The recently published article "English Proficiency Tests and Communication Skills Training for Overseas-Qualified Health Professionals in Australia and New Zealand" (Wette, 2011) aims to address perceived problems and misconceptions associated with the testing of English language skills and professional communicative competence of overseas-trained health professionals (HPs). In this response, the authors point to the questionable nature of a number of claims put forward by Wette. The main point that Wette seeks to make in her commentary is that the assessment of and support provided for overseas-qualified HPs is currently inadequate. Although the authors agree that support is often lacking, they suggest that her arguments regarding the assessment of overseas-qualified HPs warrant closer scrutiny. Wette asserts that registration bodies use language proficiency tests "as their sole measure of communicative ability and mastery of relevant professional discourses in healthcare contexts." The authors contend that this is not in fact the case. It would be more accurate to say that the registration bodies assess English language proficiency using recognised tests but that "mastery of relevant professional discourses in healthcare contexts" is not assessed by those tests. It is certainly a matter of concern if registration bodies presume that English proficiency tests are assessing the professional communication skills of their registrants, but the situation is complex. Language tests alone may well not provide sufficient evidence of HPs' work-readiness; however, this is not the remit of the tests, as they were neither designed for this purpose nor sanctioned for it by the registration bodies. The authors concur with Wette's conclusion that there may be a need for diagnostic assessment by both language and health specialists and for more ongoing training to help overseas-qualified HPs assimilate to the requirements of their new working environment, not only in the bridging program but also in the workplace. However, there is equally a need to retain English language proficiency tests to help to establish whether HPs entering such training have sufficient language skills to be able to derive benefits from it. It is essential in this cross-disciplinary field that there is recognition of the purpose and value of all the various elements of assessment and training required to promote the successful integration of overseas-qualified HPs into the Australian workplace.