Radiographers sit OET Radiography for registration, for example with the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia through AHPRA, or for work in other countries that accept OET. Check the score lines and accepted test format first.
Radiography is one of the smaller OET professions, and OET did not publish a separate 2025 average for it. The Listening and Reading papers are shared with every profession, so general health-care practice pays off there.
| Sub-test | For radiographers |
|---|---|
| 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 radiography case notes, usually to GP, referring doctor, radiologist |
| Speaking (about 20 min) | Two role-plays in settings like CT department, MRI suite, general X-ray room; the interlocutor plays a patient or parent of a child patient |
On paper, OET Radiography runs on alternate paper sessions in 2026. The computer test (at a venue or OET@Home) runs Monday to Saturday.
Sample OET Radiography role-play card
Setting
Hospital MRI suite
Candidate
You are a radiographer in a hospital MRI suite. Mrs Sunita Desai, 52, is booked for an MRI scan of her right knee. She has completed part of the safety questionnaire but left several questions blank. She tells you she panicked in a lift last year and is thinking of going home without the scan.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out about her worries and what happened in the lift
- Check the safety questions she left blank (pacemaker, metal implants, metal fragments in the eyes, possible pregnancy)
- Explain what the scan involves (feet first, head likely outside the scanner, loud noises, headphones, about 20–30 minutes)
- Reassure her that she can talk to you and stop the scan at any time with the call button
- Encourage her to try the scan and agree on what will help (music, eye mask, a relative nearby)
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 Radiography letter task
Update to a GP after a contrast reaction. You are a CT radiographer. Mr Patrick Doyle, 59, had a mild allergic-type reaction to iodinated contrast during a CT scan today. You are writing to his GP so that it is recorded and future scans are planned safely.
Case notes (extract)
- Mr Patrick Doyle, 59; CT abdomen/pelvis with IV contrast 21/10/26
- Referred by GP: abdominal pain, weight loss
- No previous contrast; no known allergies
- 5 min after injection: itchy hives on chest and arms
- No breathing difficulty; no lip or tongue swelling; BP and pulse stable
- Seen by radiologist; oral antihistamine given
- Observed 60 min; hives settled
- Contrast reaction alert added to hospital record
- Scan completed; radiologist's report to follow
- Pt asked about parking validation
Task: Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to Dr Eleanor Voss, GP, informing her of Mr Doyle's contrast reaction and asking that it is recorded before any future scans are requested.
What a strong letter leaves out
- Pt asked about parking validation — administrative detail, irrelevant to the clinical update
- Referred by GP: abdominal pain, weight loss — the GP already knows why she referred him
Letter types radiographers meet most:
Radiography words to spell right
Listening Part A and your letter both lose marks for misspelt clinical words. Ten that radiographers need:
| Word | Note |
|---|---|
| radiographer | Takes the images; a radiologist is the doctor who reports. |
| contrast medium | Plural 'contrast media'; injected to show vessels or organs. |
| claustrophobia | Fear of enclosed spaces; starts c-l-a-u-s-t-r-o. |
| gadolinium | MRI contrast agent; spelt g-a-d-o-l-i-n-i-u-m. |
| ionising radiation | British -ising spelling; X-ray and CT, not MRI. |
| extravasation | Contrast leaking out of the vein into surrounding tissue. |
| fluoroscopy | Real-time X-ray imaging; fluoro-, not flouro-. |
| ultrasound | One word; also called sonography. |
| mammography | Breast X-ray; double m in the middle. |
| cannula | Thin tube placed in a vein; double n, one l. |
Practise hearing and spelling them: medical spelling dictation.
Score lines for radiographers
| Regulator | Country | L | R | W | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHPRA (all National Boards) | Australia | 350 | 360 | 350 | 360 |
AHPRA's English standard covers every National Board (including the radiography board) and needs 350 / 360 / 350 / 360 for tests from 23 April 2026.
Combining sittings, OET@Home and validity for every regulator: OET score requirements by regulator.
Tips for OET Radiography
- Radiographers do not interpret images in their letters. Report what happened and what you did, and leave the diagnosis to the radiologist's report.
- In update letters, give a clear timeline: when the reaction started, what was seen, what treatment was given and the outcome.
- Anxious patients need structure. Explain each step in the order it will happen, say how long it takes, and tell them how to get your attention.
- Safety checks are not small talk. Ask each screening question clearly, explain briefly why it matters, and confirm the answer before moving on.
Questions candidates ask
Is OET Radiography harder than OET Nursing?
No. Listening and Reading are the same for both professions, and Writing and Speaking are marked with the same criteria. OET did not publish separate 2025 averages for radiography, so there is no official score comparison between radiographers and nurses.
Which letter types come up in OET Radiography?
Update letters to a GP or referring doctor are common, for example after an adverse event, along with referral and transfer letters to another department or hospital. Some tasks advise a colleague about preparing a patient for a procedure. Write about 180 to 200 words in 40 minutes, after 5 minutes of reading.
Can radiographers take OET on paper?
Yes, but only at alternate paper sessions in 2026; nursing and medicine are the only professions at every session. The computer test runs Monday to Saturday at a venue or with OET@Home. Note that AHPRA does not accept OET@Home.
What score do radiographers need for OET?
It depends on the regulator. In Australia, the Medical Radiation Practice Board through AHPRA asks for 350 Listening, 360 Reading, 350 Writing and 360 Speaking for tests from 23 April 2026. Other countries set their own requirements; see the score lines page.
Other professions: Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics, Optometry, Podiatry, 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 Radiography
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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