The Occupational English Test (OET) Speaking sub-test is a crucial component for healthcare professionals seeking to practice in English-speaking countries, such as Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Ireland, and others, in 2025. 

Designed to mirror real-world clinical interactions, this sub-test evaluates a candidate’s ability to communicate effectively, empathetically, and professionally in healthcare settings. 

For professionals such as nurses, doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and dentists, excelling in the OET Speaking sub-test is crucial for professional registration and delivering high-quality patient care. 

This updated guide, reflecting the latest developments as of September 2025, covers the test’s structure, assessment criteria, preparation strategies, common challenges, and the value of mock tests. 

By leveraging resources like oetpro.com, candidates can hone their skills and boost their confidence to achieve the scores needed for success.

Overview of the OET Speaking Sub-Test in 2025

The OET Speaking sub-test is tailored to the candidate’s specific healthcare profession, ensuring relevance to their daily clinical responsibilities. 

It assesses both linguistic proficiency (e.g., pronunciation, fluency) and clinical communication skills (e.g., empathy, rapport-building), simulating interactions with patients, caregivers, or colleagues. 

In 2025, the test will have incorporated technological advancements, offering seamless video-based delivery for both in-person and OET@Home formats, with enhanced audio-visual clarity to improve the candidate experience. 

The sub-test’s focus on real-world scenarios—such as explaining a diagnosis or addressing patient concerns—makes it an accurate measure of a healthcare professional’s readiness to communicate in English-speaking environments.

Success in this sub-test is critical for registration with regulatory bodies like the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or Australia’s AHPRA, which typically require a B grade (350-440 out of 500) across sub-tests. 

With global healthcare demands rising, OET-qualified professionals are highly sought after, often securing roles with competitive salaries (e.g., $82,750 average for nurses in the US) and opportunities for career advancement.

Structure of the OET Speaking Sub-Test

The Speaking sub-test lasts approximately 20 minutes and is conducted one-on-one with an interlocutor, who plays the role of a patient, caregiver, or colleague. The structure Conversationarm-Up Conversation (2-3 minutes): An unscored, informal chat about the candidate’s profession, workplace, or general interests. This helps ease nerves and build rapport, setting the stage for the role-plays. In 2025, warm-up topics may include contemporary healthcare trends, such as telehealth or patient-centred care.

• Role-Play Scenarios (Two, 5 minutes each): The core component, where candidates receive a role-play card detailing the setting, patient information, and tasks. Each role-play allows 2-3 minutes of preparation to review the card. Scenarios are profession-specific:

• Nursing: Explaining wound care to a patient post-surgery.

• Medicine: Discussing medication options for hypertension.

• Dentistry: Advising on post-extraction care.

• Pharmacy: Counselling on antibiotic side effects.

• Physiotherapy: Guiding a patient through a rehabilitation plan.

• The interlocutor may adopt varied demeanours (e.g., anxious, skeptical, or cooperative), testing adaptability. Two thousand twenty-five updates include more culturally diverse scenarios, reflecting global healthcare settings.

Assessment Criteria in 2025

The OET Speaking sub-test is evaluated across nine criteria, split into linguistic and clinical communication categories, each scored on a scale of 0 to 6. The total score is converted to a 0-500 scale and a letter grade (A-E). Here’s a breakdown:

Linguistic Criteria

1. Intelligibility: Clarity of pronunciation, stress, and intonation. Accents are acceptable if comprehensible to native speakers.

2. Fluency: Smooth, natural speech with minimal hesitations or repetitions.

3. Appropriateness of Language: Using tone, formality, and vocabulary suited to the patient’s needs (e.g., avoiding jargon with laypeople).

4. Resources of Grammar and Expression: Employing varied, accurate grammar and profession-specific vocabulary.

Clinical Communication Criteria

1. Relationship-Building: Establishing rapport through empathy, active listening, and a friendly demeanour.

2. Understanding and Incorporating the Patient’s Perspective: Addressing the patient’s emotions, concerns, or beliefs.

3. Providing structure in the Conversation with clear introductions, transitions, and conclusions.

4. Information-Gathering: Asking relevant questions to understand the patient’s situation.

5. Information-Giving: Explaining information clearly, concisely, and at the patient’s comprehension level.

Most regulators require a B grade (350-440), with some accepting C+ (300-340) in specific contexts. In 2025, scoring emphasizes cultural sensitivity and telehealth communication, aligning with modern healthcare trends.

Preparation Strategies for the OET Speaking Sub-Test

Excelling in the Speaking subtest requires targeted preparation that combines language skills, clinical communication, and test familiarity. Here are updated strategies for 2025:

1. Master the Test Format

• Study Role-Play Cards: Practice analyzing cards quickly, identifying key tasks (e.g., explain, reassure) and patient details. oetpro.com offers free sample cards for practice.

• Understand the criteria: Align your practice with the nine assessment criteria, prioritizing both empathy and structure.

• Review Samples: Analyze model responses to grasp effective communication styles.

2. Enhance Linguistic Skills

• Improve Pronunciation: Use tools to refine sounds, focusing on stress and intonation—record and review practice sessions for clarity.

• Boost Fluency: Practice daily speaking on healthcare topics, using shadowing techniques with medical podcasts to mimic native flow.

• Expand Vocabulary: Learn terms specific to your profession (e.g., “analgesia” for nurses, “mobility aids” for physiotherapists). Create flashcards and use them in sentences.

• Adapt Language: Practice switching between technical terms for colleagues and simple language for patients (e.g., “high blood pressure” vs. “hypertension”).

3. Develop Clinical Communication

• Build Rapport: Use empathetic phrases like, “I can see this is concerning for you,” and practice positive body language (e.g., nodding, even virtually).

• Incorporate Patient Perspective: Summarize concerns (e.g., “It sounds like you’re worried about recovery time”) and ask open-ended questions (e.g., “How are you feeling about this plan?”).

• Structure Conversations: Follow a clear format: greet, outline purpose, explain, check understanding, summarize. Use signposting (e.g., “Let’s start with your symptoms”).

• Gather/Give Information: Practice WH-questions for data collection and chunking information for clarity (e.g., “First, this medication helps with pain; second, it may cause drowsiness”).

4. Practice Realistic Role-Plays

• Simulate Conditions: Set a 2-3 minute timer for card review, followed by a 5-minute role-play—record sessions to self-assess.

• Vary Scenarios: Practice with cooperative, anxious, or resistant patients to build adaptability.

• Partner Practice: Work with a colleague or tutor to present diverse scenarios, receiving Feedback on tone and clarity.

5. Leverage Resources

• Access free practice materials on oetpro.com, including nursing-specific role-plays and scoring rubrics. These reflect the updated scenarios for 2025, such as virtual consultations.

• Join online study groups for peer practice and tips exchange.

• Use medical English to reinforce terminology.

6. Seek Feedback

• Tutors: An OEFeedback tutor can provide personalized Feedback on pronunciation or empathy.

• Self-Assessment: Compare recordings to rubrics, noting areas like hesitations or jargon overuse.

• Group Feedback: Share role-plays in study groups for diverse perspectives.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Candidates face specific hurdles in 2025, but these can be overcome:

1. Nervousness: Anxiety leads to hesitations or rushed speech. Solution: Practice deep breathing and simulate test conditions to build confidence.

2. Misreading Role-Play Cards: Missing key tasks disrupts performance. Solution: Highlight critical details during prep and practice quick analysis on oetpro.com.

3. Overusing Jargon: Technical terms confuse patients.—solution Practice layperson explanations (e.g., “joint stiffness” instead of “arthralgia”).

4. Handling Difficult Patients: Emotional or resistant interlocutors challenge adaptability. Solution: Role-play varied demeanours, using empathetic de-escalation (e.g., “I understand your frustration; let’s find a solution”).

5. Time Management: Rushing or omitting tasks. Solution: Prioritize key tasks in prep and practice pacing to cover all points in 5 minutes.

Test Day Tips for 2025

• Before: Rest well, test equipment for online tests, and review common phrases (e.g., “Let me explain the next steps”).

• During: Smile, maintain a calm tone, and listen actively to the interlocutor. Recover from minor errors by continuing smoothly.

• After: Reflect briefly but focus on future prep if a retake is needed.

Sample Role-Play and Response (Nursing)

Scenario:
Setting: Community clinic
Patient: Mrs. Lee, 50, newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
Task: Explain blood sugar monitoring, address concerns about needle pricks, and suggest lifestyle changes.

Model Response:
Nurse: Hello, Mrs. Lee, I’m Emma, your nurse. Today, I’d like to discuss managing your diabetes. How are you feeling about your diagnosis?
Patient: I’m worried, especially about using needles for testing.
Nurse: I understand entirely—needles can seem daunting. Let’s go through it step-by-step. Monitoring your blood sugar involves a small device called a glucometer. You’ll prick your finger with a tiny needle, but it’s quick and usually feels like a small pinch. We’ll teach you to make it as comfortable as possible. Does that help ease your concern?
Patient: A bit, but it still sounds painful.
Nurse: That’s a common worry. We use wonderful needles, and I can show you techniques to minimize discomfort, like pricking the side of your finger. Also, checking your sugar daily helps us adjust your treatment to keep you healthy. Alongside this, small lifestyle changes—like eating more vegetables and walking 20 minutes daily—can really help manage diabetes. Would you like tips on diet planning?
Patient: Yes, please.
Nurse: Great! Let’s start with balanced meals—more whole grains and fewer sugary drinks. I’ll arrange a session with our dietitian. Any other questions?
Patient: Not now, thank you.
Nurse: You’re welcome, Mrs. Lee. We’ll practice monitoring together soon, and I’ll check in tomorrow. Thank you!

This response demonstrates empathy, clear structure, and task completion, aligning with the 2025 emphasis on patient-centred care.

Benefits of Mock Tests

Mock tests are invaluable for 2025 preparation:

1. Diagnose Weaknesses: Identify issues like hesitations or weak rapport.

2. Simulate Conditions: Build familiarity with timing and interlocutor dynamics.

3. Refine Strategies: Test approaches like signposting or empathy phrases.

4. Boost Confidence: Reduce anxiety through repeated practice.

5. Targeted Feedback: Platforms like oetpro.com provide scores and tips, highlighting areas for improvement.

Access free mock tests on oetpro.com to practice profession-specific scenarios and receive instant analytics.

The OET Speaking sub-test in 2025 is a critical measure of healthcare professionals’ ability to communicate effectively in clinical settings. 

By mastering the format, aligning with assessment criteria, practicing role-plays, and addressing challenges, candidates can achieve the B grades needed for registration. Resources like oetpro.com offer free, tailored practice to streamline preparation. 

With 2-3 months of dedicated effort, healthcare professionals can confidently navigate this sub-test, unlocking rewarding careers in English-speaking countries. Start today with oetpro.com and take a decisive step toward your global healthcare goals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What does the OET Speaking sub-test assess?
It evaluates linguistic (pronunciation, fluency) and clinical communication skills (empathy, structure) in healthcare scenarios.

Q2. How long is the Speaking sub-test?
About 20 minutes, with a 2-3 minute warm-up and two 5-minute role-plays.

Q3. Is the warm-up scored?
No, it’s designed to ease candidates into the test.

Q4. What types of role-play scenarios are included?
Profession-specific tasks like explaining treatments, addressing concerns, or giving advice.

Q5. Who is the interlocutor?
A trained examiner playing a patient, caregiver, or colleague.

Q6. What score is needed for registration?
Typically B (350-440), though some regulators accept C+ in specific cases.

Q7. How can I improve my pronunciation?
Practice with tools, record sessions, and seek tutor feedback.

Q8. Can I ask questions during role-plays?
Yes, it’s encouraged for gathering information and building rapport.

Q9. What if I make a mistake?
Minor errors are fine if overall communication remains clear and compelling.

Q10. Where can I find practice materials?
oetpro. Co-feedback on profession-specific feedback.