Writing is the sub-test most nurses retake. Since 2014 we have corrected thousands of nurse letters from candidates pursuing NMC, AHPRA, and NMBI registration. Profession-specific case notes, six-criteria feedback, 24-hour turnaround.
Quick answer
Internationally trained nurses need Grade B (350) in each of the four OET sub-tests for NMC (UK), NMBI (Ireland), and AHPRA (Australia) registration. Uniquely, the NMC accepts Grade C+ (300) in Writing if the other three sub-tests reach Grade B in the same or combined sittings within 6 months. Writing is the most retaken sub-test — typically because of Conciseness & Clarity losses from over-including case notes.
*NMC: Grade C+ (300) in Writing is acceptable if the other three sub-tests reach Grade B in the same sitting, or in a combined sitting within 6 months. Full NMC requirements.
Sent from the ward or community team to another healthcare professional (GP, community service, specialist nurse). Most common single letter type in the OET nursing exam.
Marking watch-out: Purpose criterion — the opening must state clearly why you're writing, not just who the patient is.
Written when a patient is leaving inpatient care, usually addressed to the GP. Requires summary of admission, current status, and follow-up needs.
Marking watch-out: Conciseness — discharge letters tempt candidates to recap the whole admission. Summarise; don't narrate.
Used when a patient moves between facilities or wards. Addressee may be a specialist team or rehabilitation unit.
Marking watch-out: Organisation — paragraphs must follow a logical clinical handover order: history → current status → reason for transfer → ongoing needs.
Across thousands of nurse letters corrected, the same four mistakes recur. Each maps to a specific OET criterion — and each is fixable in 2-3 corrections once named.
Costs marks in: Conciseness & Clarity
Including every case-note line in the letter, regardless of relevance to the addressee. Fix: ask 'does this addressee need this fact to act on the patient?' before including.
Costs marks in: Purpose
Writing 'I would be grateful if you could see this patient' when the patient needs urgent review. Fix: match register to clinical reality — 'urgent review required' is acceptable and clearer.
Costs marks in: Organisation & Layout
Spending the first paragraph re-introducing what the addressee already knows. Fix: open with the reason for writing in the first sentence.
Costs marks in: Genre & Style
Conversational phrases like 'as you know' or 'I just wanted to let you know' that don't fit a clinical handover. Fix: prefer 'I am writing regarding' or 'I am referring this patient'.
Correctors familiar with nursing handover, NMC vocabulary, and community-nursing case-note patterns.
Practice case notes spanning ward, community, paediatric, mental health, and aged-care contexts.
Per-criterion scoring (Purpose, Content, Conciseness & Clarity, Genre & Style, Organisation & Layout, Language) — no single black-box grade.
Standard pack returns corrections within 48 hours; urgent add-on returns within 24. Useful when your exam date is approaching.
The NMC requires Grade B (350) in each of the four OET sub-tests. Uniquely, nurses can also achieve registration with Grade C+ (300) in Writing if the other three sub-tests reach Grade B in the same or a combined sitting within 6 months. This concession does not apply to other regulators.
Nurses are most often asked to write a referral letter, a discharge letter, or a transfer letter. The case notes are usually from a community nursing, ward, or aged-care context. Less commonly, the letter may be to a patient's family member or to a community service rather than another healthcare professional.
Three patterns recur across the thousands of nurse letters we have corrected. First, over-inclusion of case notes (Conciseness & Clarity). Second, mismatch between the addressee's expected register and the candidate's register (Genre & Style). Third, hedging language that obscures clinical urgency (Purpose). Targeted correction against the six criteria addresses each in turn.
From our internal data, the median nurse buyer who passes does so after 6-8 corrections spaced across 4-8 weeks. First-time candidates often pass after a 4-letter pack; re-takers more typically need 8 corrections to consolidate the criterion they previously lost. There is no guaranteed number — only a pattern.
Yes. OET on computer is accepted by the NMC, NMBI, and AHPRA. The Writing sub-test format (250-word letter, case notes) is identical on paper or computer. Some candidates prefer paper for the working-margin space; others prefer the speed of typing.
Score thresholds, combining sittings, exemptions.
What examiners look for, criterion by criterion.
Reference structures for referral, discharge, transfer.
The patterns that cost marks across all professions.
Marked against the six OET criteria by a nursing-aware corrector. 24-hour turnaround on every letter. thousands of nurse letters corrected since 2014.
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