OET Results Delayed? How Long It Can Take and What to Do

OET publishes expected result dates for each test date and format, shown in your candidate account and on the booking page for your sitting. Those dates are the ones that count for you — they differ between paper, computer and OET@Home, and they can change from one test date to the next.

As a rough guide, many sources and candidates describe a window of about 10 business days, and computer-delivered tests are often reported to come back faster, sometimes in under a week. Treat anything you read in forums, including this guide, as a ballpark: your own result date is the one in your OET account.

• Counting business days: weekends and public holidays are not counted, so “10 business days” from a Monday test is two weeks later.
• Split sittings: if your Speaking was on a different day from the other sub-tests, check which date your result is calculated from. Results are normally released once all four sub-tests are marked.
• Time zones: results are released at a set time and can appear overnight where you live.

A result that misses its published date is uncommon, but it happens. The reasons OET gives candidates are generally of two kinds:

• Additional checks. OET can hold a result while it carries out quality-assurance or security checks. Candidates in this situation usually receive an email saying the result is delayed, often without a new release date. Being selected for a check does not mean you have done anything wrong — it is a routine integrity process.
• Technical or marking issues. A problem with a recording, a submission or a marking step can also push a result back.

OET does not publish how long additional checks take, so be wary of anyone who gives you a firm number.

1. Check your OET account and spam folder for a message about your result. A delay notice is easy to miss.
2. Confirm your own result date against the date shown for your sitting, not the date you remember or one quoted online.
3. Contact OET in writing through the contact form or live chat on oet.com. Give your candidate number, test date, test centre or format, and the date you were told to expect the result. Keep the reference number and screenshots of every reply.
4. Follow up politely but persistently. If the first answer is only “please wait”, ask specifically whether your result is under additional checks and whether an estimated release date exists.
5. Tell the people who depend on the result. Regulators, employers and sponsors would rather hear early that you are waiting on OET. Many will extend or note a deadline if you can show a delay is not your doing — keep OET’s emails as evidence.

If your application is tied to a fixed date, do not rely on a delayed result arriving in time.

• ECFMG: OET results are sent to ECFMG electronically and ECFMG needs extra processing time after they are released. Our guide to the OET for ECFMG pathway explains the timeline and why you should book early enough to leave a buffer.
• Visa, university or employer deadlines: ask the organisation whether it accepts a written statement from OET confirming the result is pending.
• Booking a second sitting: if your score might fall short anyway, a retake booked in parallel can protect you. Read re-mark or retake before you pay for either, and note that a re-mark can only be requested within 72 hours of the result being released.

You cannot change the result, but you can prepare for the case where you need another sitting. Once your result arrives, the OET score calculator shows how your four scores compare with Ahpra, NMC, GMC, NMBI and ECFMG minimums, and whether combining two sittings is an option for your regulator.

If you feel the exam went badly, remember that candidates are often poor judges of their own performance straight after the test — many who expected to fail are surprised. Avoid making big decisions until you see the result.