OET Question Types
Every question format explained with tips and strategies to maximize your score.
Overview
The Occupational English Test (OET) assesses English communication skills specifically for 12 healthcare professions including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, dentistry, and veterinary science. Accepted by regulators in Australia, UK, UAE, Singapore, and more.
Question Types
Case notes to letter
Transform bullet-point clinical notes into a professional letter.
Strategies
- ✓Never copy notes verbatim — paraphrase and expand
- ✓Use appropriate medical register
- ✓Maintain objective clinical tone in referrals
Healthcare role play (Speaking)
Interact with an actor playing a patient/carer in a clinical scenario.
Strategies
- ✓Show empathy: 'I understand this must be very worrying for you.'
- ✓Explain using plain English not medical jargon for patient conversations
- ✓Ask open-ended questions initially, closed questions to confirm
General Strategies
- 1.Use official OET preparation books and sample materials from oet.com.
- 2.Practice writing referral letters from case notes daily — this is the highest-stakes task.
- 3.For Speaking: record yourself in roleplay scenarios and review for empathy, clarity, and register.
- 4.Build medical English vocabulary systematically: body systems, procedures, symptoms, medication classes.
- 5.Reading: practice skimming and scanning techniques — the 60-minute reading test rewards efficient navigation.