If you want to score 350+ (Grade B) in the OET Speaking sub-test, then you have to do more than just memorise phrases and use good grammar. But what? To do well and get your desired scores in the OET exam, you have to first understand the OET speaking criteria. These are the exact guidelines that examiners use to assess your performance, and knowing about them can give you a clear advantage. In our blog, we will talk about how OET is scored, its criteria, and the common challenges that you can avoid to get the perfect score. Read on!
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Before we talk about speaking criteria OET, let us first understand what happens in it. In OET speaking, your ability to professionally communicate in English in a real-life setting is assessed.
This is done through two role-plays where you have to interact with an interlocutor who will play the role of either a patient or their carer, and you have to talk to them just like you would in a real-life professional scenario.
Both role-plays will last five minutes, and you will get three minutes each for preparation. In addition to that, this is a profession-specific test, and all the information will be given to you on OET Speaking Role Play Cards. Lastly, your test will be recorded, and it will then be assessed by two or more OET assessors.
The OET speaking is scored based on two main criteria, namely, linguistic and clinical communication criteria. These are assessed by two OET assessors who will assign scores based on how well you perform in each area.
The Linguistic Criteria is scored out of 6 points or level descriptors, whereas the Clinical Communication Criteria has 3 points, and to get 350+ (Grade B), you need to score 5 out of 6 in linguistics and 2 out of 3 in clinical communication.
Based on a combination of these scores, your overall score will be calculated, and it will determine your letter grade (A-E) for the speaking sub-test. Let us take a look at each of these speaking criteria in detail below.
In the linguistic criteria, your ability to accurately and effectively communicate in English will be assessed. This criterion focuses more on the technicality of the language, which is completely separate from the clinical communication aspect.
However, do keep in mind that these criteria are checked and applied all throughout the OET role-play and not just in some parts, so make sure that you stay consistent. There are 4 main aspects of the linguistic criteria, which include:
In the intangibility aspect of the OET speaking assessment, how well your speech is understood is checked. It assesses things like how clear your pronunciation is, how you emphasise certain words and sounds, your intonation, rhythm, and the overall clarity of your speech.
In fluency, the way you speak is checked, which means the pace of your speech, along with fluency and smoothness. In addition to this, it also checks how much you have stated or use words like “um” and “am”. While hesitation is fine on its own, you should not show as if you are searching for words or structures.
This criterion focuses on the kind of language you use and if it is suitable for the context and for the listener. This includes things like the appropriateness of the language for the healthcare setting, not using technical jargon when talking to the patient, and lastly, your ability to adjust your language and tone for different audiences.
The last aspect of the linguistic criteria is your ability to use a range of grammatical structures and vocabulary based on the situation. It also includes things like how well and clearly you express your ideas.
The second main OET speaking criteria is clinical communication skills, which includes five main aspects. Each of these aspects is scored from 0-3, where 3 is considered the highest, and there is a main focus of the language being used within a healthcare context, regardless of your medical knowledge.
Below is a breakdown of each of these five main aspects of the clinical communication criteria in brief:
In the relationship-building aspect, your ability to build a rapport and a comfortable connection with the patient is checked. This includes things like how you initiate your interaction with the patient appropriately (greeting, introductions, nature of interview), your attitude, and whether you follow a non-judgmental approach while showing empathy or not.
The next OET speaking assessment aspect of the clinical communication criteria is how well you can understand and incorporate the patient’s ideas, concerns, and expectations. It also includes things like your ability to pick up a patient’s cues and integrate them into your communication.
The speaking criteria of the OET exam also check how well you organize the conversation logically and introduce topics clearly to the patient. In addition to this, it also checks how the kind of organizing techniques you use in your explanations.
In this criterion, your ability to gather information from the patient by asking logical and relevant questions is tested. This also checks how well and attentively you listen to the patient’s responses. Make sure that in this you do not use compound or leading questions and use statements that are vague and need amplification.
In the last speaking criteria OET, your information-giving ability is checked. In this, the assessor will check how well you understand what the patient already knows, use the response to guide the next steps, check whether the patient understood the given information, and lastly, discover what further information the patient needs.
Another aspect of OET preparation that can help you score 350+ in the OET speaking sub-test is understanding the common challenges that most test takers usually face while meeting the OET speaking criteria. These include:
In conclusion, scoring 350+ in the OET Speaking sub-test needs more than just good English and medical knowledge. To ace this, you need to have a good understanding of the speaking criteria and how to apply them in real clinical interactions. By focusing on both linguistic accuracy and clinical communication skills and avoiding common mistakes, you can improve your chances of success and get the OET score you need.
Apart from the OET speaking criteria and the guidelines we shared in this blog, you can also connect with our experts at Gradding.com. They will help you build confidence, clarity, and competence in your speaking performance. Connect today!
1. How is the OET Speaking Score?
The OET speaking sub-test is scored by two assessors based on two main assessment criteria, which include linguistic and clinical communication. There will be two role-plays, and both of them will be scored individually on a score range from 0 to 500, with letter grades from A (highest) to E (lowest).
2. What are the Criteria for Speaking Assessment?
There are nine main criteria for speaking assessment in the OET exam that ensure that the candidate is evaluated based on both their linguistic abilities and capacity to communicate effectively. These criteria include: Intelligibility, Fluency, Appropriateness of Language, Grammar and Expression, Relationship Building, Information Gathering, Providing Structure, Understanding and Incorporating the Patient’s Perspective, and Providing Reassurance.
3. What is the OET Speaking Format?
The format of OET speaking consists of two role-plays, and both are five minutes long. In this, you will get three minutes to prepare for each role-play with the help of a role-play card. In the card, you will get a scenario, and during the role-play, you will interact with an interlocutor who will act as either the patient or their carer.
4. How to Pass the OET Speaking Test?
To pass the OET speaking test, make sure that you focus on practising role-plays, developing strong vocabulary and pronunciation, and demonstrating empathy and professionalism. In addition to this, try to use the three-minute preparation time to analyse the role-play card and identify the key issues to plan your approach.
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