What is OET and who needs to take it?

The Occupational English Test (OET) is an English language test designed for healthcare professionals. Nurses, doctors, dentists, and other health practitioners who want to work in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Singapore, or Dubai typically need OET certification.

What score do I need to pass OET for nursing?

For nursing registration in Australia and New Zealand, you typically need a Grade B (350 or above) in all four sub-tests: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. For Reading, this means at least 30 out of 42 questions correct.

How long does the OET exam take?

The OET exam takes approximately 3 hours. Reading is 60 minutes (42 questions), Writing is 45 minutes (5 minutes reading + 40 minutes writing), Listening is 40 minutes (42 questions), and Speaking is approximately 20 minutes (2 role-plays).

Is there free OET practice available for nurses and doctors?

Yes, FP8Media offers free OET practice for Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The free tier includes a full Reading test, writing tasks with model answers, role-play demonstrations, and AI-powered grading. You can start practising immediately without a credit card.

Does FP8Media have OET Medicine content for doctors?

Yes. Alongside OET Nursing, FP8Media provides OET Medicine Writing tasks with AI-powered grading and OET Medicine Speaking role-play demonstrations, with realistic doctor–patient scenarios across cardiology, respiratory, oncology, neurology and more.

How many OET sub-tests are there?

There are four OET sub-tests: Reading (42 questions, 60 minutes), Writing (1 letter, 45 minutes), Listening (42 questions, 40 minutes), and Speaking (2 role-plays, ~20 minutes). All four are profession-specific and use real healthcare scenarios.

Back to scenarios

Role-play Demonstration

Pre-operative Education for Total Hip Replacement

musculoskeletalHospital WardPre-operative Educationintermediate

Your Role — Nurse

Orthopaedic Ward

Your 72-year-old patient is scheduled for a total hip replacement tomorrow morning. This is their first major surgery. The patient has been living with severe osteoarthritis for five years and has not responded to conservative management. You are admitting the patient and completing the pre-operative checklist.

•Confirm patient's understanding of the surgery and why it is needed. Find out their main concerns about the procedure and recovery.
•Explain the admission process and pre-operative preparation (nil by mouth from midnight, shower with antiseptic wash, compression stockings for DVT prophylaxis).
•Describe what to expect on the day of surgery (anaesthetic review, marking of surgical site, transfer to theatre, recovery room). Outline post-operative care (pain management, wound care, drain removal, early mobilisation).
•Discuss expected hospital stay (typically 3-5 days) and discharge criteria (safe mobilisation, adequate pain control, wound healing). Explain hip precautions (no hip flexion beyond 90 degrees, no crossing legs, no internal rotation — for 6-8 weeks).
•Find out about social circumstances (support at home, home environment: stairs, bathroom access). Arrange occupational therapy and physiotherapy assessment. Establish patient's consent to proceed.

The Interlocutor

Played by the actor / assessor

You are 72 years old and have severe osteoarthritis in your right hip. You've had pain and stiffness for five years and now struggle to walk more than a few hundred metres. Surgery was recommended after nothing else helped. You are admitted to the ward the night before your total hip replacement.

•When asked, say you understand you're having a hip replacement but you're very nervous — you've never had an operation before.
•Say you're worried about the pain after surgery; your neighbour had a knee replacement and said it was very painful.
•When asked, say you live alone in a two-storey house. The bathroom is upstairs and the kitchen is downstairs. You're not sure how you'll manage when you go home.
•Say you've heard you need to be careful with your hip afterwards but you're not sure exactly what you can and can't do.
•Say you feel more reassured now. You understand what will happen tomorrow and you're ready to go ahead.

Sample Role-play

0:00Listen to a model performance · 0:00

Nurse

Hello Mrs Patel. I am David one of the orthopaedic nurses. You are scheduled for your hip replacement tomorrow morning. I want to go through everything so you know what to expect. How are you feeling?

Greeting with name and role. State purpose clearly. Open-ended question about feelings.

Patient

Very nervous to be honest. I have never had an operation before. I do not know what to expect.

Nurse

That is completely natural. Most people feel nervous before their first surgery. Let me walk you through what will happen step by step. Tonight you need to shower with a special antiseptic wash called chlorhexidine. This reduces bacteria on your skin and lowers the risk of infection.

Normalise anxiety. Structure the explanation step by step. Explain the reason for each instruction.

Patient

OK. What time is the surgery tomorrow?

Nurse

You are the second case on the list so expect to go to theatre around mid-morning. From midnight tonight nothing to eat or drink — this is essential for the anaesthetic to be safe. Tomorrow morning the anaesthetist will visit to discuss your options and the surgeon will mark your hip. Then you will go to theatre.

Answer with specific time. Give nil-by-mouth instruction with safety rationale.

Patient

What about the pain afterwards? My neighbour had a knee replacement and said it was terrible.

Nurse

Pain management has improved significantly. You will receive regular paracetamol and anti-inflammatories plus stronger medication if needed. We also use ice packs to reduce swelling. The most important thing is to tell us if you are in pain. We will ask you regularly using a pain score from zero to ten. Do not try to be brave — good pain control helps you move better and recover faster.

Acknowledge the concern. Describe multimodal analgesia. Encourage active pain reporting.

Patient

I will tell you if I am in pain. How long will I be in hospital?

Nurse

Typically three to five days. The goals we need to achieve before discharge are: your pain is controlled with oral medication you can walk safely with your walking aid your wound is healing well and you can manage at home after discharge you will need to follow hip precautions for about six to eight weeks.

Answer with a range. List discharge criteria explicitly. Preview hip precautions.

Patient

What exactly are hip precautions?

Nurse

Three simple rules to protect your new hip. One do not bend your hip past a right angle — no bending to pick things up from the floor. Two do not cross your legs or ankles. Three do not twist your body — when you turn move your feet first and turn your whole body. The physiotherapist will go through these with you after surgery.

Use three simple rules. Explain each with concrete examples.

Patient

Six to eight weeks is a long time. I live alone. I am worried about managing.

Nurse

That is a very practical concern and it is excellent you raised it now. I will refer you to occupational therapy who will assess your home and arrange equipment like a raised toilet seat a shower chair and a grabber for picking things up. Some patients also benefit from a short rehabilitation stay before going home.

Praise the patient for raising the concern. Offer specific equipment and options.

Patient

I would rather go home if I can manage with equipment.

Nurse

That is reasonable. The therapists will work with you to make that possible. After surgery you will sit out of bed on the same day with help. The physiotherapist will see you the next day to start walking with a frame or crutches. Early mobilisation reduces your risk of blood clots and speeds up recovery.

Explain the recovery timeline and benefits of early mobilisation.

Patient

Walking on the same day? That sounds soon.

Nurse

Yes just sitting or standing with support initially not walking long distances. Let me summarise. Tonight antiseptic shower and nil by mouth from midnight. Tomorrow surgery then sitting out of bed. In hospital three to five days learning to walk safely. At home follow hip precautions for six to eight weeks. OT will arrange equipment. Any questions?

Summarise the consultation clearly. End with open invitation for questions.

Patient

No you have covered everything. I feel much better prepared. Thank you David.

Nurse

You are very welcome. The team will take excellent care of you tomorrow. Try to get a good night rest. Rest well tonight Mrs Patel. We will take excellent care of you tomorrow. The team will take excellent care of you. Try to get a good night rest. Get a good night rest and the team will take excellent care of you tomorrow. You are in very safe hands.

Warm closing with reassurance about the team.

Useful Phrases

“It's normal to feel nervous before your first surgery — I'll explain everything step by step.”

“We'll make sure your pain is well controlled — don't suffer in silence, let us know.”

“After surgery, you need to avoid bending your hip past a right angle for six weeks.”

“Early mobilisation is really important — we'll have you sitting out of bed the same day.”

“We'll involve the physiotherapist and occupational therapist to make sure your home is safe for discharge.”

Clinical Background

Pre-operative education for total hip replacement significantly improves outcomes and reduces anxiety. Key nursing responsibilities: DVT prophylaxis (compression stockings, early mobilisation, anticoagulation), infection prevention (pre-op shower, antibiotic prophylaxis), hip precautions education, and discharge planning. Patients living alone need特别 assessment for home support needs.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✕Minimising the patient's anxiety about surgery — acknowledge it rather than dismissing it.
✕Failing to assess social circumstances early — discharge planning should start at admission.
✕Overloading with information without checking understanding — use teach-back for hip precautions.