major cities including:

Key cities: Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow

OET on Computer is available at most of these centres multiple times per month. The exam fee is AUD 587 (approximately INR 33,000 at current exchange rates).

For Kerala nurses specifically, see our detailed guide: OET Writing for nurses in India.

Philippines

The Philippines is the other market where OET on Paper results are published faster — typically within 5 days of the test date. Test centres operate in Metro Manila and Cebu, with OET on Computer providing additional flexibility.

Pinoy nurses are typically targeting registration in Ireland, the UK, Australia, or the UAE. Each has different grade requirements:

For Philippines-specific advice, see: Pass OET Writing in the Philippines.

Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar)

Candidates based in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar can sit the OET at test centres in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Doha. Computer-based tests run multiple times monthly. OET@Home is also an option for candidates in areas without a convenient centre.

HAAD (Abu Dhabi), DHA (Dubai), and SCFHS (Saudi Arabia) all require Grade B across all four subtests. There is no C+ exception for Writing in these jurisdictions. See: OET Writing tips for the Middle East.

OET@Home: Is It Right for You?

OET@Home allows you to sit the computer-based OET in your own environment using a secure remote proctoring system. It has the same result timeline as the in-centre computer test.

Advantages:

• No travel time or travel cost
• More available booking slots
• Familiar environment (some candidates perform better)

Requirements:

• Stable internet connection (minimum 1 Mbps upload and download)
• A quiet, private room with no other people present
• A functioning webcam and microphone
• A Windows or Mac computer (tablets and phones are not accepted)
• Passport or government-issued ID with photo

Important: Speaking is still conducted face-to-face with an OET assessor, not at home. OET@Home covers Listening, Reading, and Writing only. You will still need to attend a test centre for the Speaking subtest on the same or a nearby date.

How to Book the OET Step by Step

1. Go to oet.com and click Book a Test
2. Create an account or log in to your existing myOET profile
3. Enter your city and country, then click Find a Test
4. Choose your format: OET on Paper, OET on Computer, or OET@Home
5. Select your profession from the 12 available options
6. Browse available dates and select one that gives you enough preparation time
7. Enter your personal details exactly as they appear on your passport
8. Upload your ID document
9. Pay the fee (AUD 587) via credit or debit card
10. Receive your confirmation email with test details

Use Google Chrome for the best compatibility with the OET booking system. The site occasionally has issues with other browsers.

Strategic Booking: When Should You Actually Sit?

The best time to book is when you are consistently scoring at or above your target grade in timed practice conditions — not when you feel “almost ready.” Here is why:

OET Writing in particular has a preparation pattern that misleads candidates. Many nurses improve quickly on grammar and genre conventions within 2–3 weeks of structured practice, but plateau on the Content criterion. They feel ready, book a date, and then score below B because their letter included distractors, missed urgency cues, or provided diagnoses without adequate hedging.

A reliable signal that you are ready for Writing: you can consistently identify the three most clinically urgent pieces of information in a set of case notes within 90 seconds, and structure your letter with purpose → current status → relevant background → management → closing request without referring to notes.

For a free practice test to benchmark where you are right now, use our OET Writing practice test — it covers all six criteria with criterion-specific feedback, not just grammar.

Grade Requirements Summary by Registration Body

Grade B = 350–440 on the OET 500-point scale. Grade C+ = 300–340 (Writing exception for NMC, NMBI, and AHPRA).

What to Do After You Book

Once your date is confirmed, the preparation clock starts. Here is a focused 8-week plan for OET Writing:

Weeks 1–2: Understand the six marking criteria. Do not write a single practice letter yet — read the examiner’s marking guide and understand what each criterion actually measures. Most candidates skip this step and practise blind for weeks.

Weeks 3–4: Work through 4–6 timed practice letters. After each one, check your Content criterion specifically — did you include all clinically urgent information? Did you exclude distractors? Did you hedge unconfirmed diagnoses?

Weeks 5–6: Focus on your weakest criterion based on feedback. If it is Content, the problem is almost always case note analysis — not writing skill. Slow down your reading phase.

Weeks 7–8: Full timed sittings under exam conditions: 5 minutes reading, 40 minutes writing, no reference materials. Aim for 180–200 words. Review every letter against all six criteria.

For detailed criterion-by-criterion guidance, see our full OET Writing guide for 2026.