Nurses are the second-largest OET group: they made up 38.15% of candidates in 2025. Most sit the test for registration with a nursing regulator, for example in Australia, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand or the US, or for a visa or job offer.
The 2025 averages show where nurses lose marks. Listening (313) and Reading (303) were well below Writing (334) and Speaking (365). Plan your study around that gap, not around the letter alone.
| Sub-test | For nurses |
|---|---|
| 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 nursing case notes, usually to registered nurse at an aged care facility, community nurse, GP |
| Speaking (about 20 min) | Two role-plays in settings like hospital ward, emergency department, community health clinic; the interlocutor plays a patient or parent of a child patient |
On paper, OET Nursing runs on every paper session in 2026. The computer test (at a venue or OET@Home) runs Monday to Saturday.
Sample OET Nursing role-play card
Setting
Medical ward
Candidate
You are a nurse on a medical ward. Mrs Ivana Petrovic, 79, was admitted three days ago with a urinary tract infection and is now improving. Last night she got out of bed alone to go to the toilet, slipped and fell. She was not injured, but she has been assessed as at high risk of falling. She says she does not want to 'be a nuisance' by using the call bell.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out how Mrs Petrovic is feeling after the fall (pain, dizziness, how it happened)
- Explain why she is at higher risk of falling at the moment (infection, unfamiliar surroundings, getting up quickly at night)
- Reassure her that using the call bell is expected and that staff are happy to help
- Advise her on safety measures (call bell within reach, non-slip socks, sitting on the edge of the bed before standing, night light)
- Check that she agrees to call for help before getting up tonight
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 Nursing letter task
Transfer back to an aged care facility after hip surgery. Mr Colin Hargreaves, 84, is returning to his residential aged care facility after surgery for a fractured hip. You are the ward nurse writing the transfer letter so that his care continues safely.
Case notes (extract)
- Mr Colin Hargreaves, 84; resident of Banksia Grove Aged Care for 2 yrs
- Fall at facility 09/10/26 → # L neck of femur; hemiarthroplasty 10/10/26
- Hx: Parkinson's disease, mild dementia, hypertension
- Parkinson's meds must be given on time — delays → stiffness, falls
- Mobility: walking frame + 1 staff assist; full weight bearing
- Wound clean, dry; staples out day 14 (24/10/26) by facility RN
- Constipated post-op; aperients charted
- Eating 50–75% of meals; weigh weekly
- Physio: daily walking practice; falls clinic review in 6 wks
- Enjoys crossword puzzles; daughter visits Sundays
Task: Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to Ms Abena Mensah, Registered Nurse in charge at Banksia Grove Aged Care, outlining Mr Hargreaves's care needs on his return to the facility.
What a strong letter leaves out
- Enjoys crossword puzzles; daughter visits Sundays — social detail that does not change his nursing care
- Hx: Parkinson's disease, mild dementia, hypertension — the facility knows his history; mention only what affects care
Letter types nurses meet most:
Nursing words to spell right
Listening Part A and your letter both lose marks for misspelt clinical words. Ten that nurses need:
| Word | Note |
|---|---|
| haemorrhage | British haem-; double r, then silent h: haemorrhage. |
| oedema | British spelling begins oe-; swelling from fluid in tissues. |
| diarrhoea | British ending -rrhoea: double r, h, then o-e-a. |
| dyspnoea | Shortness of breath; British spelling ends -oea. |
| catheterisation | British -isation ending; 'catheter' has th, not t. |
| sphygmomanometer | Blood pressure cuff; starts s-p-h-y-g-m-o. |
| paediatric | British spelling keeps ae: paediatric, paediatrician. |
| anaesthetic | British ae: anaesthetic, anaesthetist. |
| pressure injury | Australian term; UK nurses often say pressure ulcer. |
| nil by mouth | NBM; no food or drink, usually before a procedure. |
Practise hearing and spelling them: medical spelling dictation.
How nurses scored in 2025
OET publishes average scores by profession. For nurses in 2025:
| Sub-test | Average | Grade | Against 350 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 313 | C+ | 37 below 350 |
| Reading | 303 | C+ | 47 below 350 |
| Writing | 334 | C+ | 16 below 350 |
| Speaking | 365 | B | at or above 350 |
Averages hide a wide spread, but they show where nurses most often lose marks. Listening and Reading are the same test for every profession, so free Listening practice counts for you too.
Score lines for nurses
| Regulator | Country | L | R | W | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHPRA / NMBA | Australia | 350 | 360 | 350 | 360 |
| NMC | United Kingdom | 350 | 350 | 300 | 350 |
| NMBI | Ireland | 350* | 350* | 350* | 350* |
| Nursing Council of New Zealand | New Zealand | 350 | 350 | 300 | 350 |
| HRSA / CGFNS VisaScreen | United States | 320 | 340 | 350 | 360 |
| Canada nursing | Canada | 350 | 300 | 300 | 350 |
| UAE | United Arab Emirates | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| * NMBI: 350 in three sub-tests and 300 accepted in any one. |
Combining sittings, OET@Home and validity for every regulator: OET score requirements by regulator.
Tips for OET Nursing
- For transfer and discharge letters, open with the purpose and the patient's current status, then group care needs: medicines, mobility, wound, follow-up. The receiving nurse needs actions, not the hospital story.
- Turn note-form timing into clear instructions: 'the staples are due for removal on 24 October' is better than 'day 14'. Readers act on dates.
- Role-play patients are often anxious or reluctant. Name the feeling out loud ('I can see this has worried you'), because the assessors only hear the recording.
- Spend under a minute on simple fact-finding bullets and more on bullets that ask you to persuade or reassure. Follow the card order; the interlocutor's card matches yours.
Questions candidates ask
Is OET Nursing harder than OET Medicine?
No paper is officially harder. Listening and Reading are the same for every profession, so the only difference is the Writing and Speaking content. In 2025 nurses averaged 313 in Listening and 303 in Reading, against 377 and 375 for doctors. That reflects who sits each test, not a tougher nursing paper.
Which letter types come up in OET Nursing?
Most nursing tasks are transfer or discharge letters to another nurse, an aged care facility or a community nursing service. Referral letters, for example to a GP or a specialist nurse, also appear, as do occasional update or advice letters. You get 5 minutes to read the notes and 40 minutes to write about 180 to 200 words.
Can nurses take OET on paper?
Yes. In 2026 Nursing is offered at every paper session, which run on two Saturdays a month. You can also sit the computer test at a venue from Monday to Saturday, or use OET@Home. Check your regulator first: AHPRA, for example, does not accept OET@Home.
What score do nurses need for OET?
It depends on the regulator and the test date. AHPRA asks for 350/360/350/360 for tests from 23 April 2026, while the UK NMC accepts C+ (300) in Writing with B in the other three. Rules on combining two sittings also differ. See the score lines page for current figures.
Other professions: Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics, 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 Nursing
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. 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.