From our research
What this interview looks like
The OET Speaking sub-test is a recorded one-to-one session with an interlocutor lasting about twenty minutes, taken on the same day as the other sub-tests at a venue or at home. It is profession-specific: a nurse receives nursing role cards, a doctor medical ones, and the same applies to pharmacists, physiotherapists, dentists and the other professions OET covers. The session opens with a short warm-up about your professional background that is not assessed. Then come two role-plays of about five minutes each; before each you get a role card with the setting, the patient and your tasks, and three minutes to read it and ask the interlocutor anything that is unclear. The interlocutor plays the patient, carer or relative from a matching card you do not see, and you lead the conversation as the healthcare professional. The recording is assessed afterwards by two trained assessors, independently of the interlocutor, against four linguistic criteria, intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness of language and resources of grammar and expression, and five clinical communication criteria, relationship building, understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering and information giving. Results are reported on a 0 to 500 scale with grades A to E for each sub-test; regulators such as the UK NMC and GMC, Australian AHPRA and Irish boards typically ask for grade B, 350 or above, in Speaking. ExamPilot compresses the session to fourteen minutes with the same structure, a two-minute warm-up, two role-plays with the preparation time described verbally, and a neutral close, and then scores both role-plays against the nine OET criteria.
How it is weighted
Speaking is one of four sub-tests, each reported separately on a 0 to 500 scale, with grade B at 350 to 440 and grade C plus at 300 to 340. Regulators set a minimum per sub-test rather than an overall score, so a weak Speaking grade cannot be offset by a strong Reading grade. The four linguistic criteria and the five clinical communication criteria carry roughly equal weight in the Speaking score, and the assessors mark the recording, not the interlocutor, so a candidate who completes the tasks but ignores the patient's perspective can still fall below B.
Who this is for
For GNM and BSc nursing graduates and working nurses registered with a State Nursing Council or the Indian Nursing Council who are applying to the UK NMC, Australian AHPRA, Irish NMBI, Dubai DHA, Singapore or other regulators that accept OET. Candidates have usually finished their clinical training and many are already working in Indian hospitals; some are mid-recruitment with a UK NHS trust or an agency and need Speaking grade B to move to the next step. There is no eligibility test; anyone may register, though the role cards assume real nursing knowledge.
The panel focuses on
- Opening a ward conversation with name, role and purpose, and asking what the patient already knows before explaining anything
- Explaining discharge instructions, wound care and warning signs in small chunks and asking the patient to repeat the plan back
- Exploring the real reason behind missed medicines or a refusal, non-judgementally, and agreeing a realistic routine
- Responding to a worried relative with acknowledgement and a concrete next step rather than blanket reassurance
- Replacing ward jargon such as NPO, obs or IV with plain English a patient can follow
- Keeping pace, intonation and clarity steady when the patient interrupts, is upset or does not understand
Step 1
Pick your subject
The expert on the panel probes these areas at the level of this post. Optional here; you can choose during setup.
Step 2
Choose how you want to be interviewed
1:1 interview
One interviewer runs every round and adapts the focus as you go. Lower pressure; ideal for a first attempt.
Ms. Anjali Menon
Language expert
Panel interview · 2 members
Most realisticEach member leads their own round and hands over to the next. They hear each other, so a weak answer will be revisited.
Ms. Anjali Menon
Language expert
Dr. Vikram Shetty
Language expert
What to expect
4 rounds · 14 minutes
A faithful run of the OET Speaking sub-test. One interlocutor conducts a recorded, one-to-one session of about twenty minutes in the real test: a short unassessed warm-up about the candidate's professional background, then two role-plays of about five minutes each, with three minutes to read the role card before each one. The interlocutor plays the patient, carer or relative; the candidate plays the healthcare professional in their own profession. The role cards are profession-specific, so a nurse is handed a nursing scenario and a pharmacist a pharmacy scenario. Audio is scored afterwards by two separate assessors against four linguistic criteria, intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness of language, and resources of grammar and expression, and five clinical communication criteria, relationship building, understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering and information giving. The interlocutor never teaches, corrects or gives feedback, stays in role, and only steps out of role to manage time. ExamPilot compresses the session to fourteen minutes: a two-minute warm-up, two role-plays of five minutes including a verbal summary of the preparation time, and a short close.
- Round 1
Warm-up: professional background
· 2:00Settle the candidate with a short, unassessed conversation about their profession, workplace and interests, exactly as the OET interlocutor does, so they are speaking comfortably in English before the first role card.
Ms. Anjali Menon2–3 questionsup to 1 follow-up each - Round 2
Role-play 1: profession-specific scenario
· 5:00Run the first role-play from the candidate's own profession bank: read the candidate role card aloud, describe the preparation time, then play the patient, carer or relative faithfully from the interlocutor brief, so the candidate's clinical communication and language can be scored in a realistic consultation.
Ms. Anjali Menon1–1 questionsup to 2 follow-ups each - Round 3
Role-play 2: contrasting scenario
· 5:00Run a second role-play that contrasts with the first in setting and emotional register, taken from the shared situational bank, so the candidate is tested on a different communication challenge such as an angry relative, an anxious parent or a patient who refuses the plan.
Ms. Anjali Menon1–1 questionsup to 2 follow-ups each - Round 4
End of the sub-test
· 2:00End the sub-test the way the OET interlocutor does: a neutral thank you, confirmation that the recording will be assessed separately, and no feedback or indication of grade.
Ms. Anjali Menon0–1 questions
Sample questions
OET Speaking Nursing interview questions
Questions panels commonly ask in the OET Speaking Nursing interview, with what a strong answer covers. Practise them aloud with the AI panel.
- Warm-up
Before we begin the role-plays, tell me a little about your nursing experience. Which ward do you work on at the moment?
What a strong answer covers
This warm-up is not assessed, so use it to settle your voice: two or three relaxed sentences about your hospital, ward and years of experience. Speak at a natural pace. Avoid a memorised speech or worrying about mistakes here; the real assessment starts with the first role card.
- Role-play
Role-play: you are a nurse on a surgical ward. Mr Thomas, 64, goes home tomorrow after a hernia repair. Explain wound care and the warning signs of infection.
What a strong answer covers
Introduce yourself and your purpose, ask what he already knows, then explain dressing care, showering and lifting limits in small chunks. List warning signs like redness, discharge and fever with exactly what to do. Ask him to repeat the plan back. Avoid a long monologue or medical words like dehiscence.
- Role-play
Role-play: you are a community nurse. Mrs Begum, 58, with type 2 diabetes, admits she often skips her evening tablet. Find out why and agree a plan.
What a strong answer covers
Open warmly, ask open questions without judgement, and explore reasons such as side effects, forgetting or beliefs. Acknowledge her view, explain the risk simply, and agree a realistic routine like linking the dose to dinner. Check understanding. Avoid lecturing or telling her she is non-compliant.
- Role-play
Role-play: you are a ward nurse. The daughter of an elderly patient is angry that her father has not been seen by a doctor all day. Respond to her.
What a strong answer covers
Acknowledge her worry and frustration first, apologise for the wait, explain what you know about the plan honestly, and give a concrete next step such as paging the doctor and updating her by a set time. Avoid defending the hospital, blaming staff or offering empty reassurance.
- Role-play
Role-play: you are a nurse in a day-surgery unit. A patient is anxious and asks why she cannot eat or drink before tomorrow's operation. Explain the reason.
What a strong answer covers
Replace terms like nil by mouth with plain English, explain that an empty stomach reduces the risk of vomiting and choking under anaesthetic, give clear timings for food and clear fluids, and invite questions. Reassure without dismissing her fear. Avoid jargon or a rushed explanation.
- Role-play
Role-play: you are a practice nurse. A young mother is unsure whether to vaccinate her baby after reading frightening stories online. Address her concerns.
What a strong answer covers
Ask what she has read and what worries her, acknowledge the concern, explain benefits and common mild side effects in simple terms, correct misinformation gently, and respect her decision while offering further reading or a follow-up. Avoid dismissing her or using scare tactics.
- Role-play
Role-play: you are a nurse on a medical ward. A patient with heart failure is being discharged and needs to monitor his weight and fluid intake. Explain what to do.
What a strong answer covers
Explain daily weighing at the same time, what weight gain means, fluid limits, recognising breathlessness or swelling, and when to call for help, in chunks with checking questions. Ask him to explain back. Avoid overloading him or giving numbers without context.
- Role-play
Role-play: you are an emergency department nurse. A patient's husband keeps interrupting you while you explain the next tests. Manage the conversation.
What a strong answer covers
Stay calm, acknowledge his anxiety, invite his questions politely, set structure such as I will explain first and then answer your questions, and keep a steady pace. Avoid raising your voice or ignoring him.
- Role-play
Role-play: you are a nurse in a rehabilitation unit. An older patient refuses to use a walking frame because she feels embarrassed. Encourage her.
What a strong answer covers
Explore her feelings, acknowledge embarrassment, explain the benefits for safety and independence, offer options and agree a small first step. Show empathy and respect. Avoid forcing or dismissing her feelings.
Reading is not rehearsing. Answer these out loud to an AI OET Speaking Nursing panel that follows up like the real one.
Practise these questionsMeet the panel
Your AI interviewers
Distinct personas, voices and questioning styles, briefed on this post.
Ms. Anjali Menon
ChairLanguage expert
OET Speaking interlocutor and nurse educator; former staff nurse (Kochi), OET preparation provider trainer
Warm, patient, utterly convincing in role, neutral out of it.
Female voice · 1 languages
Dr. Vikram Shetty
Language expert
OET Speaking interlocutor and medical English trainer; MBBS, formerly a junior doctor in Mangaluru and Melbourne
Measured, realistic, quietly demanding; plays difficult patients and relatives convincingly.
Male voice · 1 languages
Languages
Answer in the language you think in
The panel asks in your chosen language. Switch mid-answer if you like.
- English
How scoring works
A report you can act on
Every round is scored on the rubric
Each interviewer scores only the criteria their round covers. Weights add up to your overall score out of 100.
Only what you actually said counts
Feedback quotes your own answers. Rounds you skip show as “Not assessed” rather than a zero.
Communication is always measured
Fluency, clarity, confidence and structure are tracked across the whole interview, in any language.
Pass mark, then a plan
You see the pass mark for this interview, your gaps, and the courses that close them fastest.
Scored on
- Intelligibility15%
How easily a patient could understand the candidate's speech: clarity of individual sounds, word stress, sentence stress, intonation, rhythm and overall pace. An Indian accent is never penalised by itself; only strain on the listener is. Score high when every clinical term, dose instruction phrase and reassurance is clear the first time, pace is steady, and intonation signals questions, lists and emphasis. Score mid when the listener occasionally has to work, when word endings are swallowed, when key medical words such as antibiotic or physiotherapy are mis-stressed, or when speech speeds up under pressure. Score low when meaning is frequently lost, when words are run together, or when a patient would plausibly ask the professional to repeat themselves more than once in a role-play. Map OET grade C to about 50, C plus to about 60, B to about 75, A to about 90.
- Fluency15%
The smoothness and naturalness of the candidate's speech across the whole role-play: rate of speech, length of pauses, hesitation, false starts, and whether the flow of the conversation is maintained when the patient pushes back. Score high when speech is continuous and natural, pauses are for thought about content rather than for searching words, and the candidate can switch from information giving to responding to an interruption without stalling. Score mid when there are noticeable hesitations before clinical explanations, repeated fillers, or self-corrections that slow the conversation but do not break it. Score low when long silences, fragmented sentences or restarts make the patient wait and the interaction feels effortful. Do not reward speed; a measured pace suited to an anxious patient is fluent. Map OET grade C to about 50, C plus to about 60, B to about 75, A to about 90.
- Appropriateness of language15%
Whether register, tone and vocabulary suit a healthcare professional speaking with a patient, carer or relative. Score high when the candidate uses plain language instead of jargon, explains any necessary medical term immediately, adjusts tone for a distressed, elderly, angry or young listener, uses polite softeners and signposting, and avoids being either too casual or too formal. Score mid when jargon slips in unexplained, when phrases are stiff or textbook-like, or when the tone stays flat regardless of the patient's emotion. Score low when the candidate lectures, uses clinical shorthand such as NPO or BID without explanation, sounds dismissive or condescending, or uses language a lay patient could not follow. Also judge whether the candidate stays in the professional role rather than drifting into a general conversation. Map OET grade C to about 50, C plus to about 60, B to about 75, A to about 90.
- Resources of grammar and expression15%
The range and accuracy of grammar and vocabulary available to the candidate, and whether limitations get in the way of communicating with the patient. Score high when the candidate produces a wide range of structures accurately, including conditionals for consequences, modals for advice and permission, passives for procedures, and reported speech for what the doctor said, with precise everyday and professional vocabulary and effective paraphrase when a word is missing. Score mid when meaning is clear but errors recur in tense, articles, prepositions or subject-verb agreement, or when vocabulary is adequate but repetitive and the candidate avoids complex explanations. Score low when grammatical errors cause misunderstanding, when the candidate cannot rephrase an explanation the patient did not follow, or when vocabulary gaps force long detours. Map OET grade C to about 50, C plus to about 60, B to about 75, A to about 90.
- Clinical communication criteria40%
Score the five OET clinical communication criteria together, weighting them equally. Relationship building: a proper introduction with name and role, a warm and respectful greeting, attentive listening, acknowledgement of the patient's feelings and situation, and non-judgemental language even with a non-adherent or angry patient. Understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective: eliciting and exploring the patient's ideas, concerns and expectations, picking up verbal cues such as I'm worried or I don't see the point, and relating explanations back to what the patient said. Providing structure: an orderly sequence from opening to closing, signposting such as first I'd like to ask a few questions and then we'll talk about the plan, summarising, and checking the patient is ready to move on. Information gathering: open questions before closed ones, one question at a time, not interrupting, clarifying vague answers and avoiding leading questions. Information giving: finding out what the patient already knows, giving information in small chunks, checking understanding by asking the patient to say the plan back, using plain language, inviting questions, and tailoring reassurance to the specific concern rather than offering blanket comfort. Score high when all five are visibly present and the role card's tasks are completed within the patient's agenda; score mid when the tasks are completed but mechanically, with little exploration of the patient's concern or no check of understanding; score low when tasks are missed, the candidate talks over the patient, ignores a stated worry, or gives clinically unsafe or invented information such as specific dosages that are not on the role card. Map OET grade C to about 50, C plus to about 60, B to about 75, A to about 90.
Pass mark 60 / 100 · OET Speaking — two profession-specific role-plays
Keep exploring
More OET Speaking interviews
- OET Speaking Medicine interviewDoctors seeking GMC, AHPRA, Irish or Gulf registration
- OET Speaking Pharmacy interviewPharmacists seeking registration in the UK, Australia, Ireland or the Gulf
- OET Speaking Physiotherapy interviewPhysiotherapists seeking HCPC, AHPRA, CORU or Gulf registration
- OET Speaking Dentistry interviewDentists seeking GDC, ADC, Irish Dental Council or Gulf registration