As with any English exam, OET candidates tend to get really nervous before and during the test. They feel nauseous, have sweaty hands, and have trouble sleeping in the nights before the exam. This is perfectly normal, of course. It happens to people in high school and university, too, before their big tests.
It’s important, then, to keep everything in perspective. Focus on why you are doing the exam and what the exam is really about. Don’t imagine it as some vast, unpredictable test of all your worldly knowledge… No, it is just an English test.
Don’t forget that important but often overlooked point: It’s just an English test. Repeat that to yourself, and it will help you calm down.
In the OET you are going to be answering questions in English in a medical capacity, but you are still just doing an English test. There is no practical medical assessment. You don’t need to perform any sort of surgery. You’re just being tested on your English skills.
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When you go into the exam, you may feel so nervous that you have forgotten everything you ever knew about dentistry or nursing, but it doesn’t matter. You are just going in to answer simple questions about information that will be familiar to you. There is nothing to worry about.
Imagine you walk into the OET exam room for the listening test. You might feel terrified that you are going to hear a listening passage about completely alien information. But of course you won’t. It is all pretty general stuff in this section of the test. You just need to listen and answer. Remember: You’re being tested on your English; that’s all.
In the reading test, you can still do very well even if you are reading about something for the very first time! Even if the material is completely new to you and you have never read this sort of thing before, you can still excel just by using your English skills. It is a test of your English reading abilities, not your medical knowledge.
For the writing test, you will need to look at the notes and assemble a letter according to the instructions. All the information you need is right there. You don’t need anything else. If your mind goes blank and you can’t remember all the things you learned in university, it doesn’t matter. Everything you need is right there in front of you.
As for the speaking test, you can just answer as best as you can. You are not being judged on your knowledge of medical information. Once again, it’s only a test of your English! Speak confidently and carefully, and you will do well. There is nothing to worry about there. Even if you chose to make up some information, the examiner would not penalize you as long as you said it in perfect English.
For all these parts of the test, make sure that you practice in advance. This will really help you to feel confident about the exam, and feeling confident is half the battle.
