OET Exam Fees 2026: What It Costs + ECFMG Score Requirements
Academic Director & USMLE Educator, Dermatology Resident
Almost everyone searching for OET wants one number first: what it costs. So here it is, before anything else. Then the part that actually decides your budget: how many times you are likely to sit it.
- Full OET test (all four sub-tests): AUD 587.
- Roughly USD 385 · GBP 300 · INR 31,800 at mid-2026 rates.
- Same price for OET on Computer, on paper, or OET@Home. The format does not change the fee.
- A single sub-test is AUD 200.50, but ECFMG candidates cannot use that option. See below.
OET exam fees in 2026: the full breakdown
OET prices in Australian dollars and converts at booking, so the AUD figure is the one that stays stable. Everything else moves with the exchange rate.
| What you are paying for | Fee (AUD) | Approx. INR |
|---|---|---|
| Full test (all four sub-tests) | 587.00 | ~31,800 |
| Three sub-tests | 477.50 | ~25,900 |
| Two sub-tests | 339.00 | ~18,400 |
| One sub-test | 200.50 | ~10,900 |
| Reschedule, before booking closure | 120.00 | ~6,500 |
| Reschedule, after closure | 200.00 | ~10,800 |
| Re-mark, per sub-test | 120.00 | ~6,500 |
| Online registration charge (non-refundable) | ~7.00 | ~380 |
Why the price is in Australian dollars: because OET is an Australian test. It was built at the University of Melbourne in the late 1980s under contract to the Australian Government, and it is still run from Melbourne, today by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment, a joint venture between Cambridge English and Box Hill Institute. The currency is a billing detail left over from where the test was created; it says nothing about where you are headed.
INR figures are indicative conversions, not fixed prices. OET bills in AUD, so what lands on your card depends on the rate and your bank's foreign-transaction fee on the day. Budget a few percent above the conversion.
The sub-test discount does not apply to you if you are US-bound
This is the single most expensive misunderstanding about OET, and it is repeated across a lot of guides.
OET itself lets you book individual sub-tests, one for AUD 200.50 instead of the full AUD 587. For nurses and doctors registering in the UK or Australia, that is often a genuine way to repair a single weak sub-test cheaply.
ECFMG requires the minimum score on all four sub-tests in a single test administration. In its own words: applicants who miss the minimum on one or more sub-tests “must retake all OET Medicine sub-tests… and achieve the minimum score on all sub-tests in a single test administration.”
So if you fall short on Writing alone, you do not pay AUD 200.50 to fix Writing. You pay AUD 587 again and re-sit all four.
That changes how you should budget. The realistic question is not “what does OET cost” but “what does OET cost me if it takes two attempts”.
| Scenario | Total cost (AUD) | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|
| Clear all four sub-tests first attempt | 587 | ~385 |
| Second full attempt needed | 1,174 | ~770 |
| Second attempt plus one reschedule | 1,294 | ~850 |
Writing is consistently the sub-test IMGs underestimate, so preparing for it properly is worth several hundred dollars, not just a better score.
What ECFMG actually requires
| Sub-test | ECFMG minimum score | Equivalent grade |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 350 | B |
| Reading | 350 | B |
| Speaking | 350 | B |
| Writing | 300 | C+ |
Three things about this requirement catch people out:
- Writing has a lower bar. 300, not 350. It is still the sub-test most candidates fail.
- There are no exemptions. ECFMG requires OET Medicine of every Pathways applicant regardless of native language, the language your medical school taught in, or your citizenship. IELTS and TOEFL do not substitute.
- Scores have a shelf life. For the 2027 Pathways, your score must have been attained on or after 1 January 2025.
What the four sub-tests actually involve
OET Medicine uses real clinical material rather than generic English-test topics. That is why ECFMG accepts it as evidence of the communication skills the discontinued Step 2 CS used to assess.
| Sub-test | What you actually do |
|---|---|
| Listening | Follow patient consultations and healthcare presentations, answering as you listen |
| Reading | Work through healthcare texts under real time pressure |
| Writing | Produce a clinically appropriate referral or discharge letter from case notes |
| Speaking | Two role-played patient consultations with a trained interlocutor |
When to sit OET for the 2027 Match
ECFMG advises taking OET Medicine on or before the last scheduled test date in December 2026 if you intend to participate in the 2027 Match. That is not the deadline for the exam itself. It is the point after which your score may not reach ECFMG in time for your Pathways status to be reported to the NRMP before the Rank Order List certification deadline.
Two practical details that save weeks:
- Enter your USMLE/ID at booking. If you supply your USMLE or MyIntealth ID when you book, a passing score is transmitted to ECFMG electronically. Otherwise you have to release it manually.
- Allow three business days for a transmitted score to appear in your Pathways application.
Treat OET as a parallel track to your Step exams rather than something to slot in afterwards. Plan it alongside your Pathway selection so the score and your clinical-skills attestation land together.
Common mistakes that cost money
- Budgeting for one attempt. Because ECFMG requires all four sub-tests in one sitting, a single weak sub-test costs you the full fee again.
- Assuming IELTS or TOEFL will do. They will not, for ECFMG certification.
- Preparing with generic English materials. OET Writing is a referral letter from case notes; no general English course teaches that.
- Under-preparing Writing because the bar is 300. The lower threshold does not make it the easy one.
- Booking late. A reschedule after booking closure costs AUD 200 on top of the test fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the OET exam cost in 2026?
The full OET test, covering all four sub-tests, is AUD 587. That is roughly USD 385, GBP 300 or INR 31,800 at mid-2026 rates. The price is the same whether you sit OET on Computer at a venue, on paper, or OET@Home.
Can I retake just one OET sub-test to save money?
For general purposes yes: a single sub-test costs AUD 200.50. But not if you need OET for ECFMG certification. ECFMG requires the minimum score on all four sub-tests in a single test administration, so a shortfall on any one means retaking the whole exam at the full AUD 587.
What OET score does ECFMG require?
A minimum of 350 on Listening, Reading and Speaking, and 300 on Writing, all achieved in one sitting. For the 2027 Pathways your score must be attained on or after 1 January 2025.
What are the OET reschedule and re-marking fees?
Rescheduling costs AUD 120 before booking closure and AUD 200 after closure but before the test date. A re-mark is AUD 120 per sub-test. A small registration charge of about AUD 7 is non-refundable.
Do IELTS or TOEFL satisfy the ECFMG requirement instead of OET?
No. ECFMG requires OET Medicine for all Pathways applicants, regardless of your native language, your medical school's language of instruction, or your citizenship. ECFMG states there are no exceptions.
When should I sit OET for the 2027 Match?
On or before the last scheduled test date in December 2026, so your score reaches ECFMG in time for your Pathways application status to be reported to the NRMP before the Rank Order List certification deadline.
Score requirements, single-sitting rule, score validity and Match timing: ECFMG: Assessment of Communication Skills. Test fees and format: oet.com. Fees verified against published 2026 schedules; OET bills in AUD and adjusts prices periodically, so confirm the live figure at booking.
Sequencing OET, your Pathway and your Step exams so nothing blocks anything else is exactly what a mentor helps you get right. Explore our mentorship program, or read how other IMGs have sequenced their path.
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