Jobins Training · Free OET Practice
Medicine: practise your professional communication.
One full Writing task and one paired Speaking role play, with models, reasoning and a second attempt.
No registrationOriginal practiceModels explainedWriting · Full-length task
Suspected sleep apnoea: specialist assessment
Attempt the task before opening the model. Use the five-minute reading period to study the notes and task without writing or marking them; write your letter during the following 40 minutes.
Jobins Training · Original OET practice
- WRITING SUB-TEST:
- MEDICINE
- TIME ALLOWED:
- READING TIME: 5 MINUTES
WRITING TIME: 40 MINUTES
Read the case notes and complete the writing task below.
Notes:
Assume that today’s date is 6 November 2026.
Mr Daniel Mercer, aged 47, is a patient at the general practice where you are his GP.
- Practice:
- Fern Medical Practice, 14 Fern Road, Westbridge
PATIENT DETAILS:
- Name:
- Daniel Mercer (Mr)
- Date of birth:
- 12 Jul 1979 (47 years)
- Residence:
- 9 Fern Avenue, Westbridge
- Marital status:
- Married; one daughter at university
- Occupation:
- Payroll administrator; office-based
- First consultation:
- 16 Oct 2026
- Current review:
- 06 Nov 2026
- Provisional diagnosis:
- Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)
Past medical history:
Hypertension – diagnosed 2022.
Amlodipine 5 mg daily; adherence reported.
No sedatives or opioids.
No known drug allergies.
No chronic lung disease or heart failure.
No previous sleep assessment.
Childhood appendicectomy; recovered fully.
Father: hypertension; mother well.
Social background:
Ex-smoker; stopped 2016.
Alcohol: four units/week, mainly weekend meals.
No shift work or vocational driving.
No safety-critical machinery duties.
Usual commute: 20-minute drive.
Temporary home working available.
Physical activity reduced over two years.
Weight gain approx. 7 kg during this period.
Presenting problem – 16 Oct 2026:
Increasing daytime sleepiness for two months.
Seven to eight hours in bed; sleep unrefreshing.
Loud snoring for several years – wife reports.
Recent witnessed breathing pauses, followed by gasping.
Morning headaches two or three times/week.
Concentration poorer during payroll checks.
Fell asleep during an online meeting.
No collapse, seizures or focal neurological symptoms.
No restless-leg symptoms; mood stable.
Examination and investigations:
Height 1.75 m; weight 101 kg.
BMI 33.0 kg/m².
BP 144/88 mmHg; pulse 76/min, regular.
Oxygen saturation 97% on room air.
Chest clear; no peripheral oedema.
No acute respiratory distress.
Epworth Sleepiness Scale: 15/24.
FBC and TSH requested.
Sleep/symptom diary requested.
Initial management:
Possible sleep-related breathing disorder discussed.
No driving while excessively sleepy.
Alternative transport arranged; patient informed employer.
Regular bedtimes; avoid evening alcohol.
Progress – 30 Oct 2026:
FBC/TSH within reference ranges; results available.
Sleepiness unchanged despite agreed measures.
Home working continues; wife provides transport.
No driving since initial consultation.
No new chest symptoms or deterioration.
Sleep-service referral discussed.
Current assessment – 06 Nov 2026:
Wife present with patient's consent.
Diary: regular schedule; frequent awakenings.
Pauses/gasping confirmed on most nights.
Epworth score 16/24.
BP 138/84 mmHg; room-air saturation 97%.
Symptoms continue to affect concentration.
Patient reassured about need for further investigation.
Normal daytime saturation does not exclude OSA.
Referral plan:
Diagnostic sleep assessment; patient agrees.
Sleep study not yet arranged or performed.
Diagnosis/severity unconfirmed; no CPAP prescribed.
Weight-management support offered; willing to attend.
Continue no driving while excessively sleepy.
Driving advice and reporting requirements discussed.
Writing Task:
Using the case notes, write a referral letter to Dr Aisha Khan, Consultant in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Westbridge General Hospital, 40 Hospital Road, Westbridge. Request diagnostic assessment of Mr Mercer and advice on further management.
In your answer:
- Develop the relevant notes into complete sentences.
- Write in paragraphs rather than note form.
- Use an appropriate letter layout.
The body of your letter should be approximately 180–200 words.
After your attempt: identify the recipient, the purpose, three essential facts and two details you deliberately left out. Then compare your decisions below.
Reveal the model letter
6 November 2026
Dr Aisha Khan
Consultant in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine
Westbridge General Hospital
40 Hospital Road
Westbridge
Dear Dr Khan,
Re: Mr Daniel Mercer | DOB: 12 July 1979
Please assess Mr Mercer for suspected obstructive sleep apnoea. Persistent daytime sleepiness, witnessed breathing pauses and impaired concentration are affecting his work despite initial measures.
For two months, he has felt unrefreshed after seven to eight hours in bed and experienced morning headaches. His wife reports longstanding snoring and recent pauses followed by gasping on most nights. He has fallen asleep during an online meeting. His Epworth score has risen from 15/24 to 16/24 despite regular bedtimes and avoiding evening alcohol.
He has hypertension treated with amlodipine 5 mg daily and a BMI of 33.0 kg/m². Today's blood pressure is 138/84 mmHg and room-air oxygen saturation is 97%. His initial chest examination was unremarkable; subsequent blood count and thyroid results were within reference ranges. He uses no sedatives or opioids.
Mr Mercer has stopped driving while excessively sleepy and works temporarily from home, with transport provided by his wife. He has no safety-critical duties. Please arrange diagnostic assessment and advise on treatment; no sleep study has been performed or CPAP prescribed. He accepts weight-management support. Driving advice and relevant reporting requirements have been discussed, and he agrees to referral.
Yours sincerely,
General Practitioner
Model body: 189 words using a space-separated editorial count. This is one possible response; it is not an officially scored letter or a sentence template to memorise.
Why these details were selected
What the reader needs
- Suspected diagnosis, witnessed symptoms, duration and functional impact.
- Epworth result alongside clinical history; do not use the score alone as diagnosis.
- BMI, relevant comorbidity, relevant normal tests and medicines.
- Driving and occupational context, current precautions and requested diagnostic assessment.
What can be omitted or condensed
- Childhood surgery, daughter’s university attendance and unrelated family details can be omitted.
- Condense two similar reviews into the persistent pattern; retain the current score.
Accuracy traps
- Normal waking oxygen saturation does not exclude sleep apnoea.
- No study has been performed: severity and CPAP need are unknown.
- Do not falsely describe an office worker as a professional driver.
Accuracy repair: a fresh exercise
A draft says: His sleep study confirmed severe obstructive sleep apnoea.
Correct it using the case notes before opening the answer.
Check the repaired sentence
Obstructive sleep apnoea is suspected, but no sleep study has yet been performed.
The correction preserves what is known, what has happened and what remains outstanding. Compare the changed words with the relevant dated note.
Review the six Writing criteria
| Criterion | Use it to review your attempt |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Can the reader identify the action or explanation needed from the opening? |
| Content | Are essential facts accurate, including dates, status and remaining needs? |
| Conciseness and clarity | Have you selected and combined information without losing necessary meaning? |
| Genre and style | Does the wording suit this recipient’s role and knowledge? |
| Organisation and layout | Do paragraphs help the reader locate the problem, evidence and next step? |
| Language | Are grammar, vocabulary, spelling and sentence links clear and accurate? |
Choose one factual correction and one language improvement for a second draft. This checklist is for learning; it does not calculate an OET grade.
Speaking · One paired role play
Practise the professional conversation
Use 3 minutes to prepare the professional card, then about 5 minutes for the conversation. The candidate stays in the professional role. A partner plays the patient, parent or animal owner. This is one role play; the OET Speaking sub-test contains two.
Read only your own card before starting. The partner should open their card privately and reveal information in response to the conversation. These cards are a separate scenario from the Writing case.
Candidate card · Doctor
Setting: General practice consultation
You see Aaron, aged 46, after assessing excessive daytime sleepiness. His partner reports loud snoring and pauses in breathing. You suspect obstructive sleep apnoea, but no sleep study has been performed. You plan referral for diagnostic assessment. He has recently felt sleepy while driving home from his office job. He is reluctant to accept advice that affects his independence. Focus on explanation, immediate driving safety and a workable plan.
Tasks
- Explore what Aaron understands about the symptoms and what worries him about assessment.
- Explain suspected sleep apnoea in plain language and why a sleep study is needed; avoid confirming a diagnosis or severity.
- Discuss how sleepiness affects daily tasks and driving; explain that he must not drive while excessively sleepy.
- Explore alternatives for travel/work and explain that appropriate driving-reporting requirements need to be checked for his circumstances.
- Agree referral and immediate practical arrangements; check understanding and invite questions about the next step.
Partner card — Patient only
Role-player card · Patient
You are Aaron, 46, an office manager. You think snoring is normal and worry that a diagnosis will mean losing your licence permanently. Last week you struggled to stay alert on the drive home. You could work from home temporarily, but have not asked your employer.
- Start by saying: “Everyone snores. Is a test really necessary?”
- When asked, describe feeling sleepy on the drive home; no accident occurred.
- Challenge the advice: “It is only a ten-minute drive.”
- If the doctor explores alternatives respectfully, reveal that temporary home working may be possible.
- Ask whether a normal oxygen reading at the surgery means there is no problem; explain the agreed plan back.
Respond naturally to what is asked. Do not give every detail at once or create an unrelated medical quiz. If the explanation is unclear, ask for clarification.
Review selected exchanges and explanations
These are selected teaching exchanges, not a full five-minute transcript. Compare how the response changes with the concern. Several different responses could work.
Patient: “Everyone snores.”
Doctor: “Snoring on its own is common. What concerns me here is the combination of breathing pauses and sleepiness affecting your day. A sleep assessment can help us establish what is happening.”
Why this helps: Explains the reasoning without presenting the suspected condition as proven.
Patient: “It is only ten minutes.”
Doctor: “I understand why the journey seems manageable, but feeling sleepy at the wheel can make even a short drive unsafe. Please do not drive while you are excessively sleepy. What alternatives could work for tomorrow?”
Why this helps: Gives a clear safety message and immediately helps solve the practical problem.
Patient: “My oxygen was normal.”
Doctor: “That reading tells us about the moment we measured it while you were awake. It does not show what happens throughout your sleep. We still need the sleep assessment. Could you talk me through your travel plan while we arrange that?”
Why this helps: Addresses the misconception and checks action, not just factual recall.
Repeat with a changed response
Partner says: “I drive a delivery van for work.” Explore the safety-critical occupational implications, explain the need for prompt assessment and clear driving advice, and revise the practical plan. Do not reuse the office-worker answer unchanged.
Keep your professional role, listen to the changed information and adapt the next step. Do not repeat a memorised answer when the situation has changed.
Review all nine Speaking criteria
| Criterion | Use it to review your attempt |
|---|---|
| Intelligibility | Can your partner follow your speech without repeated effort? |
| Fluency | Can you keep the exchange moving while allowing natural pauses? |
| Appropriateness of language | Does the register and explanation suit this person? |
| Resources of grammar and expression | Can you express time, uncertainty, reasons and choices accurately? |
| Relationship building | Do you show attention to the person’s particular concern? |
| Understanding and incorporating the patient’s perspective | Does the plan respond to their priorities and constraints? |
| Providing structure | Do you signal changes of topic and explain information in manageable stages? |
| Information gathering | Do you ask, listen and clarify rather than assume? |
| Information giving | Do you explain clearly and check what the person has understood? |
Ask your partner for one example of something clear and one moment that needed clarification. If you record yourself on your own device, review only with everyone’s agreement. The website does not record speech or generate an OET score.
Format and clinical background references
Exam format: OET test handbook. These original cases were written for language practice after reviewing official task formats. The following sources inform clinical plausibility; the fictional patient records are not copied from them.