Duration:

Candidates are allocated a total of 45 minutes for the writing task. This is divided into two parts:

1. Reading Time: You have 5 minutes to carefully read the task instructions and the case notes provided.
2. Writing Time: You have 40 minutes to compose and finalise your letter.

Word Count:

The letter must be between 180 and 200 words. Adhering to this limit is crucial as it impacts the overall score.

Candidates may be required to write different types of letters based on the scenario provided in the case notes. The primary types include:

1. Referral Letters:

Referral letters are official letters to refer a patient from one medical professional to another, possibly of a different speciality, for consultation or treatment.

2. Discharge Letters:

Letter to notify other healthcare practitioners that a patient has been discharged from care. The letter provides a summary of the patient’s treatment, progress, and any follow-up instructions to ensure continuity of care.

3. Transfer Letters:

A transfer letter is the movement of a patient from one healthcare facility or department to another. These letters ensure that any relevant medical history is conveyed to the new set of healthcare professionals.

The OET Writing Test assesses the performance of each candidate on numerous criteria that contribute to the overall band score:

1. Purpose:

How clear the letter identifies its main purpose. This is important so that the reader knows the purpose of the letter immediately.

2. Content:

This criterion measures the relevancy and completeness of the information included. Your case synopsis is formulated from your case notes, looking to cover the important points while only including the information you need without any unnecessary details.

3. Conciseness & Clarity:

Clearly expressing your thoughts is vital. The letter must be simple and contain only the necessary information and details.

4. Genre & Style:

Measures tone and style which are appropriate for a formal letter Use a professional tone appropriate for the setting that reflects conventions of the healthcare profession.

5. Organization & Layout:

Deals more with the arrangement and format of the information and its logical layout. It is important that your letter is structured with flowing paragraphs in a logical order.

6. Language:

These criterion assess grammar, vocabulary and spelling. They should be professional and easily understandable; therefore, the proper use of language is essential.

Passing Score

Most commonly, a Grade B, candidates need to obtain at least 350 points across those criteria in order to pass. This is to say that you need to be competent in all, making sure your letter is structured, clear, and conveys what is necessary in short.

1. Understand the Task:

• Spend the first few minutes carefully reading the task instructions and case notes.
• Identify the purpose of the letter and the key information you need to include.

2. Plan Your Letter

• Plan the structure of your letter before you start writing.
• Decide what information will go in each paragraph.
• Highlight the important information from the case notes and include it in your letter.

3. Be Clear and Concise

• Ensure your letter is between 180 and 200 words.
• Be concise and on point.
• Focus on the relevant information needed
• Do not include unnecessary details

4. Use Formal Language

• Create your letter with a formal tone
• Avoid using colloquial language.
• Use appropriate medical terminology, but ensure it is clear and understandable.

5. Check Grammar and Spelling

• Leave a few minutes at the end to proofread your letter for any grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or typos.
  
• Ensure your tenses and subject-verb agreements are consistent throughout the letter.

5. Time Management

• Use the first 5 minutes for reading and planning, and the remaining 40 minutes for writing and reviewing your letter.

6. Practice Regularly and get Feedback

• Write practice letters based on different scenarios to get comfortable with the format and timing.
• Seek feedback on your practice letters from expert OET teachers to identify areas for improvement.

We recommend joining Swoosh English, an OET premium preparation provider with over 22,000 successful passing OET students.

1. Preparation:

Each candidate participates in two role plays with an interlocutor, who will take on the role of the patient or their carer.

The scenarios are tailored to the candidate’s profession, whether they are a nurse, doctor, pharmacist, or another healthcare professional.

Each roleplay lasts five minutes, during which candidates must cover all the points outlined on the roleplay card while keeping the conversation natural and engaging.

2. Warm-Up Questions

To help candidates settle into the OET test environment. The session begins with a few warm-up questions.

These questions are not assessed but to ease candidates into the speaking test, allowing them to become more comfortable with the process.

The OET Speaking test is assessed using two primary sets of criteria. The linguistic criteria and clinical communication criteria. 

1. Linguistic Criteria:

• Intelligibility: Candidates should articulate words distinctly and use appropriate tone and stress. Clear pronunciation is also important.
• Fluency: Smooth and continuous speech without unnecessary pauses or hesitations is essential. Candidates should maintain a steady pace throughout their responses to facilitate understanding.
• Appropriateness of Language: It is crucial to employ language accessible to a non-medical audience. Simplify complex medical terms and avoid jargon.
• Resources of Grammar and Expression: Utilising a broad range of vocabulary and proper grammar is important for clear expression. Accurate grammatical usage helps to prevent misunderstandings and confusion.

2. Clinical Communication Criteria:

• Relationship Building: Candidates should create connections with patients by demonstrating friendliness and respect. This includes actively listening to the patient, showing genuine empathy, and responding thoughtfully to their concerns. Building trust and rapport is essential for effective communication and patient comfort.
• Understanding & Incorporating the Patient’s Perspective: This involves acknowledging and addressing the patient’s concerns and expectations throughout the conversation. You need to understand their viewpoint and ensure that their needs and worries are considered in the discussion. This approach is referred to as patient-centred interaction.
• Providing Structure: Approach the conversation with a clear logical sequence. This will ensure a patient can easily follow. Use clear topics and summaries.
• Information Gathering: Asking relevant and targeted questions is crucial for collecting the necessary information from the patient. This helps in making accurate diagnoses and creating effective treatment plans. Effective information gathering involves not just asking the right questions but, actively listening to the responses and probing deeper when needed.

1. Grasp the Role Play Scenarios

• Get familiar with typical situations in your healthcare field, whether you’re a nurse, doctor, or pharmacist.

2. Understand the Role Play Card

• During preparation, focus on understanding the scenario, your role, and the patient’s background.
• Predict their concerns and plan your responses.

3. Engage in Active Listening

• Show genuine interest; use phrases like “I see” or “That sounds challenging” to show you are listening and care about the patient’s concerns.
• Respond thoughtfully
• Make sure your answers are directly addressing the patient’s issues.

4. Use Clear, Everyday Language

• Keep it simple!
• Avoid using technical terms unless necessary.
• Explain any medical terminology in plain language to ensure the patient understands.
• Be direct; speak clearly and concisely to avoid misunderstandings.

5. Build Strong Rapport

• Be approachable; smile and greet the patient warmly.
• Use a respectful and empathetic tone throughout your interaction.
• Show compassion
• Express empathy and understanding to make the patient feel at ease.

6. Structure Your Interaction

• Have a logical flow.
• Organise your conversation so that it flows naturally.
• Signal when you’re moving on to a new topic.
• Summarise key points.
• At the end of the discussion, recap the main points to ensure the patient has understood everything.

6. Ask Open-Ended Questions

• Encourage detailed responses; use questions like “Can you describe your symptoms?” to get comprehensive information.
• Promote dialogue; this helps in making the conversation more interactive and informative.

7. Practice Fluent and Clear Speech

• Pronounce clearly; focus on your pronunciation and articulation.
• Maintain a steady pace.
• Speak naturally at a consistent pace to ensure clear communication.

8. Manage Your Time Effectively

• Use preparation time wisely.
• Plan your responses during the preparation time.
• Keep track during role-plays.
• Be mindful of the time to ensure you address all points on the role-play card.

9. Stay Confident and Calm

• Take deep breaths.
• Stay calm and composed to deliver your best performance.
• Use positive body language.
• Maintain eye contact and use confident body language to show professionalism.

10. Regular Practice and Seek Expert Feedback

• Take legitimate premium mock exams.
• Practice with expert OET teachers to get comfortable with the format.
• Get expert feedback to understand where to improve.

We recommend joining Swoosh English, an OET premium preparation provider with over 22,000 successful passing OET students.

Part A: Healthcare Consultations

• Format: Two audio recordings featuring dialogues between a healthcare professional and a patient.

• Duration: Each recording is approximately 4-5 minutes long.

• Questions: 12 questions per extract, where candidates must complete notes based on the conversation.

• Skills Tested: This part evaluates the ability to listen for specific details, comprehend and interpret spoken information, and accurately record it.

Part B: Short Conversations

• Format: Six brief audio clips capturing various interactions in a healthcare workplace.

• Duration: Each audio clip is about 1 minute.

• Questions: One multiple-choice question per audio clip.

• Skills Tested: This section assesses the understanding of the context and the ability to choose the correct answer from given options.

Part C: Longer Presentations

• Format: Two extended audio presentations or interviews.

• Questions: Six multiple-choice questions per audio clip.

• Skills Tested: This part measures comprehension of detailed information and the ability to identify key points in longer discussions.

1. Comprehension and Interpretation:

• Ability to identify specific information from the audio recordings.
• Recognising the main points and overarching themes discussed.

2. Note-Taking Skills:

• Precise information as heard without altering the meaning.
• Ensuring all necessary information is captured in your notes.

3. Language Proficiency:

• Familiarity with medical terminology and context-specific language.
• Correct use of grammar in your responses.

4. Listening for Specific Purposes:

• Differentiating between relevant and irrelevant information.
• Making sense of the context and situational nuances.

5. Response Quality:

• Ensuring your answers are directly related to the questions asked.
• Providing clear and concise responses that are easy to understand.

1. Full focus is critical as each recording is played only once.
2. Try to visualise the scene or situation described in the recordings.
3. Part A: Be precise and accurate with note-taking; this is key to scoring.
4. Use shorthand or symbols that you understand to jot down notes efficiently.
5. Accuracy over everything!
6. Be mindful of the time allotted for each section and pace yourself to complete all sections.
7. Allocate a few minutes to review your answers.
8. Pay attention to any context statements or introductory remarks.
9. If you miss a piece of information, don’t panic. Focus on catching the next important details.

1. Part A (Expeditious Reading)

• • Purpose: Tests skimming and scanning skills to locate information quickly.
  • Format: 3–4 short texts (e.g. clinical guidelines, leaflets, or charts).
  • Task: 15 minutes to answer 20 questions which include sentence completion, matching, and short answers. 

2. Part B (Careful Reading of Workplace Texts)

• • • Purpose: Tests understanding of short, workplace-related texts.
    • Format: 6 short texts (e.g. policies, memos, emails).
    • Task: Multiple-choice questions with three options per text.

Part C (Careful Reading of Longer Texts)

• • Purpose: Evaluates your ability to understand detailed meaning, purpose, and opinions in long, complex texts.
  • Format: Two passages of about 800 words each.
  • Task: Answer 16 multiple-choice questions, with 8 questions per passage.

1. Speed and Accuracy

Your ability to locate and extract relevant information quickly in Part A (Expeditious Reading). Skimming and scanning skills are critical for answering multiple questions within a short time scale.

2. Understanding Workplace Contexts

In Part B, you must demonstrate a clear understanding of the main idea, tone, and details in workplace-related texts such as memos, policies, or guidelines.

3. Comprehension of Complex Texts

Part C evaluates your ability to interpret longer and more detailed texts, including identifying the writer’s purpose, argument, or attitude.

4. Critical Reading Skills

The ability to distinguish between fact and opinion, identify contrasting ideas, and interpret nuanced information is crucial in Part C.

5. Time Management

Each part of the test has strict time limits:

Part A: 15 minutes Parts B and C: 45 minutes combine

1. Familiarise Yourself with the Reading Format:

Understand the three parts of the reading test.

2. Enhance Reading Speed:

Practice skimming and scanning. Skimming helps identify the main ideas, and scanning helps find specific information quickly.

3. Practice with Timed Exercises:

Simulate test conditions to improve time management. Use legit premium mock exams to practice.

4. Focus on Keywords:

Identify important words in the questions and locate them in the text.

5. Prioritise Speed Over Detail:

Don’t read every word. Focus on answering the questions directly.

6. Identify the Purpose:

Each text serves a purpose (e.g., instruction, explanation). Recognise the context.

7. Focus on Headings and Subheadings:

They give clues about the text’s content. 

8. Break Down Long Sentences:

For complex sentences, focus on the subject, verb, and object to simplify meaning. 

9. Stay Calm and Focused:

If unsure of an answer, move on and return later if time permits.

10. Regular Practice and Seek Expert Feedback

• Take legitimate premium mock exams.
• Practice with expert OET teachers to get comfortable with the format.
• Get expert feedback to understand where to improve.

We recommend joining Swoosh English, an OET premium preparation provider with over 22,000 successful passing OET students.