Free OET sample test · all four sub-tests
OET sample test: what each part looks like
OET has four sub-tests: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Below is each one, part by part, with its timing, the number of questions and a short example question with the answer. Every example is original Clodia practice material, written for this page.
Clodia is not affiliated with OET or Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment.
The four sub-tests at a glance
| Sub-test | Time | Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | About 40 minutes | 42 questionsSame for every profession |
| Reading | 60 minutes | 42 questionsSame for every profession |
| Writing | 5 minutes reading + 40 minutes writing | One letterSet for your profession |
| Speaking | About 20 minutes | Two role-playsSet for your profession |
Reading · 60 minutes · 42 questions
OET Reading sample questions
- Part A
- 15 minutes on its own clock. Four short texts on one topic and 20 questions: matching, sentence completion and short answer, with words taken exactly from the texts.
- Part B
- Six short workplace texts (a policy, a memo, a notice). One multiple-choice question each, three options.
- Part C
- Two longer articles, about 800 words each. Eight multiple-choice questions on each, four options, testing meaning, attitude and inference. Parts B and C share one 45-minute block.
Reading Part A
Offer oral rehydration solution (ORS) to adults with acute diarrhoea who are at risk of dehydration.
Give 200–400 ml of ORS after each loose stool, in addition to the usual fluid intake.
Question 1 · Sentence completion
After each loose stool, an adult should be offered ______ of oral rehydration solution.
Show the answer
Answer: 200–400 ml (or 200 to 400 ml). Part A answers come from the texts: the amount is in the second line of Text B.
Reading Part B
From Monday, observation charts will no longer be kept in folders at the foot of the bed. Observations are to be recorded on the electronic record only. Paper charts may be used only if the system has been unavailable for more than 30 minutes, and any paper chart used during that time must be scanned into the record before the end of the shift.
Question 1 · Multiple choice (3 options)
The memo explains
- Awhen staff may record observations on paper.
- Bwhy the bedside folders are being removed.
- Cwho is responsible for scanning paper charts.
Show the answer
Answer: A. Paper is allowed only after 30 minutes without the system. The memo gives no reason for the change (B) and names no one to do the scanning (C).
Reading Part C
Early warning scores are credited with catching deterioration that might otherwise be missed, and few would argue for removing them. Yet a score is only as good as the response it triggers. On wards where an escalation call regularly goes unanswered for an hour, nurses learn, quite rationally, to delay calling until they are certain. The score then records the decline faithfully while doing little to change its course.
Question 7 · Multiple choice (4 options)
What point is the writer making about early warning scores?
- AThey are credited with detecting more than they actually do.
- BTheir value depends on how reliably escalation is acted on.
- CThey lead some nurses to trust the score over their own judgement.
- DThey should be kept, but nurses need more training in using them.
Show the answer
Answer: B. "A score is only as good as the response it triggers." The writer says the score records decline "faithfully" (not A), the nurses delay because calls go unanswered, not because they trust the score (not C), and training is never mentioned (not D).
Six extracts in the real format, marked straight away. No account needed.
Listening · about 40 minutes · 42 questions
OET Listening sample questions
- Part A
- Two recorded consultations between a health professional and a patient, about 5 minutes each. You complete notes as you listen: 12 gaps per consultation.
- Part B
- Six short workplace extracts, about 45 seconds each (a handover, a briefing, a phone call). One multiple-choice question each, three options, with 15 seconds to read it first.
- Part C
- Two longer recordings, about 5 minutes each: a presentation or an interview. Six multiple-choice questions each, three options, about opinion and argument.
In the real test you hear each recording once, with short pauses to read the questions. Here you read a transcript of what you'd hear.
Listening Part A
Nurse: And how long have you had the cough?
Patient: It started just after we got back from holiday, so about three weeks now. It's worse at night, when I lie down.
Question 1 · Note completion
Complete the note with the words you hear.
Show the answer
Answer: three weeks (or 3 weeks). The note already says "worse at night", so the gap can only be the duration the patient gives.
Listening Part B
Nurse: Before you go, bed six, Mrs Ward. Her potassium came back at 3.1 this morning. The doctor has prescribed oral supplements and wants it rechecked with tomorrow's bloods, so there's no need to send another sample this afternoon.
Question 25 · Multiple choice (3 options)
The nurse is explaining
- Awhy a blood test needs to be repeated today.
- Bwhen the next blood test is due.
- Chow the potassium supplement should be given.
Show the answer
Answer: B. The recheck is with tomorrow's bloods, not today (A). The supplement is mentioned, but not how to give it (C).
Listening Part C
Ward sister: When we introduced protected mealtimes, I assumed the main gain would be fewer interruptions from ward rounds. What actually made the difference was something I hadn't planned for. Once the ward was quiet, the healthcare assistants had time to notice who wasn't eating, and those patients were being referred to the dietitian days earlier than before.
Question 31 · Multiple choice (3 options)
What does the speaker say about protected mealtimes?
- AThe main benefit was fewer interruptions from ward rounds.
- BAn unplanned result was earlier referral to the dietitian.
- CHealthcare assistants were reluctant to take part at first.
Show the answer
Answer: B. Fewer interruptions was what she expected, not what made the difference (A). Nothing is said about reluctance (C).
Six recordings, each played once, as in the test. No account needed.
Writing · 5 + 40 minutes · one letter
OET Writing: one letter from case notes
- The task
- Case notes about a patient and a task: usually a referral, discharge or transfer letter to another professional. During the 5 minutes of reading time you may not write.
- The letter
- Aim for 180 to 200 words in the body of the letter. Marked on six criteria: Purpose, Content, Conciseness & Clarity, Genre & Style, Organisation & Layout, and Language.
See a full example: invented nursing case notes and a model discharge letter, with why it works under each criterion.
Get it marked on all six criteria with a free practice day. No card needed.
Speaking · about 20 minutes · two role-plays
OET Speaking: two role-plays
- Warm-up
- A short conversation with the interlocutor about your professional background before the role-plays begin. The warm-up is not assessed.
- Role-plays
- Two role-plays, each with 3 minutes to read the card and prepare, then about 5 minutes of conversation. The interlocutor plays a patient, relative or carer; you play yourself at work.
- Marking
- Marked from the recording on nine criteria: four linguistic (such as Intelligibility and Fluency) and five clinical communication (such as Relationship building and Information giving).
Example role-play card (nursing)
Setting: General practice surgery
You are a practice nurse. Mr Peter Grant, 61, has had high blood pressure confirmed on home readings, and the GP has started him on amlodipine 5 mg once a day. He has come to see you before starting the tablets. He is worried about taking medicine "for life" and has read online that it causes swollen ankles.
Task
- Find out what Mr Grant already understands about high blood pressure and why treatment has been started.
- Explain briefly why lowering blood pressure matters (e.g., lowers the risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney problems, treatment is usually long term, etc.).
- Find out his concerns about side effects and reassure him (e.g., ankle swelling can happen but does not affect everyone, tell the surgery if it does, etc.).
- Advise on changes that also help (e.g., less salt, regular exercise, keeping alcohol within limits, etc.).
- Explain the follow-up plan (e.g., carry on with home readings, review appointment in a few weeks, etc.). Find out any other concerns.
You get 3 minutes to read the card and prepare. The interlocutor has a different card with the patient's side, so expect questions and worries that aren't on yours.
Spoken, timed like the real test, with a free practice day. No card needed.
Questions about the OET sample test
How long is each part of the OET test?
Listening takes about 40 minutes and Reading 60 minutes (Part A 15 minutes, then Parts B and C together in 45 minutes). Writing is 5 minutes of reading time and 40 minutes to write one letter. Speaking takes about 20 minutes: two role-plays, each with 3 minutes to prepare and about 5 minutes of conversation.
Is the OET test the same for nurses and doctors?
Listening and Reading are the same paper for every profession. Writing and Speaking are set for your own profession, so a nurse writes a nursing letter and does nursing role-plays.
Can I try an OET sample test for free?
Yes. Clodia's free Reading Part B test is six workplace extracts in the real format, marked as soon as you finish, with no account needed. There is also a free Listening Part B test: six recordings, each played once.
Does Clodia give official OET scores?
No. Clodia is an independent practice platform, not affiliated with OET. Practice scores are estimates to show where you stand; only OET issues official results.
The format above describes the test at the time of writing. OET publishes the current format and official sample tests on its own website, which is always the authority.