How to Prepare for OET Speaking
OET Speaking takes about 20 minutes and includes two role-plays based on everyday situations in your profession. In each role-play you talk to a patient, relative or carer for about 5 minutes. Assessors mark both your English and how well you communicate with the patient, so practise building rapport, explaining clearly and checking understanding.
On this page
Key facts about OET Speaking
Based on the official OET Speaking information. Check oet.com before your test, as details can change.
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Time
About 20 minutes
Including two role-plays
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Role-plays
2, about 5 minutes each
Specific to your profession
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The patient
Played by an interlocutor
A patient, relative or carer
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Marking
Two OET assessors
They mark the audio recording
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Grade B
Mostly 5/6 and 2/3
Language criteria and clinical communication
Do this today (20 minutes)
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Write three opening lines
One for a first meeting, one for a patient you have just examined and one for a worried relative. Say each one out loud until it sounds natural.
See the structure -
Practise one role-play and record it
Speak for about 5 minutes, as if the patient were in front of you.
Open Speaking practice -
Listen back with one question
Did you ask about the patient's concerns before you started explaining? If not, plan where that question fits next time.
How the OET Speaking test works
The test begins with a short introduction with the interlocutor, followed by two role-plays. Before each role-play you receive a role card and have time to prepare. The card tells you the setting, gives you background about the patient and lists the tasks to cover. If the card does not say whether you have met the patient before, OET says you can assume it is your first meeting.
The interlocutor plays the patient, a relative or a carer, and may be worried, confused or unsure about your advice, as real patients often are. Each role-play usually ends naturally at about 5 minutes. If it doesn't, the interlocutor tells you that time is up.
The whole test is recorded, and two OET assessors mark the recording. On the OET Test on Computer, the Speaking test takes place over Zoom.
How OET Speaking is marked
Assessors use two sets of criteria. Four criteria cover your English, and each is scored out of 6. Five criteria cover clinical communication, and each is scored out of 3.
| Criterion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Intelligibility | The patient can understand you easily: clear pronunciation, stress and intonation. |
| Fluency | You speak at an even pace without long or frequent pauses. Fluency does not mean speaking fast. |
| Appropriateness of language | Your words and tone suit the patient and the situation. You use everyday words with patients, not medical terms. |
| Resources of grammar and expression | You use a range of grammar and vocabulary accurately to say what you mean. |
| Criterion | What it sounds like in a role-play |
|---|---|
| Relationship-building | A polite opening, showing respect and responding to the patient's feelings. OET says your opening is scored here. |
| Understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective | Asking what the patient thinks, feels and expects, and using it when you explain. |
| Providing structure | Moving through the conversation in a clear order and telling the patient what comes next. |
| Information-gathering | Open questions first, then focused questions. Listening without interrupting and summarising what you heard. |
| Information-giving | Explaining in small chunks, avoiding jargon and checking that the patient has understood. |
For more detail on each criterion, read our OET Speaking marking criteria guide.
Using the preparation time
OET suggests using the preparation time to think about which parts of the role-play might need you to explain something or ask the patient for more information. In practice, that means:
- Read the setting and decide who you are talking to and what their main worry is likely to be.
- Number the tasks on the card, so that you can cover them in a sensible order.
- Plan your opening line, including how you will introduce yourself.
- For each medical point you need to explain, think of a plain-English version. For example, "high blood pressure" instead of "hypertension".
- Write key words on the card, not full sentences. Reading sentences aloud sounds unnatural.
A structure for every role-play
The tasks change from card to card, but a clear structure works for almost every role-play and helps with the Providing structure criterion.
| Stage | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Open | Introduce yourself, check the patient's name and say why you are meeting. | "Good morning. I'm Sam, one of the nurses. Can I check your name, please?" |
| 2. Explore | Ask an open question about the patient's concerns and listen. | "Before we start, can you tell me how you're feeling about this?" |
| 3. Explain | Give information in small chunks, in plain words. Signpost each new topic. | "I'd like to explain how the injections work, if that's all right." |
| 4. Check | Ask the patient to say the key points in their own words. | "Just so I know I've explained it clearly, could you tell me how you'll take it?" |
| 5. Close | Summarise, agree the next steps and invite questions. | "So we'll see you again on Friday. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?" |
How you open depends on the card. At a first meeting, OET advises introducing yourself and checking the patient's name. If you have met before, use their name. In an emergency, get to the point quickly. If you have just examined the patient, you can skip the introduction, for example with "Thank you for letting me examine you."
Worked example: the first two minutes
This role card and extract are fictional and written by our team. They show how the criteria sound in a real conversation.
Model extract
The numbers match the notes below the extract.
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Relationship-building
The nurse gives their name and role, uses the patient's name and asks how he would like to be addressed. This is the opening that OET scores under relationship-building.
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Understanding the patient's perspective
An open question invites the patient to share his worries before the nurse explains anything.
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Responding to feelings
The nurse acknowledges both worries, including the personal one about his uncle, before giving information.
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Information-giving in plain words
One clear point, in everyday language, linked to the patient's own worry about complications.
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Providing structure
The nurse signposts the next topic and asks permission, so the patient knows where the conversation is going.
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Checking understanding
Asking the patient to explain in his own words shows whether the information has been understood.
Useful phrases for OET role-plays
Use these as a starting point and adapt them to each card, so that you sound natural rather than rehearsed.
| Stage | Phrases you can use |
|---|---|
| Opening | Good morning, I'm… and I'll be looking after you today. / Can I check your name, please? / Thank you for coming in. |
| Exploring concerns | How are you feeling about…? / What worries you most about…? / Is there anything you were hoping we could talk about today? |
| Showing empathy | I can see this is worrying for you. / That sounds really difficult. / It's completely normal to feel that way. |
| Signposting | First, I'd like to ask a few questions. / Now I'd like to explain… / Is it all right if we talk about…? |
| Explaining | What this means is… / In other words… / The main thing to remember is… |
| Checking understanding | Does that make sense so far? / Could you tell me in your own words how you'll…? |
| Closing | So, to sum up… / We'll see you again on… / Is there anything else you'd like to ask? |
Common OET Speaking mistakes
Explaining before listening
Before
"Insulin is a hormone that lowers blood glucose. You will inject it once a day…"
After
"Before I explain, can you tell me how you're feeling about starting insulin?"
Asking first shows you understand the patient's perspective and tells you what to explain.
Using medical terms
Before
"Your HbA1c shows suboptimal glycaemic control."
After
"Your blood tests show your sugar levels have been higher than we'd like."
Plain words suit a patient and score better for appropriateness of language and information-giving.
Ignoring the patient's feelings
Before
Patient: "I'm scared of needles." Nurse: "The injection is given in the abdomen."
After
Patient: "I'm scared of needles." Nurse: "Lots of people feel that way. Let me show you how small the needle is."
Responding to feelings is part of relationship-building.
Ending without a plan
Before
"OK, that's everything. Goodbye."
After
"So we'll see you again on Friday to check how it's going. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
A summary and clear next steps complete the structure of the conversation.
OET Speaking checklist
- I planned my opening line during the preparation time.
- I introduced myself and checked or used the patient's name.
- I asked about the patient's concerns before giving information.
- I responded to the patient's feelings, not just the facts.
- I used plain words instead of medical terms.
- I signposted each new topic.
- I checked that the patient understood the key points.
- I closed with a summary and the next steps.
Practise on OET Practice
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Start a Speaking test and check your microphone
Open the exam library, start the Speaking sub-test and choose your profession. The test checks your microphone before you begin, so use a quiet room.
Open the exam library -
Role-play with an AI-voiced patient
After a short warm-up, you get 3 minutes to prepare each role card. The patient is voiced by AI and replies to what you say, following the patient's role card. Your answers are recorded, and you see a live transcript as you speak.
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Get your feedback
Submit when you finish. A person on our team reviews every Speaking result before you see it. You get a practice grade (A–E) and written feedback, and we email you when it is ready.
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Listen back and try again
Open your result to listen to your recordings of the warm-up and both role-plays next to the feedback. Pick one thing to improve, such as checking understanding, and focus on it in your next role-play.
Go to your history
For a full study routine across all four sub-tests, read how to prepare for OET.
Sources
- OET Speaking sub-test (opens in a new tab) — OET (oet.com)
- Study skills: assessment criteria (opens in a new tab) — OET (oet.com)
- OET Speaking: how to start the test role-play (opens in a new tab) — OET (oet.com)
Written by OET Practice team. Last reviewed: 27 October 2026. Read our editorial policy .