The Occupational English Test (OET) is an English Language Test that assesses the English Language skills of healthcare professionals who want to register and practice in an English-speaking environment. Here we shall discuss some OET writing tips that will help you ace the exam.

But first, let’s try to comprehend the OET exam pattern. It will help you stay on top of your preparation process. The OET exam is divided into four parts or sections that are the Listening Section, the Reading Section, the Writing Section and the Speaking Section.

If you are a healthcare professional who is looking to work in the healthcare sector in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Ukraine, Dubai and Singapore, you are required to take this examination.

Structure of the OET Writing

Before we dive into the tips for the Writing section of the exam, let’s understand the basic structure of the OET writing task: (source)

• The Writing Test is of 45 minutes and is profession-specific. There is one task or assignment set for each profession based on any kind of workplace situation or the necessary demands of the particular profession. For instance, a nurse has to take the nurse-specific part of the task, a dentist takes the task for dentistry and so on.
• The writing section includes the task of writing a letter. This letter is usually a referral letter. Other types of letters that can be asked are a letter of transfer or a letter of discharge.
• Some other alternative letters include a letter to advise or inform a patient that is generally asked keeping in mind the occupations like Pharmacy, Veterinary Science or Occupational Therapy.
• Also, along with the task instructions, you will receive a stimulus material like case notes or any other related documentation that includes relevant information. You can utilize it in your response.

Assessment of the OET Writing exam

Your performance in the OET writing sub-test is marked independently by a minimum of two assessors. Neither of the assessors knows what scores the other one has given you or what scores you have attained in the other sub-tests. Also, your performance will be scored based on the six criteria. You will achieve a different band score for each part. Let’s have a look at the OET writing criteria: (source)

1. The first point on which you will be assessed is the purpose of the letter. The assessor will check whether the purpose of the letter is clear immediately or not.
2. The assessor will also mark you on the kind of content you present. He/she will check whether all the important information is included or not. Also, whether the content is accurate or not.
3. The examiner will also check the consciousness and clarity of the letter. Your letter should be an effective summary for the reader. All unnecessary information should be omitted.
4. You will also be assessed based on your genre and writing style. The assessor will check whether your tone or use of abbreviations are appropriate or not.
5. The organization and layout of your letter also matter. Your writing will be examined on the point of whether your letter is organized or not. It should be well laid out for the reader.
6. You will also be marked based on the accuracy of your grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and many more.

It is necessary to keep these points in mind before starting your preparation journey. It helps you plan your study schedule accordingly.

OET writing

Let’s throw some light on the writing section of the OET exam.

• To ace the writing section of the OET exam, you need to identify the areas of improvement. You have to adapt your writing communication skills to fit the different situation and target readers. You need to focus on the purpose of your letter. Your writing will be examined according to how efficiently your reader can retrieve information.
• You can make a mental checklist of the types of errors you tend to make. This will help you proofread your work on the day of the exam.
• Now, the OET writing test is designed to check your language knowledge related to your professional arena. Therefore, you need to regularly review your common expressions to ensure that you can produce them appropriately.
• The main purpose of the OET writing exam is to test your ability to produce a letter that is appropriate for the situation that is mentioned in the task. Also, it is not required to repeat everything from the case notes.
• You can choose and organize the information in a pattern that is easy to comprehend for the reader.
• You can create a brief checklist of questions. It will help you analyze the task before you start writing. You should know how to prioritize the important points from the case notes and organize them effectively.
• When you are done writing, you should always re-read what you have written from the reader’s point of view. Check whether you have included everything relevant from the case notes or not.

OET writing sample

For the OET writing exam, you need to understand the format of the OET letter writing part. We can help you comprehend the exact pattern. Have a look at the OET writing sample given below:

Let’s take the example of a sample.

OET writing sample letter for nurses:

Suppose, you have been provided with the following OET case notes for writing sub-set for nursing :

Mr John Simpsons is a 78-year old patient on the ward of a hospital where you are a charge nurse.

PATIENT DETAILS:

Marital status – Married

Admission date- 3 October 2019

Discharge date – 7 October 2019

Reason of Admission : (3/10/19)Left Total Hip Replacement(THR) – elective surgery
Worsening Osteoarthritis(OA)- difficulty mobilising and climbing stairs

Social background :

Lives at Parker Nursing Home(PNH) (4years)
No children
Employed as an engineer until retirement-aged 65
New-aged pensioner
Hobby: Chess
Sister, Sarah Peter(66), visits regularly; very supportive
-plays chess with John on her visits
No signs of dementia observed

Medical background:

2018- Osteoarthritis requiring total hip replacement surgery
1991- Hypertension (ongoing management)
1985 – Colles fracture, ORIF

Medications:
Aspirin 100 Mg mane (recommended post-operatively)
Ramipril 5mg mane
Panadeine Forte(paracetamol 550mg/codeine 30 mg) 2 qid prn

Nursing management and progress:

Daily dressings surgery incision site
Range of motion, stretching and strengthening exercises
Occupational therapy
Staples to be removed in two weeks(21/10)
Also, follow-up FBE and UEC tests at Fortis Hospital Clinic

Assessment:

Good mobility post-operation
Weight-bearing with use of wheelie-walker walks length of the ward without difficulty
Postoperative disorientation re time and place during recovery, possibly related with anaesthetic
Continued observation recommended
Dropped Hb postoperatively(to 72 g/dL) requiring transfusion of 3 units packed red blood cells; Hb stable (112 g/dL) on discharge- ongoing monitoring required for anaemia

Discharge schedule:

Monitor medications
Preserve skin integrity
Continue exercise routine
Equipment required: wheelie walker, wedge pillow, toilet raiser. Hospital to provide a walker and pillow. Hospital social worker organised 2- week hire of raiser from a local medical supplier

Writing task:

Using the information, write a letter to Ms Angelina Hawker, Senior Nurse at Parker Nursing Home, 28, Hilly Road, who will be responsible for Mr Simpsons continued care at the Nursing Home.

Now, for such kind of OET writing task, you can write a referral letter in the way mentioned below:

Ms Angelina Hawker
Senior Nurse
Parker Nursing Home
28 Hilly Road

7 October 2019

Re: Mr John Simpsons, aged 78

Dear Ms Hawker

Mr Simpsons is being discharged from Fortis Hospital Clinic back into your care today. He underwent a total hip replacement.

Mr Simpsons was recommended 100mg Aspirin daily post-operation. Apart from his usual treatment for hypertension, he requires pain relief (Pandeine Forte, maximum of 6 tablets/day) and daily dressing changes for protecting his skin integrity. He has good mobility and can walk along with the ward with the help of a wheelie-walker. He requires to practice a series of range-of-motion, stretching and strengthening exercises and occupational therapy to ensure recovery. We will be sending a walker and wedge pillow with the patient. Our social worker has organised the hire of a toilet raiser.

During the postoperative recovery period, Mr Simpsons appeared disoriented. Since there is no record of dementia, this may be related to an anaesthetic. Therefore, continued observation is recommended. Also, he has transfused 3 units of packed red blood cells without any complications. His Hb is stable(112 g/dL). Please monitor for signs of anaemia.

Mr Simpsons will have his staples removed at Fortis Hospital Clinic on 21 October. Blood tests like UEC and FBE will also be conducted.

Please contact me with any queries.

Yours sincerely

Robin
——————————–
So, this is how you write an OET referral letter. We can provide you with multiple OET writing samples for nurses like the one discussed above. In fact, we have OET writing sample letters for different professions. Contact us to know more.

OET Writing Tips

When it comes to the OET writing task, you do not write according to your thoughts. In the OET writing section, you are provided with case notes. You need to choose relevant points from the case notes and create a logical structure for your letter. There is a lot of room for creativity. You have to make sure that the letter is written in your own words.

It is very essential to understand the OET writing letter format. Want to learn the key points that will help you top the OET writing sub-test? Keep reading! (source)

Figuring out the OET writing task.

Now, the task is the most relevant part of the case notes. That should be the first thing you should look at in the 5 minutes of your reading time. This will help you understand who you are writing to and what is the purpose of your writing. This way you’ll be able to identify the points that are relevant to your reader.

Choose the right OET writing case notes.

Study the case notes properly. You need to identify which points are relevant and which ones are not important. The OET assessors, purposefully, put in the unimportant case notes to distract you. So, you need to be very careful while selecting your case notes.

For example: if you are writing to a doctor about a patient’s vision issue, don’t include the point that they broke their leg fifteen years ago. It’s not relevant.

Always organise your case notes.

Another important aspect of the OET writing exam is structuring your case notes efficiently and effectively. Don’t mix up all the case notes. There’s a certain pattern to the writing structure which is given as follows:

Introductory statement
The main issue that needs to be covered
Then comes the secondary issue
Other minor details
Lastly comes the request portion

Let’s delve into the structure in detail:

The introductory statement

There will be one particular medical issue in the case notes that will stand out. It is usually mentioned in the ‘admission diagnosis’ section.

For example, it may be ‘recurring vision problems’. In the task, you may be asked to refer the patient to an ophthalmologist. So, you need to add two pieces of information in your introductory statement.

Maybe, you can write like this:
I am referring John back into your care for a full assessment of his recurring vision
problems.

This way you can summarize what is happening and what you want the reader to do.

Main medical issue

Here, you need to specify in detail the main medical issue. Scan through the case notes for all the relevant information. Maybe, you can highlight all the important points in a single paragraph.

Secondary issue

You can summarize the second issue in the next paragraph. Never mix up ideas.

Other details

Here, you can add all the minor details that are worth mentioning. Create the third paragraph for this section of your letter.

Request

The request needs to be mentioned in detail. The request should be added twice in your letter. Once in the beginning and once at the end in detail.

Transforming the case notes in your letter.

Once you have organized the case notes, you need to transform them properly in your language. You can not copy the case notes in your letter. You need to present a story to your reader. Analyze the case notes and re-work them in a way that they make sense to the reader.

All in all, you require a good approach to write OET exam letters. It is only possible with regular practice. Try using the writing tips mentioned above. You can always consider working on OET writing sample letters. Browse through OET writing answer sheet sample letters. This will help you get a good hold on the writing structure.

While you can practice for the test on your own, a good coaching institute like Mindmine Global can give you systematic guidance and practice materials that will help you.
We can provide you with OET writing materials. You can get access to a comprehensive preparation package that will include OET writing sample questions and answers.

Avail our OET writing package containing video lessons. We are here to help you with the preparation journey.

OET writing hints

To get top grades in the OET writing exam, you need to learn the OET writing strategies. Want to know how to improve writing in OET? Here are a few OET writing tips that can help you own command over the writing section: (source)

Always distinguish between the main and secondary issue

Utilize the case notes efficiently. Identify the relevant information regarding the main issue. Do not confuse between the main issue and the secondary issue. Also, they should always be discussed in separate paragraphs. Never mix the ideas in the same paragraph.

Check out OET writing sample answers

Make sure to go through a few OET writing test answer sheets before the main exam. This will help you write your letter efficiently. The sample letters will provide a clear picture of how the letter should be structured.

Tell a story to your reader

Always transform the case notes in a way that they tell a story to the reader. Never copy the case notes as they are. Some details in the case notes are mentioned to distract you. Therefore, always structure the letter in your own words and add the relevant information only. Exclude the unnecessary points.

Always describe the referral in detail in the last paragraph

At the end of the letter, you need to delve into the referral part in detail. Utilize the information from the OET writing task case notes and try to describe the request in a structured manner.

The OET writing section requires constant practice on your part. Follow the above-mentioned referral tips and start your preparation process. We hope that now you know how to prepare for OET writing.

Some common points to remember while taking the OET writing test

Always try to create a logical structure of ideas. Try to mention the purpose of your letter. Address the primary medical concern in the first paragraph of your letter. Try to enhance your letter with clarity and coherence. You can use transition words to lucidly initiate the flow of ideas.

Focus on writing your letter in the correct format. Remember the fact that you are writing a formal letter. Add the recipient’s name, position, address and all the relevant details accurately and appropriately. Start your letter with respectful salutations and end your letter with a closing phase.

Read the instructions and case notes carefully. Utilize the five minutes reading time nicely. Highlight the relevant details.

Make sure that you don’t exceed the required word count. Always proofread your letter. Make sure that there are no grammatical errors.

Follow these simple key points and you’re ready to ace the OET writing exam. Also, at every step of your preparation process, we are with you. You can connect with us for a comprehensive OET writing course. We can provide you with tips on how to improve OET writing. These tips can help you gain OET writing mastery.

We wish you good luck with all your endeavours!

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