OET Nursing cheat sheet

Listening has three parts and 42 items total; Part A is 24 items, Part B is 6 items, Part C is 12 items.

Part A is a note-completion task based on a recorded healthcare consultation; answers are usually short noun phrases of one to three words.

Part B items are short extracts (about one minute each) with one multiple-choice question of three options per extract.

Part C items are longer extracts (about three to four minutes) with two multiple-choice questions of three options per extract.

Recordings are played once only; the Part A recording is played continuously, while Parts B and C include pauses to read the questions.

Each item scores 1 mark; Listening and Reading are each scaled to a band score from 0 to 500 in 10-point increments.

Part A answers must be grammatically and semantically compatible with the numbered note; articles and prepositions already printed in the notes are not repeated in the answer.

Distractors in Part A often appear as corrected speech ("actually", "sorry, make that"), so the last stated value overrides an earlier one.

Reading has three parts and 42 items total; Part A is 20 items, Part B is 6 items, Part C is 16 items.

Part A is matching information from four short texts to 20 prompts; the same text may be the source for more than one prompt, and some texts may be unused.

Part A carries a strict time limit of 15 minutes, after which the Part A booklet is collected; Parts B and C share the remaining 45 minutes.

Part B items are short workplace texts (about 100-150 words) with one multiple-choice question of three options each.

Part C items are two longer texts (about 800 words each) with 8 multiple-choice questions each, four options per question.

Part C questions follow the order of the text; Part A prompts do not follow text order and require scanning for keywords and paraphrases.

Each item scores 1 mark; there is no negative marking, so no item should be left blank.

Part A answers are written as letters (A, B, C, D) on the answer sheet; Parts B and C use a separate answer sheet with shaded options.

Writing is one task of about 45 minutes: a referral, transfer, or discharge letter of 180-200 words based on case notes.

The letter is scored against six criteria: Purpose, Content, Conciseness and Clarity, Genre and Style, Organisation and Layout, and Language.

The task instructions specify the recipient (for example, a community nurse or a consultant) and the purpose; both must be reflected in the opening line.

Standard layout is: date, recipient name and address, salutation, introductory sentence stating purpose, body paragraphs, closing request, sign-off, and signature with designation.

Case notes contain information that may be irrelevant or sensitive; only details needed for the recipient's continuing care should be included.

Language is judged on grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and sentence structure; errors are weighed against overall communicative effect, not counted individually.

The letter must not copy note fragments verbatim; notes must be expanded into full sentences with appropriate linking.

Exceeding or falling well short of the 180-200 word range affects the Conciseness and Clarity criterion.

Speaking is a recorded role-play of about 20 minutes with two tasks, each preceded by 2-3 minutes of preparation time.

Each role-play card gives the candidate a setting, the interlocutor's role, the candidate's role, and a list of tasks the candidate must accomplish.

The interlocutor plays a patient, relative, or colleague and follows a scripted set of prompts; the candidate must initiate and manage the interaction.

Scoring uses nine criteria: overall communicative effectiveness; intelligibility; fluency; coherence and cohesion; appropriateness of language; resources of grammar and expression; plus indicators of intelligibility, fluency, and language resources assessed within the same framework.

The candidate should introduce themselves, establish the reason for the interaction, and close the consultation explicitly.

The tasks on the card are prompts, not a script; each listed point must be addressed but the order can be adapted to the patient's responses.

Preparation time is for planning how to open, sequence, and close; notes may be taken into the role-play.

Speaking scores are reported as a band from 0 to 500 in 10-point increments, separate from the other three sub-tests.

The Part A consultation typically involves a patient history, medication, or symptom review; answers follow the order of the recording.

Answers are marked correct if the key information is present; minor spelling errors are tolerated unless the word becomes unrecognisable or ambiguous.

Numbers, times, and dosages are high-frequency answers; write them as digits when the note format uses digits.

If a speaker self-corrects, record the corrected value only; both values in one answer blank is marked wrong.

Common answer types are body parts, symptoms, durations, frequencies, medication names, and instructions given to the patient.

Do not add words already present in the note; if the note reads "allergic to ___", write only the substance.

Capitalisation is not penalised, but proper nouns such as drug names should be written as heard.

In Part A, read the prompts first and mark one distinctive keyword per prompt before scanning the four texts.

Part A texts are drawn from workplace documents such as policies, guidelines, memos, and notices; prompts paraphrase the text rather than quote it.

In Part C, the first question often asks about the writer's overall purpose or the main idea, so read the whole text before answering it.

Part C answer options frequently reuse wording from the text in a wrong option; the correct option usually paraphrases.

Questions asking "what does the writer suggest" require inference beyond a single stated sentence.

In Part B, the question targets the main point or the writer's purpose, not a supporting detail.

If two Part A prompts seem to match one text, check for a second text containing a closer paraphrase before committing.

Purpose: the opening sentence must name the patient, state the reason for writing, and identify the recipient's required action.

Content: include only information relevant to the recipient; omit social history, incidental findings, and details already known to the recipient unless clinically necessary.

Conciseness and Clarity: combine related notes into single sentences and remove repetition; the target is 180-200 words.

Genre and Style: use formal, professional register, avoid contractions and abbreviations that are not standard, and address the recipient directly.

Organisation and Layout: one idea per paragraph, logical order (reason for writing, relevant history, current status, request), and correct letter conventions.

Language: use consistent tense, accurate articles, and correct spelling of drug names and clinical terms.

Do not include a diagnosis the case notes do not state; report only what is documented.

Open with a greeting, your name and role, and a statement of the purpose of the interaction.

Use open questions to gather information, then closed questions to confirm details.

Check understanding by summarising and asking the patient to repeat or confirm key instructions.

Respond to emotional cues with acknowledgement before giving information; ignoring distress lowers the appropriateness criterion.

Use plain language and explain technical terms; jargon without explanation affects language resources and effectiveness.

If the interlocutor introduces a concern not on the card, address it briefly and return to the remaining tasks.

Close by summarising the plan, confirming the patient's agreement, and stating what happens next.

Silence and hesitation are penalised only when they impede communication; brief planning pauses are acceptable.

Allocate a maximum of 15 minutes to Part A; the 20 prompts average under one minute each.

Do not transfer Part A answers after the 15-minute mark; the booklet is removed at that point.

Parts B and C allow about 45 minutes; roughly 2 minutes per Part B item and 2-3 minutes per Part C question.

Answer every item; unanswered items score zero and there is no penalty for guessing.

Part A answers may repeat the same letter across prompts; each prompt is judged independently.

Part C texts are longer than Part B texts, so skim the first and last sentences of paragraphs before answering detail questions.

Note style "Pt c/o SOB x 3/7" becomes "The patient has complained of shortness of breath for three days."

Abbreviations such as BP, HR, and PRN must be expanded or used only where the recipient would use them in the same form.

Bullet lists in notes become linked sentences with connectors such as "however", "in addition", and "therefore".

Third-person reporting is standard: refer to the patient as "he", "she", or "the patient", not "I" unless you are the treating clinician.

Medication details should state drug, dose, frequency, and route when relevant to the recipient's action.

The closing should state what the recipient is asked to do, for example to review, monitor, or continue care.

Part B extracts are short and self-contained; the answer is usually stated directly rather than inferred.

Part B distractors often repeat a word heard in the extract but attach it to the wrong speaker or action.

Part C extracts are interviews or talks; the two questions per extract usually cover different sections of the recording.

In Part C, the correct option matches the speaker's stance, not just a stated fact.

Options containing absolute words such as "always" or "never" are frequently wrong unless the speaker uses them.

Read the Part B and Part C questions during the pause before each extract; the pause is sufficient for the three options.

If an answer is missed, move on immediately; the recording is not repeated.

Intelligibility is judged on pronunciation and stress that a listener can follow without effort, not on accent removal.

Fluency reflects the ability to keep going without long unnatural pauses; self-correction is acceptable if it does not disrupt.

Coherence and cohesion are shown by sequencing information logically and signposting with phrases such as "first", "then", and "so".

Appropriateness of language covers register, politeness, and adapting to the patient's level of understanding.

Resources of grammar and expression cover range as well as accuracy; varied sentence structures score higher than repetitive short sentences.

Overall communicative effectiveness weighs whether the task purposes were achieved, even where individual errors occur.

Match prompts to texts by meaning, not by identical words; exact word matches are often distractors.

Synonym pairs to expect: "required" and "mandatory"; "staff" and "employees"; "notify" and "inform"; "prior to" and "before".

Negative prompts ("which text does NOT mention") require checking each candidate text for the presence of the feature.

Numbers and dates in prompts are usually restated in the text as figures or spelled-out words.

A prompt about who is responsible maps to text phrases naming roles such as "line manager" or "duty nurse".

Count words in the body of the letter; the date, addresses, salutation, and sign-off are conventionally excluded from the 180-200 target.

The salutation should be "Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs [Surname]" or "Dear Dr [Surname]" when a name is given, and "Dear Sir/Madam" only when it is not.

Close with "Yours sincerely" when the recipient is named and "Yours faithfully" when unnamed.

Avoid phrases that add no information, such as "I am writing to inform you that" repeated in every paragraph.

Use the past tense for history and the present tense for current status and requests.

Sign with your name and designation below the sign-off; the candidate number is used on the answer sheet, not in the letter.

Preparation time is 2-3 minutes per role-play; use it to order the card's tasks and draft the opening sentence.

The card lists 4-6 tasks; track coverage so none is omitted before the close.

If the interlocutor gives a cue that a task is due, treat it as a prompt rather than an interruption.

The two role-plays are independent; a task type in the first (for example, explaining a procedure) may reappear in the second.

Notes taken during preparation may be referred to during the role-play; reading them verbatim reduces fluency scores.

The interlocutor's scripted responses are fixed, so the candidate must adapt rather than expect a specific answer.

Note headings in Part A often include "Reason for call", "History", "Medication", "Allergies", and "Plan".

Answers describing frequency use forms such as "twice daily", "every 4 hours", or "three times a week".

Answers describing duration use forms such as "for two weeks" or "since Monday"; match the preposition already printed.

When the note asks for a quantity, write a numeral if the recording gives a figure; spelled-out numbers are also accepted if unambiguous.

Drug names should be written as heard; if unsure of spelling, write the closest phonetic form rather than leaving the blank empty.

Part C texts are adapted from healthcare research, policy, or professional commentary and use formal academic register.

Question types include main idea, detail, inference, writer's attitude, and meaning of a phrase in context.

For attitude questions, look for evaluative adjectives and modal verbs such as "should" and "may" that signal the writer's view.

For phrase-meaning questions, return to the surrounding two sentences rather than judging the phrase in isolation.

Detail questions in Part C follow text order, so the location of the previous answer narrows the search.

Include the reason for referral or transfer, relevant medical history, current medications, investigation results relevant to the request, and the specific action requested.

Exclude information the recipient already holds, such as the patient's address when the recipient is the ward nurse.

Sensitive information is included only when it affects care, for example a safeguarding concern relevant to a community placement.

Abnormal results should be stated with their values and units when the recipient needs them for monitoring.

Do not invent test results, dates, or dosages to fill gaps; use only what the notes state.

If the notes are ambiguous, report the documented wording rather than inferring a diagnosis.

Elicit the patient's concerns before giving advice; a common failure is delivering information without exploring understanding.

Use chunked information-giving: give one or two points, check understanding, then continue.

Negotiate rather than instruct when discussing lifestyle change; ask what the patient is willing to try.

Acknowledge the patient's feelings explicitly, for example "That sounds worrying", before explaining.

Confirm the patient's understanding with a teach-back request rather than a yes/no question.

End with a clear plan and an invitation to ask further questions.

The raw Listening score out of 42 is converted to a scaled score; the conversion is set per test version, so raw-to-band tables are not fixed across papers.

A scaled score of 350 corresponds approximately to the middle of the score range and is a common threshold in some settings; always check the receiving body's requirement.

All four sub-tests are reported separately; there is no combined total score.

A candidate must usually sit all four sub-tests in one session; partial retakes are not standard.

Results are reported as a band score and a level (for example, A to E) in some score reports.

Listening and Reading share the same 0-500 scale, so scores are directly comparable across those two sub-tests.

Part B texts include internal memos, policy updates, procedure notices, and staff emails.

The single question per text usually asks for the main purpose, the required action, or the intended audience.

Options that are true but not the main point are distractors.

Identify the writer and the reader first; the purpose follows from that relationship.

Words such as "must", "should", and "may" distinguish obligation from recommendation and often decide the answer.

Sentence boundaries are the highest-yield error type: avoid comma splices and sentence fragments carried over from note style.

Article use with medical nouns ("the patient", "a history of", "an X-ray") is a frequent error area.

Prepositions of time and duration ("for three days", "since admission", "on examination") should be checked against standard usage.

Spelling of drug names and investigation names matters more than spelling of common words because it affects safety and clarity.

Punctuation should separate clauses; semicolons and dashes are acceptable if used consistently.

Consistent use of British or American spelling is preferable within one letter.

The interlocutor speaks only in role as the patient or relative; do not ask the interlocutor for clarification out of role.

If the interlocutor is silent, prompt with an open question rather than filling the silence with information.

If the interlocutor becomes distressed, pause the information-giving and respond to the emotion first.

The interlocutor may repeat a concern to signal that it has not been addressed; treat repetition as a cue to explore it.

Do not argue with the patient's beliefs; acknowledge them and offer information without confrontation.

The role-play ends when the candidate closes it; an abrupt end without a plan affects overall effectiveness.

Before the Part A recording starts, read the note headings to predict the answer type for each blank (number, body part, drug, instruction).

The Part A note follows the consultation order, so the next blank is usually answered soon after the previous one.

Listen for signposting language such as "first", "and then", "finally", and "before that" that marks the sequence of the notes.

In Parts B and C, read the question stem before the options; the stem defines what to listen for.

Underline the difference between options, since options often share most of their wording.

The final sentence of a Part B extract often carries the answer or the speaker's conclusion.

Part A texts are four short workplace documents of different types, such as a policy, a rota notice, a training memo, and a procedure.

Prompts ask which text contains a given piece of information, not what the information means.

Some prompts ask about a feature shared by more than one text, so the answer may be a single letter or a combination depending on the paper's instruction.

Mark each text with a one-word topic label before scanning prompts to speed matching.

If a prompt's keyword appears in two texts, read the sentence around each occurrence and compare the full meaning.

Leave a provisional answer for uncertain prompts and return if time remains within the 15 minutes.

Referral letter: addressed to the clinician or service receiving the patient; states the reason for referral and the specific request.

Transfer letter: addressed to the receiving ward or facility; emphasises current status, medications, and care needs during and after transfer.

Discharge letter: addressed to the GP or community team; summarises the admission, treatment, and follow-up plan.

All three types use the same layout conventions; only the content emphasis and closing request change.

The recipient's role determines content depth: a specialist needs clinical detail, while a community nurse needs practical care instructions.

Use a range of question forms: direct ("How long have you had this?"), embedded ("Could you tell me when it started?"), and confirmatory ("So it began last week?").

Repair strategies such as rephrasing and self-correction are acceptable and do not by themselves lower fluency scores.

Avoid reading the task card aloud; it signals reliance on notes and reduces interaction quality.

Use the patient's name and check how they wish to be addressed.

Explain the reason for sensitive questions before asking them.

Summarise at transitions to signal the structure of the consultation.

Numbers are often corrected: an initial figure is replaced by a second, and only the second is correct.

Speakers may mention a medication the patient is not taking; the note asks for current medication, so only current items are recorded.

In Part B, an option may match a word in the extract but describe a different person's action.

In Part C, an option may state something the speaker reports as a common belief that they then reject.

Words such as "but" and "although" often precede the answer by overturning the earlier statement.

Part A: about 45 seconds per prompt on average; mark and move on rather than dwelling.

Part B: about 90 seconds per text, including reading the text once and checking the options.

Part C: about 2.5 minutes per question, reading the text once and returning to locate each answer.

If a Part C question resists location after one minute, choose the best option and continue; unanswered items cost more than uncertain ones.

Reserve the final two minutes of the Reading sub-test to check that every item has an answer.

A complete opening states: who the patient is, why you are writing, and what the recipient should do.

Example structure: "I am writing to refer [patient], who requires [service], for [specific action]."

The purpose statement must match the task instruction exactly; a referral letter that only summarises the admission fails Purpose.

The closing request should echo the opening purpose so the letter is coherent.

If the task specifies a time frame (for example, review within two weeks), state it in the closing.

Close with a summary of the agreed plan, the patient's confirmation, and the next steps.

Safety-netting language states what the patient should do if symptoms worsen and whom to contact.

Ask whether the patient has any questions before ending.

Confirm follow-up arrangements explicitly rather than assuming the patient understood.

Thank the patient and state your availability or the next contact point.

An incomplete close leaves card tasks unaddressed and lowers overall communicative effectiveness.