Alternatives to current language testing arrangements being explored

At its 1 November meeting, RCVS Council approved exploring a new system of language testing for overseas graduates wishing to join the Register after the UK leaves the EU.

Under current arrangements the RCVS is required by law to have only limited requirements for proof of language ability for applicants from the EU, whereas the RCVS sets an overall higher standard of evidence for non-EU overseas applicants.

For example, those applicants who hold a veterinary degree that is not recognised by the RCVS and are not native English speakers are required to have passed the International English Language Testing System (or IELTS) test at Level 7 as part of their Statutory Examination for Membership.

“The preferred option was therefore exploring the Occupational English Test route as an alternative option alongside IELTS Level 7 as it is more focused on having sufficient English language skills in a vocational setting and would therefore be less of a barrier to registration.”

Currently EU applicants can only have their English language ability tested if the RCVS has ‘serious and concrete doubts’ about individual applicants when they come to Belgravia House to formally join the Register.

The paper put to RCVS Council considered how this system may need to change when the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019, with formal proof of language ability potentially being extended to all overseas graduates for whom English is not their first or native language, including EU citizens.

This would be subject to whether or not a deal is made between the UK government and EU and, if there is a deal, its content.

Council was then invited to consider that, if language testing were to be introduced to EU graduates, what form it should take. Three options were given: extending the IELTS Level 7 to all applicants, extending the ‘serious and concrete doubts’ process to all applicants (including those non-UK graduates from outside the EU) or introducing an alternative, namely the Occupational English Test.

Upon voting RCVS Council decided to explore the option of adding the option of the Occupational English Test (OET), which is a vocational test focused on communicating in a healthcare setting and is currently used by a number of UK health regulators and the veterinary regulators in Australia and New Zealand, as an alternative to IELTS. The OET Level B is the equivalent of IELTS Level 7.

Eleanor Ferguson (pictured right), our Registrar, explains: “We wanted to give Council three main options to explore. While extending IELTS Level 7 to all applicants is a simple solution, having a single, non-vocational test could act as a significant barrier to entry.

“Likewise it was felt that the ‘serious and concrete doubts’ process was not as rigorous as we would like.

“The preferred option was therefore exploring the Occupational English Test route as an alternative option alongside IELTS Level 7 as it is more focused on having sufficient English language skills in a vocational setting and would therefore be less of a barrier to registration.”

The option of using the OET will now be further explored with proposals coming back to a future meeting of RCVS Council.