OET SPEAKING BY PROFESSION · OPTOMETRISTS
OET Speaking for optometrists: the role play explained
OET Speaking for optometrists 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 optometrists, 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 optometrist. Typical cards involve explaining a diagnosis like glaucoma risk without alarming the patient, advising on contact lens care after an infection, or persuading a patient to attend an urgent referral. You are marked on structure and reassurance as well as language.
WHAT THE CRITERIA REWARD
WHO ACCEPTS IT
OET Optometry is accepted in contexts including the Optometry Board of Australia via AHPRA and the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board of New Zealand. UK and other routes set their own requirements, so always verify against the regulator's current published rules before booking.
See the exact current requirement
LAST REVIEWED 9 AUGUST 2026
COMMON QUESTIONS
What does the OET Speaking subtest involve for optometrists?
Speaking is two role plays with you as the optometrist. Typical cards involve explaining a diagnosis like glaucoma risk without alarming the patient, advising on contact lens care after an infection, or persuading a patient to attend an urgent referral. You are marked on structure and reassurance 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 Optometry?
OET Optometry is accepted in contexts including the Optometry Board of Australia via AHPRA and the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board of New Zealand. UK and other routes set their own requirements, so always verify against the regulator's current published rules 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 optometrists · OET Writing for optometrists · OET Speaking for all twelve professions