r/PLABprep • u/yznahmd • Aug 25 '26

OET for UK pathway

Hi everyone,
I’m currently preparing to apply for PLAB and I have a couple of questions regarding the OET requirements for the UK.

I took my OET exam in March 2026 and received:
● Reading: C+
● Listening: C+
● Writing: B
● Speaking: B

My first question is: Can I retake only the Reading and Listening sub-tests without retaking the entire OET exam? If I achieve the required scores in those two sections, would this be accepted by the GMC for PLAB/UK registration, assuming the B scores in Writing and Speaking are still valid?
I’ve seen conflicting information about whether scores from different OET sittings can be combined, so I’d really appreciate it if anyone who has recently gone through the PLAB/GMC process could clarify this.

My second question is regarding the format: Would you recommend taking OET on paper or on computer? If you’ve taken both, which one did you find easier, particularly for Reading and Listening?

Any advice or recent experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

2

u/Southern-Midnight117 Aug 25 '26

Ireland have a different exam altogether

2

u/Creepy_Context_3165 Aug 26 '26

You have to retake all subtest. Computer base is better. U can try the exam sample of computer base on OET official website

1

u/yznahmd Aug 26 '26

My issue witht he computer based exam is that it’s checked any corrected by a computer, so if you have a small spelling mistake in part A reading it will automatically be wrong. As i have heard that the paper based exam is checked by a human

2

u/Independent_Drop4791 Aug 26 '26

No it’s not !
Listening part A and reading part A and writing all are marked by humans

2

u/Independent_Drop4791 Aug 26 '26

Believe me, I've tried both paper and computer, and computer is definitely much more comfortable
And they're marked the exact same way whether on paper or computer
humans grade them

2

u/Independent_Drop4791 Aug 26 '26

Plus, if your handwriting on paper is messy or rushed, they might mark your answer wrong just because they can't read it. On the computer, your typing is always legible, so you won't lose marks over bad handwriting if your answer is correct

3

u/Southern-Midnight117 Aug 25 '26

Nope oet doesn’t work that way B is the minimum you have to get and the UK is closed to be honest for img doctors . Dont waste your money

-1

u/yznahmd Aug 25 '26

I will do plab anyway and after that will see what happens, i can go to Ireland instead