This article offers a comprehensive comparison of OET Dentistry vs OET Pharmacy, focusing on the four sub-tests: Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. 

The Occupational English Test (OET) is an internationally recognized English proficiency exam tailored for healthcare professionals, enabling dentists, pharmacists, and others to demonstrate language skills in authentic workplace scenarios. 

Accepted by over 20 countries' regulatory bodies, including Australia's Dental Board (ADB), Pharmacy Board of Australia (Ahpra), the UK's General Dental Council (GDC), and General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), the OET is particularly valued for its profession-specific approach. 

As of October 2025, the OET continues to adapt to global healthcare needs, with no significant structural changes but enhancements in scoring and delivery that benefit high-demand fields like dentistry and pharmacy.

While Reading and Listening are identical across professions, Writing and Speaking are customized to reflect daily tasks—dentists explaining procedures or referring patients, versus pharmacists counselling on medications or reporting adverse reactions. 

We'll detail formats, question/task types, subtypes, and skills, using tables for clarity. With the introduction of an overall composite score in 2025 and faster result processing, preparation must emphasize balanced proficiency.

Understanding these nuances is essential for professionals eyeing migration or registration. For instance, both professions typically require a B grade (350-440 points) in all sub-tests, but subtle differences in task focus can impact scoring. 

Resources like oetpro.com provide targeted mocks and analytics, helping users simulate dentistry-specific referrals or pharmacy counselling scenarios. Whether you're a dentist preparing for Australian practice or a pharmacist for UK registration, this guide will streamline your path to success.

Overview of the OET Structure

The OET totals about 3 hours (plus 45 minutes for Reading Part A), available in paper, computer, or at-home formats at global centers. It assesses skills on a 0-500 scale per sub-test, graded A-E, with results valid for 2 years. 

Test dates in 2025 expanded to bi-weekly sittings, accommodating busy schedules. Reading and Listening draw from general healthcare contexts, while Writing (45 minutes, one task) and Speaking (20 minutes, two role-plays) are profession-specific.

Similarities abound: All professions face the exact timing and criteria (e.g., purpose, coherence, grammar). Differences stem from contextual relevance—dentistry emphasizes oral health communicationwhile, pharmacfocuses on y drug-related interactions. Costs remain uniform (~AUD 587), and 2025's digital enhancements include better audio tools for Speaking.

This table highlights the shared framework with tailored elements, underscoring the need for profession-focused prep via oetpro.com.

Reading Sub-Test: Uniform Across Dentistry and Pharmacy

The 60-minute Reading sub-test (42 questions) is identical, testing comprehension of texts like guidelines, articles, and case notes. It mirrors professional reading demands, such as reviewing dental journals or pharmaceutical protocols. Aim for 30+ correct for a B grade.

Part A: Expeditious Reading

• Format: 15 minutes; four short texts (~2,000 words total, e.g., patient records); 20 questions.

• Subtypes:

1. Matching (6 questions): Align items (e.g., symptoms like "gingivitis") to texts A-D.

2. Gap-Fill/Note Completion (14 questions): Choose from a 16-option word bank to fill notes on history or treatments.

• Skills: Rapid scanning for keywords (e.g., "amalgam filling" or "antibiotic prophylaxis"); time management (~45 seconds/question).

Part B: Short Workplace Texts

• Format: 6 texts (150-200 words, e.g., memos on infection control); 6 multiple-choice questions (A-D options).

• Subtypes:

1. Purpose/Intent (2-3 questions): E.g., "What is the memo's goal?" (announce policy vs. seek input).

2. Specific Detail (2 questions): Factual, like dosage guidelines.

3. Inference (1-2 questions): Implied outcomes, e.g., risks of non-compliance.

• Skills: Skimming for main ideas; eliminating paraphrased distractors.

Part C: Longer Comprehension Texts

• Format: 2 texts (600-900 words, e.g., articles on oral cancer or drug efficacy); 16 multiple-choice questions.

• Subtypes:

1. Central Idea/Argument (3-4 questions): Core thesis.

2. Specific Information (3 questions): Data like success rates.

3. Inference/Implied Meaning (4-5 questions): Author's bias on treatments.

4. Opinion/Attitude (2-3 questions): Stance (e.g., "skeptical" of new fluoride tech).

5. Vocabulary in Context (1-2 questions): Synonyms (e.g., "caries" as decay).

6. Reference/Conclusion (1-2 questions): Logical extensions.

• Skills: Analytical reading; synthesizing viewpoints—vital for evidence-based decisions in both fields.

Uniformity allows joint practice, but dentists may find oral health texts more intuitive.

Listening Sub-Test: Shared for Both Professions

The 45-minute Listening sub-test (42 questions) features healthcare audio, unchanged across professions. It progresses from concrete to abstract, testing note-taking and inference.

Part A: Consultation Extracts

• Format: 2 recordings (~5 minutes each, e.g., dentist-pharmacist discussions); 24 gap-fill questions.

• Subtypes:

1. Note Completion (12 per recording): Fill blanks on symptoms, plans (e.g., "allergic to penicillin").

• Skills: Speedy shorthand; handling accents and jargon.

Part B: Short Workplace Dialogues

• Format: 6 extracts (1 minute, e.g., team huddles on stock shortages); 6 multiple-choice questions.

• Subtypes:

1. Purpose (3 questions): Extract's aim.

2. Detail (2 questions): Facts like protocols.

3. Inference (1 question): Unstated concerns.

• Skills: Selective focus; multitasking.

Part C: All-Purpose Discussions

• Format: 2 trios (6 minutes, e.g., panels on antibiotic resistance); 12 multiple-choice questions.

• Subtypes:

1. Main Argument (4 questions): Key positions.

2. Supporting Evidence (3 questions): Examples.

3. Opinion/Attitude (3 questions): Speaker tones.

4. Conclusion (2 questions): Implications.

• Skills: Tracking debates; abstract grasp.

Both professions benefit equally, though pharmacists might lean more towards drug-focused content.

Writing Sub-Test: Profession-Specific Contrasts

The 45-minute Writing task requires a 180-200-word letter from case notes, scored on purpose (25%), content (25%), grammar (25%), and coherence (25%). Differences lie in scenarios: dentistry focuses on procedural referrals, pharmacy on pharmacological advice.

OET Writing for Dentistry

• Task Type: Formal letter (e.g., referral to oral surgeon) using 5-minute reading time for notes.

• Subtypes of Tasks:

1. Referral Letters (50%): To specialists (e.g., for implants, summarizing X-rays and history).

2. Discharge/Advice Letters (30%): To patients on post-op care (e.g., brace maintenance).

3. Report Letters (15%): To GPs on findings (e.g., periodontal disease).

4. Information Letters (5%): To colleagues on protocols (e.g., sedation guidelines).

• Skills: Precise dental terms (e.g., "occlusal caries"); empathetic tone; structure (intro, body, closing). Avoid jargon overload.

OET Writing for Pharmacy

• Task Type: Professional correspondence (e.g., referral to prescriber on interactions).

• Subtypes of Tasks:

1. Referral Letters (40%): To doctors (e.g., on non-adherence or side effects).

2. Advice/CCounselling Letters (30%): To patients (e.g., warfarin monitoring).

3. Report Letters (20%): On audits (e.g., dispensing errors).

4. Collaboration Letters (10%): To teams (e.g., vaccine storage).

• Skills: Drug nomenclature (e.g., "contraindicated with statins"); logical sequencing; concise warnings.

Dentistry tasks stress visual/procedural details; pharmacy, safety and compliance. oetpro.com's Writing labs offer subtype-specific feedback.

Speaking Sub-Test: Role-Play Variations

The 20-minute Speaking involves two 3-5 minute role-plays with an interlocutor, assessed on linguistic (intelligibility, fluency) and clinical (relationship, relevance) criteria. Recordings ensure consistency.

OET Speaking for Dentistry

• Format: Candidate as dentist; interlocutor as patient/colleague.

• Subtypes of Role-Plays:

1. Patient Consultations (50%): History-taking (e.g., pain assessment) or explanations (e.g., root canal).

2. Treatment Discussions (30%): Consent for procedures (e.g., whitening risks).

3. Referral Scenarios (15%): Coordinating with hygienists.

4. Ethical Interactions (5%): Handling anxiety or complaints.

• Skills: Visual aids simulation; clear enunciation of terms like "prophylaxis."

OET Speaking for Pharmacy

• Format: Candidate as pharmacist.

• Subtypes of Role-Plays:

1. Counselling Sessions (50%): Medication advice (e.g., inhaler technique).

2. Adverse Reaction Reports (25%): Querying symptoms (e.g., rash from antibiotics).

3. Compliance Checks (15%): Follow-up on regimens.

4. Interprofessional Talks (10%): Discussing scripts with prescribers.

• Skills: Probing questions; emphasizing adherence phrases like "Take with food."

Dentistry role-plays highlight empathy in pain management; pharmacy, precision in queries. Practicing on oetpro.com's video simulations helps build confidence.

Scoring and Requirements: Nuances for 2025

Scores average to an overall band (0-10 scale, introduced in 2025), with a B (7.0-8.0) standard. Both professions require a score of 350+ in all sub-tests, aligning with medicine over nursing's flexibility.

No profession-specific variances noted; verify with bodies.

Latest Updates in OET 2025

January 2025's overall score provides a holistic view, aiding applications. Results are now available digitally within 5-10 days; more computer-based seats are available. Content incorporates 2025 trends like digital dentistry tools and pharmacogenomics, but the format remains negligible—no major shifts for dentistry/pharmacy, per regulators.

Preparation Strategies: Harnessing oetpro.com

Prep spans 4-8 weeks, including shared reading/listening via official samples and professional tasks on oetpro.com (e.g., 50+ dentistry referrals, pharmacy audits). Track via analytics; weekly full mocks. Read Dental Update or Pharmaceutical Journal daily.

OET Dentistry and Pharmacy converge on core skills but diverge in contextual depth—procedural empathy versus pharmacological caution. With 2025's efficiencies, targeted prep yields B grades efficiently. oetpro.com's resources demystify subtypes, propelling you toward global practice. Embrace the challenge; your expertise awaits.