“No record of attendance” describes the available documentation. “Did not attend” makes a claim about the event itself. They are not automatically equivalent.
The first case-and-model pair in The Premium OET Writing Companion for Pharmacists offers an opportunity to check this distinction while comparing notes with a draft.
Describe what is actually known
If the notes identify a missing record, keep that limitation visible. Do not resolve the gap simply to produce a more definite sentence.
Original administrative example
Notes: No attendance record available for the induction.
Accurate: “There is no available record of attendance at the induction.”
Unsupported: “She did not attend the induction.”
Distinguish missing, negative and confirmed information
A record explicitly showing absence provides different evidence from a record that cannot be found. Read the whole note before choosing the verb.
Choose the accurate statement
Given: Completion certificate not located.
Accurate: “The completion certificate has not been located.”
This does not establish that the course was never completed.
Do not invent the follow-up
The task may request confirmation or further information. Include that action if supplied, but do not invent who has checked the records or what they found.
During revision, underline all negative claims. Ask whether each is an established negative fact or only an absence of information. Preserving this boundary helps a recipient understand what remains uncertain.
Explore OET Writing for Pharmacists — Course 3 to see the course outline, current availability and enrolment options. Use the worked exercise above to identify a skill you would like to practise next.
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OET Writing for Pharmacists — Course 3
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Source: OET PHA WR 002.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.