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The Occupational English Test, or OET, is a language test designed specifically for healthcare professionals. It assesses whether you possess the English language skills required to work or study in English-speaking healthcare settings. The test is tailored to real-life situations in healthcare environments and comprises four parts: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.

In this blog, we will focus on the OET Writing sub-test, its structure, and how it is assessed. This section evaluates your ability to communicate effectively in writing, a crucial skill for tasks such as patient referrals, discharge summaries, and other workplace correspondence.

OET Writing

The OET Writing sub-test is profession-specific, meaning the tasks are tailored to your particular healthcare field, such as medicine, nursing, or pharmacy. It takes 45 minutes to complete and involves writing a letter based on a set of case notes provided.

Structure of the OET Writing Sub-Test

Purpose: The writing task typically involves writing a referral letter, but it could also be a discharge or transfer letter, or other forms of professional correspondence.

Case Notes: You are provided with case notes containing relevant patient details, medical history, and other pertinent information.

Task Instructions: Clear instructions are given regarding the type of letter you need to write and the intended audience (e.g., a specialist, another healthcare professional, or a patient’s caregiver).

Timing: The first 5 minutes are allocated for reading and understanding the case notes, while the remaining 40 minutes are for planning and writing your response.

How Is the OET Writing Sub-Test Evaluated?

The Writing sub-test is assessed based on six criteria:

Purpose: The clarity of the task’s purpose and whether it is immediately apparent to the reader.

Content: The relevance and accuracy of the information included from the case notes.

Conciseness & Clarity: How well the letter avoids unnecessary details and focuses on key information.

Genre & Style: Appropriateness of tone, formality, and language for the intended audience.

Organisation & Layout: Logical structuring of the letter with clear paragraphs and headings where necessary.

Language: Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.

Each criterion is scored on a scale from 0 to 6, and these scores are combined to give an overall Writing score.

Tips for Excelling in the OET Writing Sub-Test

Carefully analyze the case notes to identify the most relevant information for the letter.

Plan your response during the initial 5 minutes to ensure your letter is organized and coherent.

Maintain a professional tone throughout, matching the level of formality to the intended audience.

Proofread your letter to correct any grammatical or spelling errors before submitting.

If you’re preparing for OET to achieve your dream of working or studying in an English-speaking country, StudyOET offers expertly curated courses to support your preparation. Contact us today to learn more about our OET preparatory courses.

Authored By: Anitta Verghese