For International Paramedics · Last updated: 19 June 2026

OET for Paramedics: HCPC & AHPRA Writing Pathway

Internationally trained paramedics can register with the HCPC in the UK or the Paramedicine Board of Australia with Grade B across all four OET sub-tests. The Writing sub-test asks you to do something you already do every shift, hand a patient over, but in 250 words of prose a non-specialist can act on.

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Quick answer

For internationally trained paramedics, Grade B (350) in each of the four OET sub-tests is accepted by HCPC (UK, registered as Paramedic) and the Paramedicine Board of Australia (AHPRA). AHPRA lowered its OET Writing minimum from B to C+ on 18 March 2025 for the National Boards it lists; confirm the Paramedicine Board of Australia's current Writing minimum on its page. The Writing sub-test is a single letter, usually a referral or handover after a pre-hospital assessment. Most marks are lost on Genre & Style: scene codes and drug shorthand left in for a reader who was never on scene.

Key takeaways for paramedics

Required grade: Grade B (350) in all four sub-tests is accepted by HCPC and AHPRA. AHPRA lowered its Writing minimum to C+ on 18 March 2025 for the Boards it lists; confirm the Paramedicine Board of Australia's figure on its page.
Most common letter type: referral or handover letter after a pre-hospital assessment.
Top criterion lost: Genre & Style, pre-hospital abbreviations used without context.
Validity: 2 years from the test date.

Required OET Scores by Regulator

Regulator

Country

Writing

Combine?

HCPC

United Kingdom

B (350)

Yes

Paramedicine Board of Australia (AHPRA)

Australia

B accepted; AHPRA C+ from 18 Mar 2025 (check Board)

Check Board (AHPRA: 12 months)

Paramedic Council (Te Kaunihera Manapou)

New Zealand

B (350)

Yes

Always confirm the current requirement on the regulator's own site before you book. Requirements and validity windows change.

The Two Letter Types Paramedics Write Most

1. Referral / handover letter

Sent to an emergency department clinician or a GP, setting out your pre-hospital assessment and the reason for transfer or follow-up. The reader was not on scene, so the letter has to rebuild the picture for them.

Marking watch-out: Genre & Style. Expand scene codes, mechanism abbreviations, and drug shorthand for a reader who needs the meaning, not the jargon.

2. Transfer letter

Moving a patient between services for ongoing care. The addressee is often another clinician who needs your observations and interventions in a usable order.

Marking watch-out: Organisation & Layout. Lead with the outcome, then sequence observations and interventions so the reader can act after one read.

The Three Mistakes That Cost Paramedics Their Grade

Translate your pre-hospital shorthand

Stop using scene codes, mechanism abbreviations, and drug shorthand without context for a hospital reader. Expand each one on first use. Mapped criterion: Genre & Style.

Select the findings that change the reader's next step

Stop transcribing the whole scene timeline. Choose the observations and interventions that affect what the addressee does next. Mapped criterion: Conciseness & Clarity.

Lead with the handover and the reason for it

Stop opening with scene chronology. State who the patient is and what you need from the reader in the first sentence. Mapped criterion: Purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which regulators accept OET for paramedics? +

The UK HCPC (where the profession is registered as Paramedic), the Paramedicine Board of Australia through AHPRA, and the New Zealand Paramedic Council all accept OET. Grade B (350) in each of the four sub-tests is accepted. AHPRA lowered its OET Writing minimum from B to C+ on 18 March 2025 for the National Boards it lists, so check the Paramedicine Board of Australia's page for its current Writing minimum. AHPRA accepts results from two sittings within 12 months for those Boards; check the other regulators' pages for their sitting rules.

What letter type do paramedics write in OET? +

Usually a referral or handover letter following a pre-hospital assessment, sent to an emergency department clinician or a GP. Case notes commonly include the mechanism of injury or presenting complaint, observations, ECG or assessment findings, and the interventions given on scene.

Why do paramedics lose marks in OET Writing? +

Two patterns recur. First, pre-hospital shorthand and drug abbreviations used without context for a non-specialist reader, which costs Genre & Style. Second, reproducing the whole scene timeline instead of selecting what the reader needs to act, which costs Conciseness & Clarity.

Is profession-specific practice worth it for paramedics? +

Yes. Pre-hospital assessment, scene documentation, and handover conventions differ from the generic medical case notes in most practice materials. Correction from someone who knows the paramedic letter genre catches the errors that actually cost the grade.

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