Speech pathologists, also called speech and language therapists, sit OET Speech Pathology to show their English for registration, professional assessment or employment. In some countries the profession is not regulated by a government board, so check which test and score your assessing body accepts.
In 2025 speech pathology candidates averaged 371 Listening, 362 Reading, 355 Writing and 391 Speaking, the highest Writing and Speaking averages of the professions OET reported. Writing was still their lowest sub-test.
| Sub-test | For speech pathologists |
|---|---|
| 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 speech pathology case notes, usually to GP, paediatrician, audiologist |
| Speaking (about 20 min) | Two role-plays in settings like hospital ward, stroke unit, paediatric clinic; the interlocutor plays a patient or parent of a child patient |
OET Speech Pathology is computer-only in 2026: at a test venue or OET@Home, Monday to Saturday. There is no paper session for speech pathologists.
Sample OET Speech Pathology role-play card
Setting
Stroke unit
Candidate
You are a speech pathologist on a stroke unit. Mr Enzo Bianchi, 74, had a stroke six days ago. Your swallowing assessment showed that thin drinks enter his airway, so he is on mildly thick fluids. His daughter, Ms Carla Bianchi, is upset that he is 'not allowed a proper cup of tea' and has asked to bring him normal drinks.
Task (interlocutor: relative)
- Find out what she has noticed about her father's eating and drinking
- Explain the swallowing problem and the risk of chest infection (aspiration) with thin drinks
- Reassure her that his swallowing will be reassessed regularly and may improve
- Advise her on how to help safely (thickened drinks only, sitting him upright, small sips, mouth care)
- Check that she agrees not to bring in thin drinks and to tell staff if she notices coughing
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 Speech Pathology letter task
Referral for a hearing assessment: a late talker. You are a community speech pathologist. Mia Thompson, aged 2 years 10 months, has been brought in by her mother because she says very few words. You are asking her GP to arrange a hearing assessment.
Case notes (extract)
- Mia Thompson, 2 yrs 10 mths
- Mother concerned: approx 20 single words; no word combinations
- Understanding: follows simple instructions only with gestures
- Often doesn't respond when called from another room
- Hx: recurrent ear infections (5 in past 12 mths); snores
- No hearing test since newborn screening (passed)
- Play skills age-appropriate; good eye contact
- Attends childcare 2 days/wk; enjoys painting
- Older brother (6) had speech therapy for a lisp
- Plan: therapy block to start after hearing test
Task: Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to Dr Kwame Asante, GP, asking him to arrange a hearing assessment and ear review for Mia before therapy starts.
What a strong letter leaves out
- Attends childcare 2 days/wk; enjoys painting — not relevant to the hearing referral
- Older brother (6) had speech therapy for a lisp — a sibling's history does not change this referral
Letter types speech pathologists meet most:
Speech Pathology words to spell right
Listening Part A and your letter both lose marks for misspelt clinical words. Ten that speech pathologists need:
| Word | Note |
|---|---|
| dysphagia | Swallowing difficulty; compare dysphasia, a language disorder. |
| aspiration | Food or fluid entering the airway. |
| aphasia | Language loss after brain injury; spelt a-p-h-a-s-i-a. |
| dysarthria | Unclear speech from muscle weakness; note -arthr- in the middle. |
| stuttering | Also 'stammering' in British usage; double t. |
| articulation | How speech sounds are made. |
| mildly thick fluids | IDDSI level 2; use the framework's exact names. |
| audiologist | Tests hearing; ends -logist. |
| tracheostomy | Opening into the windpipe; trache- plus -ostomy. |
| laryngeal | Adjective of larynx; note the g before -eal. |
Practise hearing and spelling them: medical spelling dictation.
How speech pathologists scored in 2025
OET publishes average scores by profession. For speech pathologists in 2025:
| Sub-test | Average | Grade | Against 350 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 371 | B | at or above 350 |
| Reading | 362 | B | at or above 350 |
| Writing | 355 | B | at or above 350 |
| Speaking | 391 | B | at or above 350 |
Averages hide a wide spread, but they show where speech pathologists most often lose marks.
Score lines for speech pathologists
The body that registers speech pathologists 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 Speech Pathology
- Write for the reader. A GP needs the reason for concern and a specific request, not a full language assessment. Reduce test results to one short sentence at most.
- Describe what the person does: 'She uses about 20 single words and does not yet combine words.' Concrete examples are clearer than labels.
- Relatives often see texture changes as a punishment. Acknowledge their wish to comfort the patient, explain the risk simply, and give them a useful role, such as helping with mouth care.
- You are assessed on the same clinical communication criteria as everyone else. Don't model therapy techniques in the role-play; focus on explaining, listening and agreeing a plan.
Questions candidates ask
Is OET Speech Pathology harder than OET Nursing?
No. Listening and Reading are the same papers, and Writing and Speaking use the same criteria. In 2025 speech pathology candidates averaged higher than nurses in all four sub-tests, for example 362 against 303 in Reading, which reflects who sits the test rather than its difficulty.
Which letter types come up in OET Speech Pathology?
Referral letters are common, for example to a GP, audiologist, paediatrician or ENT surgeon. Update, transfer and discharge letters also appear, such as handing over a stroke patient's swallowing plan to an aged care facility. Write about 180 to 200 words in 40 minutes, after 5 minutes of reading.
Can speech pathologists take OET on paper?
No. In 2026 Speech Pathology is computer-only, at a test venue or with OET@Home, from Monday to Saturday. If the body assessing you does not accept OET@Home, book a test venue instead.
What score do speech pathologists need for OET?
It depends on the body assessing you, which may be a government regulator or a professional association, depending on the country. Requirements and rules on combining sittings differ and change often. Check the score lines page and confirm with that body before you book.
Other professions: Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics, Optometry, Podiatry, Radiography, Veterinary Science.
Sources
- OET Test Handbook 2026
- OET: 2025 test statistics, candidate performance
- OET: Book a test (2026 schedule)
- OET sample tests for Speech Pathology
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.