OET Writing (Nursing) vs OET Writing (Medicine): The Occupational English Test (OET) is a specialized English language proficiency exam designed exclusively for healthcare professionals seeking to work or study in English-speaking countries.

Unlike general English tests like IELTS, the OET tailors its content to 12 healthcare professions, including Medicine and nursing, making it a preferred choice for doctors, nurses, and allied health workers. 

The Writing sub-test, in particular, evaluates a candidate's ability to communicate effectively in professional written English, simulating real-world scenarios such as patient referrals or discharge summaries.

As of September 30, 2025, the OET remains a critical gateway for migration and registration in countries like Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and now the United States. With over 100,000 candidates annually, the test's profession-specific approach ensures relevance, but it also introduces nuances between disciplines. 

This article provides a detailed comparison of the OET Writing sub-test for Nursing and Medicine, examining task types, subtypes, structural differences, and preparation strategies. We'll incorporate the latest 2025 updates, including scoring changes and regulatory shifts, to provide a roadmap for success. 

Whether you're a registered nurse (RN) preparing a discharge letter or a general practitioner (GP) drafting a referral, understanding these distinctions can elevate your performance from a C+ to a coveted A grade.

Throughout this guide, we'll use tables for clear comparisons and break down every element with practical examples. For targeted preparation, resources like oetpro.com offer tailored practice tests and expert feedback, helping candidates master these profession-specific demands.

Overview of the OET Writing Sub-Test

The OET Writing sub-test is a 45-minute component that requires candidates to produce a single professional letter based on provided case notes. This task assesses six core criteria: purpose and audience (25%), content management (25%), conciseness and genre (20%), grammar and cohesion (20%), and spelling and punctuation (10%). 

Scores range from A (highest) to E (lowest), with a grade of B or higher often required for professional registration.

The test begins with 5 minutes of reading time to review case notes—typically 150-200 words detailing a patient's history, symptoms, test results, and actions taken. 

Candidates must then write a 180-200-word letter, selecting and organizing relevant information while omitting extraneous details. The emphasis is on clarity, professionalism, and workplace authenticity, avoiding overly academic or casual tones.

Profession-specific tailoring is key: Medicine tasks often involve inter-colleague communication, reflecting a doctor's consultative role, while Nursing tasks mirror hands-on patient care coordination. No significant format changes occurred in 2025, maintaining the 45-minute structure. 

However, as of January 29, 2025, OET introduced an overall score (calculated as the average of sub-test grades) alongside traditional letter grades, simplifying result interpretation for regulators.

This sub-test's challenge lies in time management and prioritization—selecting the correct details under pressure. For both Nursing and Medicine, the letter must address the prompt's purpose precisely, using appropriate medical terminology without jargon overload.

Task Types in OET Writing: General Structure

At its core, the OET Writing task is always a letter-writing exercise, but the type varies by profession. The general structure includes:

1. Header and Salutation: A formal address (e.g., "Dear Dr. Smith" for Medicine referrals) and date.

2. Introduction: State the purpose in 1-2 sentences.

3. Body: Organize selected case notes chronologically or thematically, using paragraphs for clarity.

4. Conclusion: Summarize the recommendations or outline the next steps.

5. Sign-Off: Professional closing (e.g., "Yours sincerely, [Your Name], RN").

Candidates receive case notes in bullet-point format, which they must synthesize into cohesive prose. Irrelevant information (e.g., outdated history) must be excluded to stay within word limits. Grammar demands include varied sentence structures, a balance of active/passive voice, and precise tense usage—past for historical events, present for ongoing issues, and future for plans.

Now, let's dissect the profession-specific task types.

OET Writing for Medicine: Task Types and Subtypes

For medical professionals (doctors, including GPs and specialists), the task predominantly requires writing a referral letter to another healthcare provider, such as a specialist or colleague. This reflects the diagnostic and consultative nature of medical practice.

Primary Task Type: Referral Letter

• Purpose: To transfer patient care or seek expert opinion on diagnosis, treatment, or management.

• Audience: Typically another doctor (e.g., cardiologist, oncologist).

• Key Features: Emphasizes clinical history, differential diagnoses, investigations, and rationale for referral. The tone is formal, objective, and evidence-based.

Subtypes of Referral Letters in Medicine:

1. Specialist Referral: For complex cases, e.g., referring a patient with unexplained chest pain to a cardiologist. Include ECG results, risk factors (hypertension, smoking), and urgency level.

• Example: "I am referring Mr. Jones, a 55-year-old male, for urgent cardiology review due to persistent angina despite beta-blocker therapy."

2. Inter-Departmental Referral: Within a hospital, e.g., from ER to internal Medicine for post-acute management.

• Focus: Immediate actions taken (e.g., thrombolysis) and ongoing monitoring needs.

3. Follow-up Referral: For chronic conditions, such as diabetes management, to an endocrinologist.

• Subtlety: Highlight non-response to current regimen (e.g., HbA1c >9%).

Less common but possible: Advice Letters to non-medical colleagues (e.g., social workers) on patient fitness for work, though referrals dominate 90% of tasks.

In 2025, with no format shifts, the emphasis remains on concise clinical summaries, aiming for 40-50% of the letter to be devoted to history/exams, 30% to rationale, and 20% to recommendations.

OET Writing for Nursing: Task Types and Subtypes

Nursing tasks are more patient-centred, often involving direct care coordination. Candidates (RNs, ENs) write either a referral letter or a discharge letter, mirroring community or ward-based roles.

Primary Task Types: Referral and Discharge Letters

• Purpose: To ensure seamless care transitions, focusing on holistic patient needs (physical, emotional, social).

• Audience: Varied—could be community nurses, GPs, family, or multidisciplinary teams.

• Key Features: Integrates nursing assessments (e.g., mobility, pain scores) with medical history, using empathetic yet professional language.

Subtypes of Referral Letters in Nursing:

1. Community Referral: To home care services, e.g., for post-surgical wound care.

• Example: "Following Mrs. Lee's appendectomy, she requires daily dressing changes and mobility support at home."

2. Multidisciplinary Referral: To physiotherapists or dietitians, for example, for patients at risk of falls.

• Focus: Functional assessments (e.g., Barthel Index scores) and barriers to independence.

3. Social Services Referral: For vulnerable patients, such as the elderly with isolation risks.

• Subtlety: Include psychosocial notes (e.g., "Patient reports loneliness post-bereavement").

Subtypes of Discharge Letters in Nursing:

1. Standard Discharge Summary: To GPs, outlining hospital stay, medications, and follow-up.

• Example: "Discharged on Day 5 with resolved pneumonia; continue amoxicillin 500mg TID for 3 days."

2. Patient/Family Information Letter: Non-technical advice on self-care, e.g., diabetes education.

• Focus: Simple language, bullet-point instructions for adherence.

3. Inter-Agency Transfer: To residential care facilities, emphasizing ongoing nursing needs (e.g., PEG feeding).

Discharge letters appear in about 40% of Nursing tasks, promoting patient empowerment. Unlike Medicine's doctor-to-doctor focus, Nursing letters balance clinical and supportive elements.

Key Differences: A Comparative Analysis

While both professions share a similar letter format, differences stem from the scope of roles—doctors diagnose/refer, while nurses assess/coordinate. The table below summarizes core contrasts:

This table highlights how Medicine tasks demand precision in medical narratives, while Nursing emphasizes practical, transferable care plans. For instance, a Medicine referral might detail "elevated troponin levels suggesting NSTEMI," whereas a Nursing discharge could advise "monitor for signs of infection: redness, swelling."

Scoring nuances: Both are marked identically, but Nursing letters score higher on cohesion if empathetic links (e.g., "This will alleviate Mrs. Lee's anxiety") are incorporated, as per the 2025 assessor guidelines.

Latest Updates in 2025: Implications for Candidates

2025 brought subtle yet impactful changes to OET, primarily in scoring and acceptance criteria, without altering Writing formats.

1. New Overall Score Introduction (January 29, 2025): Candidates now receive a numerical overall band score (0-10, similar to the IELTS) in addition to letter grades. For Writing, a B (350-400/500) equates to 7.0-8.0, aiding holistic evaluations. This benefits Medicine candidates, whose referral precision often yields higher grammar scores.

2. Regulatory Shifts:

• UK's NMC: Accepts C+ (300-340) in Writing with B in other sub-tests, easing entry for nurses facing discharge letter complexities.

• Australia's AHPRA: Similar C+ threshold for Writing, recognizing Nursing's practical focus.

• US Acceptance: OET is now fully recognized for both doctors and nurses in state licensing (e.g., California, New York), boosting global mobility.

3. Content Refinements: Enhanced case notes include diverse scenarios (e.g., telehealth referrals for Medicine; culturally sensitive discharges for Nursing). Tenses guidance updated—emphasizing present perfect for recent events (e.g., "has been experiencing dyspnea since admission").

These updates reduce barriers, with pass rates up 5% for Nursing in Q1 2025. Candidates should verify profession-specific requirements via official portals.

Preparation Strategies: Mastering the Differences

Adequate preparation bridges the gap between Nursing's relational style and Medicine's analytical depth. Start with official OET samples, then use platforms like oetpro.com for simulated tasks—it's AI feedback analyzes content relevance, a game-changer for subtypes like specialist referrals.

For Medicine:

• Practice synthesizing diagnostics: Time yourself selecting 8-10 key notes.

• Subtype Drill: Write five referrals weekly, varying audiences.

• Tense Mastery: Use past simple for events ("Patient presented with..."), future modals for plans ("should undergo angiography").

For Nursing:

• Focus on Empathy: Integrate phrases like "to support her recovery at home."

• Subtype Variety: Alternate referrals/discharges; role-play audiences.

• Concise Tip: Include bullet points for future care in discharge letters for improved scannability.

Common Pitfalls: Both professions undervalue purpose—always restate it early. Track progress with mock scores; aim for 180+ words without fluff.

Advanced Tip: Analyze high-band samples on oetpro.com, noting cohesive devices (e.g., "furthermore" for linking assessments).

The OET Writing sub-test for Nursing and Medicine, while structurally similar, diverges in purpose, audience, and emphasis—referrals dominate the consultative world of Medicine. In contrast, Nursing blends referrals with empowering discharges. 

With 2025's scoring innovations and relaxed thresholds, these tasks are more accessible than ever, yet demand disciplined practice.

By dissecting subtypes, leveraging comparisons like the one in our table, and tapping resources such as oetpro.com, candidates can transform case notes into compelling letters.

Ultimately, excelling here not only secures registration but also hones the communication skills vital for patient safety. As healthcare globalizes, mastering OET Writing positions you at the forefront—start preparing today.

References: Insights drawn from official OET guidelines, 2025 updates, and regulatory announcements. For practice, visit oetpro.com.