Two checks, one page
| Instant check | Full marking | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, unlimited | One letter free per device, no account |
| Time | Immediately | About 30 seconds |
| What it looks at | Length, opening, layout, informal language, note-style shorthand | The six Writing criteria, your sentences, and the case notes you used |
| What you get | Points to review, highlighted in your letter | Score range, criterion marks, three priority fixes |
| Where the letter goes | Stays in your browser | Sent for marking and kept with your result |
How to use it
- Choose your profession, then the task you wrote from. Open the case notes if you have not written the letter yet.
- Paste your letter, including the date, the salutation and the closing. The body is usually around 180–200 words.
- Press Check instantly and fix anything obvious: contractions, note-style fragments, a missing purpose line.
- Press Get a full band score free. The result opens in the writing room, with comments on your own sentences.
- Sign in on the same device to keep the result and rewrite the letter twice free, then compare the marks.
What the six criteria mean in practice
OET marks Writing on six criteria, described in OET’s published Writing assessment criteria:
- Purpose: the reader knows early and clearly why you are writing and what you want them to do.
- Content: the case notes the reader needs are there and accurate; background they do not need is left out.
- Conciseness and clarity: information is summarised, not copied note by note.
- Genre and style: a professional register for a colleague (or plain language for a patient or carer).
- Organisation and layout: paragraphs follow the reader’s needs and the letter is laid out as a letter.
- Language: grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation do not get in the way of the meaning.
For layout and examples, see the OET letter format guide and the referral letter guide.
Questions candidates ask
How many letters can I get marked free?
One full marking per device without an account. The instant check has no limit. If you sign in afterwards on the same device, that marking moves to your account and counts as your account’s free letter marking, and you get two free rewrites of the same task. If the free markings without an account run out for the day, sign in with Google or email to get your free marking.
What do I get from the full marking?
An estimated score range and grade range, a mark for each of the six Writing criteria (Purpose; Content; Conciseness and clarity; Genre and style; Organisation and layout; Language), comments on the exact sentences that cost marks, the three changes that matter most, and a check of which case notes you used or left out. It is a practice estimate, not an OET result.
Do I need to pick a task?
For the full marking, yes: the marking compares your letter with the case notes for that task, so choose the task you wrote from. The instant check works without a task; choosing one adds reminders about details that task needs.
What happens to my letter?
The instant check runs in your browser; the letter is not sent anywhere. For the full marking the letter is sent to be marked and kept only as part of your result record, so you can reopen the result on this device and save it to an account later. Without an account we do not ask for your name or email, and the letter text is not stored anywhere else or used in analytics.
Is this the same as the real OET marking?
No. OET results come only from the real test. The criteria names come from OET’s published Writing assessment criteria; the estimate is a practice range to show what to fix next. When unsure, the range is set lower rather than higher.
Can I write the letter under exam timing?
Yes. After choosing a task, open it in the timed exam room: five minutes of reading time, forty minutes of writing, and the same marking at the end.
Sources
Last checked . Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
OETAce is an independent practice site. OET is a registered trademark of Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (CBLA); we are not affiliated with or endorsed by CBLA. All practice material here is original.