Free OET sample test · Nursing
OET nursing sample test: all four parts for nurses
OET Nursing has four sub-tests. Listening and Reading are the same for every profession; Writing and Speaking are set for nurses. Below is a nursing example from each part, with the answers, and what the NMC asks for.
Clodia is not affiliated with OET or Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment.
OET Nursing at a glance
| Sub-test | Time | For nurses |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | About 40 minutes | Same paper for every profession |
| Reading | 60 minutes | Same paper for every profession |
| Writing | 5 + 40 minutes | A nursing letter, from nursing case notes |
| Speaking | About 20 minutes | Two nursing role-plays |
Reading · 60 minutes · 42 questions
Reading: a ward policy extract
Part B has six short workplace texts, such as a policy, memo or email, with one question each.
Patients may continue to use medicines they bring in from home, provided a pharmacist or registered nurse has checked that each item is labelled with the patient's name, is in date and matches the current prescription. Medicines that fail any of these checks must not be used; with the patient's consent they are returned home with a relative or sent to pharmacy for disposal. Checked medicines are kept in the patient's locked bedside cabinet and must not be used for any other patient.
Question 1 · Multiple choice (3 options)
According to the extract, a patient's own medicines can be used on the ward when
- Aa relative has confirmed what each medicine is for.
- Beach item has passed the label, date and prescription checks.
- Ca pharmacist has checked them on the day of admission.
Show the answer
Answer: B. The extract names three checks: name label, expiry date and the current prescription (B). Relatives only take home medicines that fail (A). A registered nurse may do the checks too, and no timing is given (C).
Listening · about 40 minutes · 42 questions
Listening: a pre-operative assessment
Part A is two consultations with notes to complete. In the test you hear it once; here is the transcript.
A pre-operative assessment nurse talks to Mr Hale, who is having a hernia repair under general anaesthetic.
Nurse: Good morning, Mr Hale. I'm one of the pre-assessment nurses. Your hernia repair is booked for the twelfth, so I'll go through a few questions today. First, do you take any regular medicines?
Mr Hale: Just the one, ramipril, for my blood pressure. I was on a low dose of aspirin too, but I stopped that myself a couple of months ago because I kept getting nosebleeds.
Nurse: Thank you for telling me. I'll make sure the surgical team knows, and it's worth letting your GP know you've stopped it. Have you ever had a reaction to anything?
Mr Hale: Not to medicines. It's plasters, really. The sticky ones bring me out in a rash.
Nurse: So no medicine allergies, but a reaction to adhesive dressings. And after the operation, is there someone who can stay with you for the first 24 hours?
Mr Hale: Yes, my daughter's coming to stay. She's taken the week off work.
Medication
- ramipril for (1) ______
- low-dose aspirin: stopped by patient because of (2) ______
Allergies
- none to medicines
- rash with (3) ______
After surgery
- (4) ______ will stay with him
Show the answers
- (1) blood pressure (or high blood pressure). He says "ramipril, for my blood pressure". Write the words you hear.
- (2) nosebleeds (or nose bleeds). The note asks why he stopped the aspirin: "because I kept getting nosebleeds".
- (3) plasters (or sticky plasters, or adhesive dressings). "No medicine allergies" is already in the notes, so the gap is the plasters. Both words are heard.
- (4) (his) daughter. "My daughter's coming to stay." The week off work is detail the note doesn't need.
Writing · 5 + 40 minutes · one letter
Writing: a nurse discharge letter
Nurses usually write to a district nurse, practice nurse, care home manager or GP. See the case notes and model letter for this task, and how to choose what goes in from the case notes.
Speaking · about 20 minutes · two role-plays
Speaking: a practice nurse role-play
Setting: General practice surgery
You are a practice nurse. Mr Daniel Okafor, 52, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last week (HbA1c 58 mmol/mol). The GP has started modified-release metformin 500 mg once daily with the evening meal. He has come to discuss the diagnosis and his new tablets.
Task
- Find out what Mr Okafor understands about type 2 diabetes and how he feels about the diagnosis.
- Explain briefly what type 2 diabetes is (e.g., body does not make enough insulin or respond to it properly, blood glucose stays high, can damage eyes, kidneys and feet over time, etc.).
- Explain how to take metformin (e.g., with the evening meal, swallow whole, dose increased slowly over a few weeks, etc.). Reassure him about stomach upset (e.g., common at first, usually settles, etc.).
- Find out about his diet and activity and encourage small changes (e.g., fewer sugary drinks, a daily walk, etc.).
- Explain the follow-up plan (e.g., diabetes education course, blood test in about 3 months, regular eye screening and yearly foot checks, etc.). Find out any other concerns.
Six extracts in the real format, marked straight away, no account needed. Then a free practice day on nursing letters and role-plays, no card needed.
The grades the NMC asks for
- At least B (350) in Reading, Listening and Speaking.
- At least C+ (300) in Writing.
See every grade on the OET score chart, or read how the NMC combines two sittings.
Rules change: check nmc.org.uk before you book.
OET for nurses: questions
Is there a separate OET test for nurses?
Yes and no. You book OET Nursing, but only Writing and Speaking are written for nurses. Listening and Reading are the same paper for all twelve professions. The NMC asks applicants to choose the Nursing version.
What OET grade do nurses need for the NMC?
At least Grade B (350) in Reading, Listening and Speaking, and at least C+ (300) in Writing. The NMC can also accept grades from two sittings put together if both meet its conditions. Check nmc.org.uk before you book, because the rules change.
What letters do nurses write in OET?
Usually a discharge, transfer or referral letter about one patient, to a reader such as a district nurse, practice nurse, care home manager or GP. You get 5 minutes to read the case notes and 40 minutes to write.
Who do nurses talk to in the OET Speaking role-plays?
An interlocutor plays a patient, or a relative or carer, and you play yourself as a nurse: on a ward, in a GP practice, in the community or at a clinic. The interlocutor has their own card, so expect worries that aren't on yours.
Every example is original Clodia practice material. OET publishes the current format and official sample tests on its own website, which is always the authority.