Dietitians sit OET Dietetics to show their English for registration, credentialing or employment. In some countries dietetics is not regulated by a government board and a professional association assesses overseas dietitians instead. Check which test and score your assessing body accepts.
Dietetics is one of the smaller OET professions, and OET did not publish a separate 2025 average for it. Listening and Reading are shared papers, so your practice there is the same as for every other profession.
| Sub-test | For dietitians |
|---|---|
| Listening (about 40 min) | Same test for all 12 professions |
| Reading (60 min) | Same test for all 12 professions |
| Writing (45 min) | A letter from dietetics case notes, usually to GP, endocrinologist, obstetrician |
| Speaking (about 20 min) | Two role-plays in settings like outpatient clinic, hospital ward, diabetes centre; the interlocutor plays a patient or parent of a child patient |
OET Dietetics is computer-only in 2026: at a test venue or OET@Home, Monday to Saturday. There is no paper session for dietitians.
Sample OET Dietetics role-play card
Setting
Outpatient dietetics clinic
Candidate
You are a dietitian in an outpatient clinic. Ms Hannah Sorensen, 32, was diagnosed with coeliac disease last week after a small bowel biopsy. Her GP has referred her for advice on a gluten-free diet. She says she will 'cut down on bread' and asks whether a small amount of gluten now and then is all right.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out what she eats on a typical day and what she already knows about gluten
- Explain why a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet is needed (gut damage can occur even without symptoms)
- Reassure her that many everyday foods are naturally gluten-free (rice, potatoes, fresh meat, fruit and vegetables)
- Advise on hidden gluten, reading food labels and avoiding cross-contamination (separate toaster, shared spreads, eating out)
- Check her understanding and arrange a follow-up appointment
You get 3 minutes to read the card and plan, then about 5 minutes to talk. Two assessors mark the recording: four language criteria and five clinical communication criteria. This card is original, written for this site.
Sample OET Dietetics letter task
Update to a GP: gestational diabetes above target. You are a dietitian in private practice. Mrs Leila Haddad, 31, was referred by her GP with gestational diabetes. Her diet has improved, but her fasting blood glucose is still above target. You are updating her GP.
Case notes (extract)
- Mrs Leila Haddad, 31; second pregnancy; 30 wks
- GDM diagnosed at 26 wks (oral glucose tolerance test)
- Seen 27/09/26 and 11/10/26
- Diet changes: regular meals, smaller carbohydrate portions, juice swapped for water
- After-meal BGLs now within target
- Fasting BGLs above target on 5 of last 7 days
- Weight gain in pregnancy within recommended range
- Walks 30 min after dinner most days
- Works part-time in a bakery; finds the smell of bread 'tempting'
- Prefers Arabic-language handouts; husband attends appointments
Task: Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to Dr Owen Prescott, GP, updating him on Mrs Haddad's progress and asking him to arrange a medical review of her blood glucose management.
What a strong letter leaves out
- Works part-time in a bakery; finds the smell of bread 'tempting' — colourful detail that does not affect the request
- Seen 27/09/26 and 11/10/26 — compress to 'two appointments'; exact dates add little
Letter types dietitians meet most:
Dietetics words to spell right
Listening Part A and your letter both lose marks for misspelt clinical words. Ten that dietitians need:
| Word | Note |
|---|---|
| dietitian | Preferred spelling in Australia and the UK; 'dietician' is a variant. |
| coeliac | British spelling with oe; US spelling is celiac. |
| gluten | Protein in wheat, barley and rye; not 'glutton'. |
| malnutrition | One word; includes undernutrition. |
| carbohydrate | Often 'carbs' in speech; -hydrate, not -hydrite. |
| glycaemic | British ae spelling, as in glycaemic index. |
| fibre | British and Australian -re spelling; US fiber. |
| gestational diabetes | GDM; diabetes first found during pregnancy. |
| cholesterol | Ends -ol: chole- plus -sterol. |
| enteral feeding | Tube feeding into the gut; parenteral means intravenous. |
Practise hearing and spelling them: medical spelling dictation.
Score lines for dietitians
The body that registers dietitians sets the line, and in some countries that is a professional association rather than a government board. Most ask for about 350 (grade B) in each sub-test. Check its current rule before you book, and see OET score requirements by regulator for the bodies we track.
Tips for OET Dietetics
- Dietetic letters often report progress. Give before-and-after facts: what changed in the diet, what the readings show now, and what you need the reader to decide.
- Turn food records into clear sentences. 'She has replaced fruit juice with water' is clearer than listing every meal from the notes.
- Role-play patients may try to negotiate ('just a little'). Acknowledge that change is hard, give the reason in one sentence, then make it practical with examples.
- Avoid judging words such as 'bad food' or 'cheating'. Talk about choices and swaps, and ask what the patient thinks they can manage.
Questions candidates ask
Is OET Dietetics harder than OET Nursing?
No. Listening and Reading are the same papers for both, and Writing and Speaking use the same format and marking criteria with dietetic content. OET did not publish separate 2025 averages for dietetics, so there is no official comparison of results between the two professions.
Which letter types come up in OET Dietetics?
Update letters to a GP or specialist about a patient's progress are common, along with referral letters, for example to a diabetes educator or a community dietitian. Transfer and advice letters also appear. You have 5 minutes to read the notes and 40 minutes to write about 180 to 200 words.
Can dietitians take OET on paper?
No. In 2026 Dietetics is one of five computer-only professions, available at a test venue or with OET@Home, from Monday to Saturday. If the body you are applying to does not accept OET@Home, book a test venue instead.
What score do dietitians need for OET?
It depends on the organisation assessing you, which may be a regulator or a professional association. Score requirements and rules on combining sittings differ by country and change often. Check the score lines page and confirm with the body before you book.
Other professions: Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Podiatry, Radiography, Speech Pathology, Veterinary Science.
Sources
- OET Test Handbook 2026
- OET: 2025 test statistics, candidate performance
- OET: Book a test (2026 schedule)
- OET sample tests for Dietetics
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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