OET Speaking Samples - How to Practice OET Speaking?

The OET Speaking sub-test uses content specifically tailored to your profession and specialization. In each role-play, you play your professional job, such as a nurse or a pharmacist, while the interviewer plays a sick patient, a client, or the patient’s close relative or carer. As healthcare personnel, you are also required to communicate with patients and their families to some extent.

When communicating with those from different backgrounds, you should be able to adapt the way you speak in order for your speech to be comprehensible to those from non-medical backgrounds.

So, this article will provide you with OET Speaking samples and useful tips to assist you in your preparations for the OET examination. It will help you gain insight into what you are expected to do and what to avoid when appearing for the speaking subtest of the OET Exam.

Let us begin with information regarding the OET Speaking subtest!

About the Role-play Task in OET Speaking 

• You will be provided with the relevant information for each role-play on a card that you are allowed to keep with you for reference while performing the role-play. The card describes the scenario and what you must do.
• The role-plays are based on common workplace scenarios and represent the expectations placed on a health professional in various situations. The interviewer follows a script to ensure that the format of the Speaking test is consistent for each candidate. In addition, the interviewer has precise information to employ in each role-play.
• If you like, you can make notes on the card. If you have any questions concerning the role play’s content or how it works, you can ask the examiner conducting the test during the preparation time.
• At the same exam administration, different role-play scenes are utilized for the different candidates and are not often repeated. Thus, you must be prepared to respond confidently to a diverse set of scenarios.
• The entire Speaking sub-test is recorded, and this audio recording is evaluated. While doing your OET Training, make sure to practice under exam conditions too!

Breakdown of a Role Play Task

Let us consider the following ‘Candidate’ card sample.

The card will give you the following information:

• What is your function?
• What is your interlocutor’s role – patient, parent/son/daughter, caregiver?
• Where is the discussion taking place?
• What is the current state of affairs?
• How critical is the situation?
• What information do you have about the patient and the situation?
• What are you expected to do?
• What is the major goal of the dialogue [e.g., to explain, discover, reassure, or persuade]?
• What other aspects of the issue are you aware of? [For example, the patient appears nervous or angry; you don’t have a lot of time.]
• What information must you provide the patient?

Best Practices to Address OET Speaking Samples/Questions

Like any other exam or exam module, OET Speaking needs regular, systematic practice.

“But what is the proper way or system to do it?”

If this question is crawling up in your mind, here are the steps you can follow for a successful interaction:

• Use open-ended and closed-ended questions to gain and clarify information.
• Pick up verbal and non-verbal cues
• Give advice
• Acknowledge patient concerns
• Encourage the patient
• Explain the risks associated with not taking the recommended treatment.
• Proceed further once the patient has agreed to the plan of action

Qualities that a Candidate Needs to Display for OET Speaking

A strong candidate will display the following qualities in the Speaking exam:

• use the natural flow of speech, giving stress to particular words within sentences to emphasize the meaning
• giving correct stress to syllables within words so that they are identifiable to the listener
• show control of intonation – voice falling or rising, and stress – appropriate force, length, emphasis, or loudness, to enhance meaning and strengthen the communication
• pronounce words clearly
• minimise any intrusive sounds, rhythm, and accent which may be influenced by his/her mother tongue.
• show the ability to link words together naturally.

Initially, it might become challenging for you to keep all these pointers in mind. Therefore, you can look for tips to improve your Speaking skills for the OET.

Sample Questions for OET Speaking Task with Model Answer

Here are some sample questions that you can take a look at to understand the type of scenarios you will encounter in the real test.

NURSING SAMPLE QUESTION 1

INTERVIEWER CARD

Setting: Community Health Clinic

Patient: Your name is John Williams. You are 35-year-old and work as a computer engineer. You drive half a mile to work and spend your evenings in front of the TV or the local pub with friends. You usually miss breakfast because of your busy schedule and tend to eat snacks or fast food during the day.

Recently, you have noticed a marked decrease in your energy levels, particularly in the afternoons.

On weekends, you take care of your six-year-old nephew. You lead a busy life and do not get any exercise or physical activity. You do not have any significant health problems, but lately, you have been getting breathless while playing with your nephew on the weekends. You do not believe that you need to lose weight, as being overweight is quite common these days.

Task

• Respond to the nurse’s questions.
• Express concern that it will be hard to make changes to your lifestyle.
• Reluctantly agree to comply with the advice and return in a month’s time for a review.

CANDIDATE CARD

Setting: Community Health Centre

Nurse: You are talking to John Williams, a 35-year-old computer engineer who has been referred by his GP for advice on weight loss. He has been experiencing breathlessness on exertion and has been advised by his General Practitioner to lose weight to improve his health. He is overweight and has a BMI of 25.

Task

• Discuss the importance of losing weight.
• Ask questions about his lifestyle including drinking and eating habits.
• Provide advice on getting a suitable diet and physical activity (increase physical activity, reduce alcohol intake, eat fruits and vegetables).
• Advise the patient to come back for a review in four weeks’ time.

Check your Answer!

NURSING SAMPLE QUESTION 2

INTERVIEWER CARD

Setting: Community Health Clinic

Patient: Your name is John Williams. You are 35-year-old and you work as a computer engineer. You drive half a mile to work and spend your evenings in front of the TV or the local pub with friends. You usually miss breakfast because of your busy schedule and tend to eat snacks or fast food during the day. Recently, you have noticed a marked decrease in your energy levels, particularly in the afternoons.

On weekends, you take care of your six-year-old nephew. You lead a busy life and do not get any exercise or physical activity. You do not have any significant health problems, but lately, you have been getting breathless while playing with your nephew on the weekends. You do not believe that you need to lose weight, as being overweight is quite common these days.

Task

• Respond to the nurse’s questions.
• Express concern that it will be hard to make changes to your lifestyle.
• Reluctantly agree to comply with the advice and return in a month for a review.

CANDIDATE CARD

Setting: Community Health Centre

Nurse: You are talking to John Williams, a 35-year-old computer engineer who has been referred by his GP for advice on weight loss. He has been experiencing breathlessness on exertion and has been advised by his GP to lose weight in order for his health to improve. He is overweight and has a BMI of 25.

Task

• Discuss the importance of losing weight.
• Ask questions about his lifestyle, including drinking and eating habits.
• Provide advice on getting a suitable diet and physical activity (increase physical activity, reduce alcohol intake, eat fruits and vegetables).
• Advise the patient to come back for a review in four weeks.

Check your Answer!

Practice Questions For Nursing 

QUESTION 1

INTERVIEWER CARD

Setting: Hospital Casualty Ward

Patient: You are in the hospital following a road accident. You are not seriously injured, but have lost blood and have been told that you need a blood transfusion. You have no idea what the procedure will involve. You are anxious about the procedure and the danger of receiving infected blood. You have read that patients have contracted HIV through blood transfusions.

Task:

• You are anxious and upset. Express your fear of contracting HIV. Respond to the nurse’s reassurances accordingly.
• Seek an explanation from the nurse about the procedure and the risks involved.
• Eventually agree to have the transfusion.

CANDIDATE CARD

Setting: Hospital Casualty Ward

Nurse: The patient is in hospital following a road accident. The patient’s condition is stable but he/she has lost blood and needs a blood transfusion. The patient does not understand what will happen. The patient is anxious about the procedure.

Task:

• Find out about the patient’s concerns.
• Reassure the patient that the possibility of infection is very small (as care is taken to screen donors and test donated blood for possible infection).
• Explain the procedure for a blood transfusion (e.g., sterile conditions, new syringes, nurses watching closely, etc.).
• Stress that the patient really needs the transfusion in order to recover fully.

QUESTION 2

INTERVIEWER CARD

Setting: Emergency Department, Local Hospital

Patient: You are 35. You were involved in a car accident earlier today and are suffering from whiplash and a headache. You are feeling sorry for yourself and are impatient to be better.

Task:

• Be confused that you have been kept in the hospital for so long, given there are no signs of broken bones, cuts or bruises.
• Ask why you are being given medication.
• Stress that you want to get better in the shortest time possible. Ask if physiotherapy will shorten the recovery period.
• Ask about the length of the treatment. How long will it be before you are better?
• Ask if there is anything else you need to know.
• Ask if there could be ‘after effects’ or ongoing problems as a result of your accident.

CANDIDATE CARD

Setting: Emergency Department, Local Hospital

Nurse: This 35-year-old patient was involved in a car accident earlier today and is now

suffering from a headache and whiplash (an injury to the cervical spine). He/she is being kept in the hospital for observation but is expected to be discharged later in the day.

Task:

• Find out what the patient thinks are the reasons why he/she is being kept in the hospital.
• Advise the patient on the reason for taking and continuing to take medication, and ways of managing the pain once he/she returns home (e.g., with heat/ice, analgesics, a collar, etc.).
• Discuss the best care practices after the patient leaves the hospital. Describe the benefits of consulting a physiotherapist about exercise and relaxation exercises to loosen up the joints.
• Explain that you cannot be sure how long the patient will take to recover fully.
• Stress the importance of complying with the treatment and exercise program.
• Stress the importance of seeking medical advice if there is any increased pain or discomfort, nausea, vomiting, or vision problems.

Conclusion

As a qualified healthcare professional, the language used by the candidate is supposed to reflect their training and experience. The way they communicate is expected to be mutually intelligible with others in the healthcare profession. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to go through a number of OET Speaking samples and practise as much as possible to achieve the top OET score.

Also Check:

• Synonyms test for OET
• OET Score Calculator
• OET Registration
• OET Exam Booking
• OET Exam Pattern