oet writing common mistakes

The following two case notes are used for reference.

Reference Case Notes 1 (Referral)

Reference Case Notes 2 (Discharge)


1. Incorrect reading sequence

Time management is critical in completing the test successfully. Many candidates fail to make use of the 5-minute reading time effectively, and it may impact the selection of information later.

To avoid that, try to read the case notes in the sequence given below.

  1. At first, read ‘Notes’ to understand your role and your relationship with the patient.
  2. Then, move to ‘Writing Task’ to understand who the reader/addressee is and what he/she is expected to do generally.
  3. Now, start reading from the ‘Patient Details’, identifying all the relevant information to be conveyed to the reader to continue the expected care/action.

Note:

Do not underline/highlight any information during the reading time. You can do that once the writing time starts, but avoid spending a lot of time on that.

Keep a few minutes to proofread your letter at the end.

Practise under timed conditions to avoid stress.

2. Unclear Purpose in the introduction (Assessment Criterion – Purpose)

Please remember, the OET letter purpose should be immediately apparent (in the introduction) and explained well/emphasised later (in the concluding paragraph).

How to make the purpose immediately apparent in the letter?

  • Keep the introduction succinct and brief.
  • Avoid secondary information in the introduction.
  • Use the most appropriate verb to indicate the purpose.
  • Convey the clinical condition/status clearly and accurately.
  • Convey the purpose of the document generally in the introduction.

Reference Case Notes 01

Incorrect VersionRight Version
I am writing this letter to refer Ms Anne Hall, a 35-year-old secondary school teacher, who has been diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux, which may be associated with a stricture. She requires for further investigations and a definitive diagnosis.I am writing to refer Ms Anne Hall, a 35-year-old teacher, who has been provisionally diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux with a possible stricture, for further investigations and a definitive diagnosis.
Errors:Corrections:
Not necessary to mention "this letter" as it is obvious from the formatRemove "this letter" as it's redundant.
“Secondary school" is irrelevant; "teacher" is sufficient.Keep only "teacher" as the occupation, omitting unnecessary details like "secondary school."
The diagnosis is incorrectly stated as “confirmed”, while it is still provisional.Clarify the clinical status by stating "provisionally diagnosed" instead of suggesting a confirmed diagnosis.

Reference Case Notes 02

Incorrect VersionRight Version
I am writing to refer back Mr. Lionel Ramamurthy, who presented with acute shortness of breath (SOB), inspiratory and expiratory wheezing, persistent cough and fever. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and received treatment. He is stable and is being discharged back into the retirement home today.I am writing regarding Mr. Lionel Ramamurthy, who was admitted with a diagnosis of pneumonia. He is being discharged back to the retirement home today and requires your continuity of care.
Errors:Corrections:
The term "refer back" is incorrect for discharge as it implies introducing the patient for the first time.Use "regarding" instead of "refer back" or appropriate verbs for discharges or follow-up situations.
Presenting complaints (acute shortness of breath, wheezing, cough) are secondary and not relevant to mention in the introduction.Only mention the most recent assessment and discharge plan, like the pneumonia diagnosis and the requirement for continued care.

Please note, information in the ‘Discharge Plan’ is the action/care expected from the reader and should be explained in the concluding paragraph.

Guide to Writing Purpose in an OET Letter

3. Omitting Relevant Information from the Case Notes (Assessment Criterion – Content)

Exclusion of relevant information will impact the reader’s understanding of the patient’s condition and continuity of care.

Reference Case Notes 01

View Relevant Case Notes


The patient has a provisional diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux.

Therefore, the possible triggers can be depression (following divorce), high BMI, dyspepsia, oral corticosteroids, consuming alcohol, smoking, aspirin use, increased coffee consumption, allergy to codeine (possible content in the OTC medicine taken for URTI) and a family history of peptic ulcer.

Ms. Hall is divorced and has two children. She received treatment for depression in 2006 following her divorce, sought weight reduction in 2008, had dyspepsia in 2012 and took oral corticosteroids for dermatitis in 2014. She does not smoke but drinks socially, mainly spirits. She is allergic to codeine, and her family history is positive for peptic ulcer.

Reference Case Notes 02

View Relevant Case Notes


Brief the patient’s condition/most relevant complaints at the time of admission, as some complaints still exist (chest and abdominal pain) and is considered while planning his discharge.

On admission dated 04/02/2019, Mr. Ramamurthy had acute SOB, inspiratory and expiratory wheezing, a persistent cough, causing chest and abdominal pain, and fever. He appeared weak, was mobilising with a pick-up frame and required assistance with his ADLs.

Similarly, nursing care provided and the patient’s progress/condition at the time of discharge are also relevant.

OET Case Notes Selection

4. Inclusion of Irrelevant Information (Assessment Criterion – Conciseness & Clarity)

Irrelevant information/details in the letter distracts the reader and may impact the understanding of the patient’s condition and expected care. The word count may exceeds the desired limit too.

View Relevant Case Notes


The patient has a provisional diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux.

Therefore, the following information is not relevant to the reader to proceed with the expected care of the patient – number of children, allergy to dust mites and sulphur dioxide, family history (except for peptic ulcer), past medical history not related to her current GI issues.

View Relevant Case Notes


The patient is returning to the retirement home after discharge, and the reader, who is the nurse at the retirement home, already knows the patient and his history.

Therefore, his marital status, residence, next of kin, past medical history, and social background are not relevant and should be excluded in the letter.

5. Inclusion of Wordy Sentences & Redundant Information (Assessment Criterion – Conciseness & Clarity)

Wordy sentences and redundant information also distract the reader and will also lead to an increase in the word count.

Reference Case Notes 01

Less EffectiveSuggested Sample
Today, Ms. Hall presented with a complaint of dysphagia to solids. In addition, she complained of concomitant epigastric pain radiating to the back at the level of T12 and a Weight loss of 1-2kg. According to her, the symptoms started 2 weeks ago after a viral upper respiratory tract infection, which she tried to self-treat with an over-the-counter Chinese herbal medicine, but its ingredients were unknown. (66 words)Today, Ms. Hall presented with complaints of dysphagia to solids, concomitant epigastric pain radiating to the back at the T12 level and a 1-2kg Weight loss. She reported self-treating a viral URTI two weeks ago with an OTC Chinese herbal medicine with unknown ingredients. (44 words)
Errors/Commentary:Corrections/Commentary:
Repeated the phrase "complained of," which is redundant.Simplified and combined the complaints into a single phrase, avoiding redundancy.
"Radiating to the back at the level of T12" is too wordy.Kept the description precise: "radiating to the back at the T12 level."
"Over-the-counter" and "which she tried to self-treat with" make the sentence unnecessarily long. The reader, a gastroenterologist, is familiar with common abbreviations.Replaced "over-the-counter" with "OTC," and rephrased for brevity.
The sentence is lengthy and can be split into two, ensuring clarity and conciseness.Reorganized into two shorter, clearer sentences for better readability and flow.

The suggested version is more concise, using only 44 words instead of 66. It avoids redundancy, keeps the phrasing clear and direct, and reduces unnecessary detail. A balance is struck between giving essential clinical information and maintaining clarity for the reader. The use of medical abbreviations like “OTC” also aligns with professional standards. This revision improves both readability and relevance, which are key to scoring well in the OET writing sub-test.

Reference Case Notes 02

Less EffectiveSuggested Sample
On 04/02/2019, Mr. Ramamurthy had complaints of acute SOB as well as inspiratory and expiratory wheezing. In addition to that, he had a persistent cough, causing chest and abdominal pain, and fever. Additionally, he was found to be weak. He was mobilising with the help of a pick-up frame and required assistance with his ADLs. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted. (62 words)On admission dated 04/02/2019, Mr. Ramamurthy had acute SOB, inspiratory and expiratory wheezing, a persistent cough, causing chest and abdominal pain, and fever. He appeared weak, was mobilising with a pick-up frame, and required assistance with his ADLs. (38 words)
Errors/Commentary:Corrections/Commentary:
The phrase "had complaints of" is unnecessarily wordy.Simplified to "had" to reduce wordiness.
Repeated phrases like "In addition to that" and "Additionally" are redundant.Combined and simplified sentences to avoid unnecessary connectors like "additionally" and "in addition to that."
The sentence can be more concise without losing important information.Used a more direct, streamlined sentence structure to make the text clearer and shorter.

The suggested sample is more concise, reducing the word count from 62 to 38 without losing any critical information. It also eliminates redundancy by avoiding repeated connectors such as “In addition to that” and “Additionally.” This not only improves clarity but also aligns with the OET writing criteria for conciseness and readability.

OET Writing Structure – All You Need to Know
List of Acceptable OET Abbreviations in Writing

6. Spelling Errors (Assessment Criterion – Language)

Spelling errors reflect your poor proficiency in the language. The following are the most common errors that can impact the score significantly.

  1. Errors that lead to another word – For instance, advise/advice, severe/sever, compliant/complaint/complained, Anginine/Arginine
  2. Inconsistent spelling – British and American versions of spelling are equally acceptable, but it should be consistent with the version throughout the letter
  3. Frequent spelling errors

The following words are the most misspelt.

advise/advice, compliant/complaint/complained, assessment, severe, received, revealed, occurrence, recommended, appropriate, temperature

Always proofread the letter at the end to correct spelling errors.

Guide to Avoiding Spelling Mistakes in OET Writing

7. Capitalization Errors (Assessment Criterion – Language)

Errors related to capitalization also indicate poor English proficiency. These inaccuracies are typically seen pertaining to disease and medicine names.

Remember, the following should be capitalized

  1. Proper names – Ms. Anne Hall, Newtown
  2. Brand names of medicines – Panadol, Atacand
  3. Diseases/tests/characteristics named after people – Parkinson’s disease, Murphy’s test
  4. Abbreviations/Acronyms (as approved) – BP, ECG

OET Writing Capitalisation PDF

8. Using Contractions and Short Forms (Assessment Criterion – Genre and Style)

Using contractions and short forms is considered informal. Therefore, you are expected to use their respective expanded versions in the OET letter.

Contractions in OET Writing

Less FormalSuggested
✘ I’m writing to refer Ms. Anne Hall … I am writing to refer Ms. Anne Hall …
In case of any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me. In case of any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Short Forms in OET Writing
You can see a lot of short forms in the case notes, and the common ones are ↑, ↓, &, +, echo, physio, rehab, labs,

Less FormalSuggested
Ms. Hall has been provisionally diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux +/- stricture. Ms. Hall has been provisionally diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux with a possible stricture.
His echo revealed anterior wall motion abnormality. His echocardiography revealed anterior wall motion abnormality.
Mr. Ramamurthy was started on chest physio. Mr. Ramamurthy was started on chest physiotherapy.

9. Inappropriate Use of Medical Jargons, Abbreviations/Acronyms and Latin Abbreviation (Assessment Criterion – Genre and Style)

Medical terms and abbreviations/acronyms used in the letter should also be aligned with the reader’s/recipient’s specialty and knowledge.

For example, medical professionals are familiar with common medical abbreviations/acronyms, such as BP, BMI, ECG, X-ray, MRI, etc. However, jargons, abbreviations/acronyms not related to the specialty of the reader or nor familiar to the reader should be explained or expanded accordingly.

For example,

MS can be read as multiple sclerosis by a neurologist but mitral stenosis by a cardiologist.

PND can be postnatal depression or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea.

Latin Abbreviations: Including them in the letter is not encouraged. You are expected replace them with their full English form(s).

List of Medications in OET Writing

When to Writing Abbreviations in OET Writing

NOTE: Less commonly used or complex medical terms should be used carefully in the letters. For example, in some pharmacy case notes, the reader/addressee is a common man who may not be familiar with clinical terminology; therefore, they should be conveyed to them in simple terms.

10. Reliance on Brackets (Assessment Criterion – Genre and Style)

Use of brackets makes an OET letter look informal. Although there is no guideline on the how many brackets in OET writing should be written, you should minimise their use.

Less FormalSuggested
Mr. Ramamurthy was started on chest physiotherapy (deep breathing & coughing exercises). Mr. Ramamurthy was started on chest physiotherapy, including deep breathing and coughing exercises.
Therefore, Ms. Hall has been prescribed pantoprazole (40mg daily). Therefore, Ms. Hall has been prescribed pantoprazole 40mg daily.

However, brackets can be used to explain an abbreviation/acronym in the 1st place (if the reader is not familiar with that), and the abbreviation/acronym can be used in the later parts of the letter.

For example, you may write ‘congestive cardiac failure (CCF)’ at the first occurrence, then each time after that write CCF.

11. Impolite Tone (Assessment Criterion – Genre and Style)

Addressing the patient inappropriately and being judgemental are typically seen in OET letters, and they are considered impolite.

  1. Refer to the patient appropriately in the letters.
  2. If relevant, give facts instead of words that sound judgmental when describing a patient’s lifestyle choices, such as smoking and drinking, or physical/clinical condition.

OET Writing – How to address the patient

Less PoliteSuggested
Ms. Hall does not smoke but is an alcoholic. Ms. Hall does not smoke but drinks socially, mainly spirits.
Mrs. Sharma leads a sedentary lifestyle. Mrs. Sharma does not do any formal exercise.

12. Informal Words, Phrases and Punctuations (Assessment Criterion – Genre and Style)

A common mistake most candidates make is using informal words and phrases in the OET letter.

A few examples and their formal alternatives are given below.

Less FormalSuggested
✘ Thanks for seeing Ms. Anne Hall …Thank you for seeing Ms. Anne Hall …
Mrs. James presented with burst water bag. Mrs. James presented with ruptured amniotic membranes.
Her vitals were normal. Her vital signs were normal.
For any further information, please feel free to contact me.For any further information, please contact me.

OET Connector Examples including outdated/informal/academic connectors

Additionally, inclusion of some punctuations gives a less formal look to the letter.

IncorrectSuggested
Could you please perform an endoscopy if needed to provide a definitive diagnosis for Ms. Hall? Given the above, Ms. Hall is referred to you for an endoscopy if needed and a definitive diagnosis.
Ms. Newton complained that her parents were overreacting. Ms. Newton complained that her parents were overreacting.

OET Punctuation Phrases and Practice
Other examples are exclamation mark ! and quotation marks “ ”.

13. Giving Importance to the Writer (Assessment Criterion – Genre and Style)

Since OET letters are based on clinical scenarios, it is important to give importance to the patient and the clinical information. However, many candidates fail to do so by focusing on the writer using the pronouns I and we.

You can shift the focus from the writer (I/we) by using passive voice and make the content more formal.

IncorrectSuggested
✘ I prescribed Ms. Hall pantoprazole 40mg daily. Ms. Hall has been prescribed pantoprazole 40mg daily.
Pantoprazole 40md daily has been prescribed.
✘ I started Mr. Ramamurthy on chest physiotherapy. Mr. Ramamurthy was started on chest physiotherapy.
Chest physiotherapy was started.

Passive Voice in OET Writing

14. Incorrect Sequence of Information & Paragraphing (Assessment Criterion – Organization & Layout)

A poorly organized or laid out letter is distracting and will force the reader to go through the letter repeatedly. Therefore, organize the information, keeping in mind what the reader should know first to take over the care or the patient.

The content can be grouped chronologically or thematically as per the case notes.

However, the following information should always be written in separate paragraphs.

  1. Introduction (that conveys the purpose of the letter immediately to the reader)
  2. Relevant past medical/social/family history
  3. Latest information/condition of the patient or visit
  4. Concluding paragraph (that explains the expected care/action by the reader)

The order of these paragraphs depends on the case notes, and the sequence of information in each paragraph should also be logical and clear.

Please make sure the letter includes all other components: Recipient’s address, Date, Greeting, Reference line and Complimentary Close.

Leave a single space between all sections.

Go through the following sample letters to have a clear understanding of Organization & Layout.

OET Referral Letter Example

OET Discharge Letter Sample

OET Transfer Letter Sample for Doctors

OET Urgent Letter Template

 

 

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