OET SPEAKING BY PROFESSION · OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
OET Speaking for occupational therapists: the role play explained
OET Speaking for occupational therapists is two role plays, not a general conversation test: you take the professional's side of the conversation, and the interlocutor plays the other side from a card you never see.
This page sets out what the role plays involve for occupational therapists, the two families of criteria they are marked against, and how to practise the consultation itself, not only the English.
THE ROLE PLAYS
Speaking is two role plays with you as the occupational therapist. Typical cards involve discussing home modifications with a reluctant patient, explaining energy conservation to someone recovering from illness, or agreeing realistic goals with a carer. You are marked on structure, empathy, and checking understanding as well as language.
WHAT THE CRITERIA REWARD
WHO ACCEPTS IT
OET Occupational Therapy is accepted by bodies including the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia via AHPRA and the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand. In the UK, the HCPC publishes its own English language requirements, so check its current guidance. Always confirm with your regulator before booking.
See the exact current requirement
LAST REVIEWED 9 AUGUST 2026
COMMON QUESTIONS
What does the OET Speaking subtest involve for occupational therapists?
Speaking is two role plays with you as the occupational therapist. Typical cards involve discussing home modifications with a reluctant patient, explaining energy conservation to someone recovering from illness, or agreeing realistic goals with a carer. You are marked on structure, empathy, and checking understanding as well as language.
How long is the OET Speaking subtest?
About 20 minutes in total: a short warm up that is not assessed, then two role plays of roughly five minutes each, with about three minutes of preparation per card.
Which criteria does OET Speaking mark?
Two families: linguistic criteria (intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness of language, and grammar and expression) and clinical communication criteria (relationship building, understanding the patient's perspective, providing structure, and information gathering and giving).
Which regulators accept OET Occupational therapy?
OET Occupational Therapy is accepted by bodies including the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia via AHPRA and the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand. In the UK, the HCPC publishes its own English language requirements, so check its current guidance. Always confirm with your regulator before booking.
Independent preparation service. Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, OET or Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment. Practice feedback is based on published OET criteria and is not an official evaluation. Regulator requirements change: confirm current rules with the regulator directly.
OET for occupational therapists · OET Writing for occupational therapists · OET Speaking for all twelve professions