Many students trip up in the OET writing for the same reasons – all of which can be easily avoided if you follow the following easy, quick tips.

1. READ THE WRITING TASK

This seems obvious, but it’s remarkable how many students glaze over the task. Make sure you read it CAREFULLY and identify WHO you are writing to, WHAT is the purpose for writing and their ROLE in the patient’s care. Do not assume you are writing to a community nurse, as this is where students commonly make the mistake.

2. IDENTIFY THE KEY ISSUES

Read through the notes carefully and identify what are the most important issues in the case. This ensures you pick up the most relevant information to include in your letter, rather than blindly writing everything from the notes.

3. MONITOR YOUR WORD COUNT

The word count of the task is 180-200 words. This is one of the key marking criteria so I strongly encourage all students to leave at least 1 minute at the end of the task to quickly count their words and ensure they are within the limit. Aiming to stay within the word count also encourages you to choose your relevant information carefully, as discussed in tip #2 above.

4. PRACTICE!!

This doesn’t need to be said but I will say it anyway. Practicing will not only allow you to hone in these quick tips I’ve mentioned in this blog, but also give you an idea of how much time you are using to do each task.

All the best and I hope you will put these tips into practice.