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

Post-Operative Recovery Following Ankle ORIF: Comprehensive Discharge Planning Including Wound Care, Neurovascular Observations, Pain Management, Crutch Training, Home Environment Adaptation and Rehabilitation Pathway

musculoskeletalHospital WardPatient Educationbeginner

Your Role — Nurse

Surgical Ward

Your 35-year-old patient is day 1 post-operative following open reduction and internal fixation of a fractured right ankle sustained during a football match. The patient has a below-knee cast, is non-weight-bearing, and will need to use crutches for 6-8 weeks. The patient lives alone in a first-floor flat with no lift. They work as an office administrator. They are due for discharge in 1-2 days depending on pain control, safe mobilisation, and home environment assessment. You are the orthopaedic nurse providing comprehensive discharge planning covering cast care, neurovascular monitoring, pain management, safe mobilisation with crutches, home adaptation, driving restrictions, phased return to work, physiotherapy goals, and fracture clinic follow-up.

•Greet the patient and assess pain using a numerical rating scale. Perform neurovascular observations of the affected limb: colour, warmth, sensation, movement, capillary refill, and pedal pulses. Document and explain findings.
•Teach cast care: keep clean and dry, report increasing pain, foul odour, discharge, cast tightness, loss of sensation. Differentiate normal discomfort from red flag symptoms (compartment syndrome).
•Teach safe crutch walking: correct height adjustment, three-point gait, navigating stairs (up with good leg, down with crutches and bad leg first), getting in and out of chairs. Assess return demonstration.
•Discuss pain management: regular paracetamol and NSAIDs, breakthrough analgesia, importance of pre-physiotherapy dosing. Explain expected pain trajectory over the first 2 weeks.
•Discuss discharge planning: home environment assessment, OT referral if needed, driving restrictions (6 weeks minimum for right ankle), phased return to office work, physiotherapy goals, fracture clinic follow-up in 2 weeks for X-ray and cast review. Provide written aftercare plan with red flags and emergency numbers.

The Interlocutor

Played by the actor / assessor

You are 35 years old and had surgery yesterday on a broken right ankle from football. You have never had an operation or used crutches. You live alone in a first-floor flat and work in an office. You are worried about how you will manage at home.

•Say the pain is about 5 out of 10. The painkillers help but it is sore when you move.
•Say you are very worried about stairs — you have never practised with crutches and your flat is upstairs.
•Ask about showering with the cast. Ask what happens if the cast gets wet or starts to smell.
•Ask about work — you sit at a computer all day. Can you go back after a week?
•Say you feel more confident now. You want to practise with the physiotherapist on the stairs before discharge.

Sample Role-play

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

Nurse

Good morning. How are you feeling this morning after your surgery yesterday?

Open-ended start for morning assessment — assess general wellbeing before clinical checks.

Patient

Sore, but not as bad as I expected to be honest. The painkillers are definitely helping but it is still quite uncomfortable when I try to move.

Nurse

That is completely normal for day one after the type of surgery you have had. Let me check your foot and ankle now. I need to make sure the circulation and nerve function are normal after the operation. Can you wiggle your toes for me please? Excellent, that is perfect. Can you feel me touching your big toe? Good, the sensation is normal. The colour and warmth of the skin look good as well. Everything is as expected for this stage.

Explain each assessment step clearly. Use positive feedback. Reassure patient with normal findings.

Patient

I am actually more worried about what happens when I go home. I have never used crutches before in my life, and I live on the first floor of a block of flats with no lift.

Nurse

That is an absolutely valid concern and I am very glad you have raised it early. The key rule for managing stairs safely on crutches is simple to remember. When you are going up the stairs, always lead with your good leg first. When you are coming down the stairs, lead with your crutches and your operated leg first. We will practise this together on the ward stairs with the physiotherapist before you are discharged, and you can practise as many times as you need to feel confident.

Validate concern immediately. Provide memorable mnemonic. Offer supervised practice.

Patient

I think I will need quite a lot of practice. I have never been very coordinated.

Nurse

That is absolutely fine — that is exactly what we are here for. Now let me explain how to look after your cast. It is very important to keep the cast completely clean and dry at all times. When you shower, wrap the cast securely in a plastic bag and tape it tightly around the top, or you can buy a waterproof cast cover from most pharmacies. If the cast does accidentally get wet, dry the outside carefully with a hairdryer on the cool setting — never use heat as it could burn the skin underneath the plaster.

Provide clear cast care instructions with practical tips.

Patient

What warning signs should I look out for?

Nurse

That is an excellent question. If the cast starts to feel significantly tighter, if you lose any sensation in your toes, if they become pale blue or cold, or if you notice a foul smell or any discharge coming from inside the cast, you need to come to the Emergency Department immediately. The tightness and numbness could be signs of compartment syndrome which is a surgical emergency. The smell or discharge could be a sign of infection under the cast. Do not wait to see if it gets better on its own.

Praise question. Provide specific, memorable red flags. Differentiate between symptoms requiring emergency versus routine care.

Patient

I will definitely come straight back if that happens.

Nurse

Let me talk about your pain management plan. You will go home with a supply of paracetamol to take every six hours and ibuprofen to take with food every eight hours. You will also have some stronger pain relief for breakthrough pain if the regular tablets are not enough. Make sure you take your pain relief about thirty minutes before your physiotherapy sessions as it will help you to move more comfortably and get more benefit from the exercises. Your pain should gradually improve day by day over the first two weeks.

Clear medication schedule with rationale linked to physiotherapy. Expected pain trajectory.

Patient

When do you think I might be able to go back to work? I work in an office sitting at a computer.

Nurse

For an office-based job, most people return after about two to four weeks depending on how well their pain is controlled and how independently they can get around. You will be non-weight-bearing on your right foot for about six weeks, so driving is not possible during that time if it is your right foot that is affected. I would suggest discussing a phased return to work with your employer — perhaps working from home for the first week or two, then starting with half-days before building up to full days.

Provide realistic return-to-work timeline. Discuss driving restrictions. Suggest phased return plan.

Patient

I can definitely work from home. That should not be a problem.

Nurse

We will arrange a follow-up appointment at the fracture clinic in about two weeks for a check X-ray to see how the bone is healing and for a cast review. The physiotherapist will also give you some specific exercises to do at home to maintain the strength and flexibility in your knee and hip while your ankle is immobilised in the cast. Before you go home, I will give you a written aftercare sheet with all of this information along with the emergency contact numbers.

Arrange follow-up. Mention physio exercises. Provide written backup.

Patient

Perfect. I feel like I have a clear plan now. Thank you for explaining everything so carefully.

Nurse

You are very welcome. The whole team will work with you to make sure you are safe and confident before you go home. We will work together to get you safely home. The team will support you every step of the way.

Warm closing with team reassurance.

Useful Phrases

“Let me show you how to use the crutches safely — practise makes perfect.”

“Always go up stairs with your good leg first, and down with your crutches and bad leg first.”

“Keep the cast clean and dry — use a plastic bag taped over it for showering.”

“If the cast feels too tight or you lose sensation in your toes, come straight back to ED.”

“Take your pain relief regularly, especially before physiotherapy sessions.”

Clinical Background

Post-operative orthopaedic nursing care: neurovascular observations (colour, warmth, sensation, movement, capillary refill, pulses) are essential — compartment syndrome is a surgical emergency. Crutch walking requires supervision and practice before discharge. Home environment assessment is crucial for safe discharge — especially stairs, bathroom access, and social support.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✕Not demonstrating crutch use before discharge — the patient needs to practise under supervision.
✕Failing to provide written aftercare instructions — patients forget verbal instructions when anxious.
✕Not assessing home environment — assuming a patient can manage stairs without a plan.