Jobins Training · Free OET Practice
Optometry: 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
Cataract referral based on functional impact
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:
- OPTOMETRY
- 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 Adrian Wells, aged 73, attends the optometry practice where you provide his eye care.
- Practice:
- Cedar Optometry, 16 Cedar Road, Westbridge
PATIENT DETAILS:
- Name:
- Adrian Wells (Mr)
- Date of birth:
- 06 Apr 1953 (73 years)
- Residence:
- 46 Cedar Avenue, Westbridge
- Marital status:
- Married; lives with spouse
- Occupation:
- Retired surveyor; museum volunteer
- Previous review:
- 08 May 2026
- Current review:
- 06 Nov 2026
- Clinical impression:
- Bilateral age-related cataract; right worse
Ocular history:
Early bilateral lens changes recorded in 2024.
Annual monitoring since then.
Current spectacles supplied Mar 2025.
Distance and near correction worn.
No previous eye surgery or ocular trauma.
No contact-lens use; no known glaucoma.
Father: cataract surgery in his seventies.
Medical and social background:
Hypertension; amlodipine 5 mg daily.
No diabetes recorded.
No known drug allergies.
No long-term systemic steroid use.
Independent personal care and medicine management.
Enjoys reading local history and model making.
Volunteers at museum reception.
Spouse available for appointments and transport.
Symptoms – 08 May 2026:
Gradual blur, right worse than left.
Glare from headlights; no pain or redness.
Reading possible with brighter light.
Function adequate for usual activities at that time.
Examination – 08 May 2026:
Best-corrected acuity: R 6/12; L 6/9.
Refraction: limited improvement.
Early nuclear lens opacity, R greater than L.
Goldmann IOP: R 15; L 16 mmHg.
Dilated fundus: maculae/optic discs unremarkable.
No retinal tear detected.
Initial management:
Observation and referral options discussed.
Patient preferred observation and review.
Earlier review if symptoms change.
Urgent assessment for sudden loss or new flashes/floaters.
Symptoms – 06 Nov 2026:
Painless blur increasing over six months.
No sudden deterioration.
Labels/model instructions difficult despite extra lighting.
Evening driving stopped because of glare.
Spouse currently drives.
Museum booking sheets difficult to read.
Trouble recognising visitors at a distance.
No diplopia, ocular pain or curtain-like shadow.
No new flashes or floaters.
Interested in surgery; worried about being awake.
Current examination:
Best-corrected acuity: R 6/18; L 6/12.
No meaningful improvement with new refraction.
Increased nuclear opacity, R greater than L.
Anterior chambers quiet.
Pupils equal/reactive; no relative afferent pupillary defect.
Eye movements full.
Goldmann IOP: 16 mmHg in each eye.
Dilated fundus view adequate.
No macular or optic-disc abnormality identified.
Assessment and referral plan:
Cataracts increasingly affecting daily activities.
Specialist assessment and possible surgery discussed.
Individual benefits/risks require discussion.
Patient consents to referral and information sharing.
Spouse can support transport/postoperative arrangements if required.
Previous/current examination findings enclosed.
No operation booked; operative eye not selected.
Writing Task:
Using the case notes, write a referral letter to Dr Mei Chen, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Westbridge Eye Centre, 10 College Road, Westbridge. Request cataract assessment for Mr Wells, explaining the examination findings and impact on his activities.
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 Mei Chen
Consultant Ophthalmologist
Westbridge Eye Centre
10 College Road
Westbridge
Dear Dr Chen,
Re: Mr Adrian Wells | DOB: 6 April 1953
Please assess Mr Wells for management of bilateral cataracts, more marked on the right. Increasing blur and glare now interfere with reading, volunteering and driving, and he wishes to discuss surgery.
In May, best-corrected acuity was 6/12 on the right and 6/9 on the left. He chose observation because brighter lighting allowed him to read comfortably. Over six months, his function has deteriorated: labels and museum booking sheets are difficult to read, and he has stopped evening driving. His spouse provides transport.
Today, best-corrected acuity is 6/18 on the right and 6/12 on the left, with no meaningful improvement on refraction. Nuclear lens opacity has increased, particularly on the right. Intraocular pressure is 16 mmHg bilaterally. Pupils, eye movements and the visible fundus are unremarkable. He reports no sudden visual change, pain, new flashes or floaters.
His hypertension is treated with amlodipine 5 mg daily; no diabetes or previous ocular surgery is recorded. Please discuss treatment in relation to his functional needs and concern about remaining awake during surgery. His spouse can assist with appointments and postoperative arrangements if required. Examination records are enclosed, and he consents to referral.
Yours sincerely,
Optometrist
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
- Functional impact, patient preference and change in acuity over time.
- Lens findings, best-corrected acuity and relevant ocular/general background.
- Request for assessment, practical support and the patient’s specific concern.
What can be omitted or condensed
- Former occupation and detailed hobby names can be condensed into affected activities.
- Family cataract history is less useful than current symptoms and examination.
Accuracy traps
- Do not turn routine gradual cataract symptoms into an acute emergency.
- Do not promise surgery or impose a universal visual-acuity threshold.
- Referral for assessment is not a booked operation.
Accuracy repair: a fresh exercise
A draft says: He is booked for right cataract surgery.
Correct it using the case notes before opening the answer.
Check the repaired sentence
He has agreed to referral for cataract assessment; no operation date or eye has been selected.
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 · Optometrist
Setting: Optometry practice
You have examined Saira, aged 71, whose gradual visual blur and glare are consistent with cataracts. Updated refraction has not adequately improved her vision. Reading and sewing are becoming difficult. There are no acute ocular symptoms. You recommend ophthalmology assessment to discuss options. She believes referral means that she has already agreed to surgery and is worried about being awake.
Tasks
- Ask how the visual changes affect Saira’s daily activities and what she understands about cataracts.
- Explain lens clouding in plain language and why new spectacles may no longer be enough.
- Clarify the purpose of referral and that assessment, information and consent precede any treatment decision.
- Explore the fear about surgery; provide a broad explanation of local anaesthetic and specialist discussion without guaranteeing an outcome.
- Agree the next step, check what she understands and discuss practical support for an appointment if she wishes.
Partner card — Patient only
Role-player card · Patient
You are Saira, 71, who enjoys sewing and reading to a grandchild. You have postponed asking for help because you fear an operation. Your friend had surgery successfully, but you worry you will see instruments approaching your eye. Your daughter could accompany you if you ask.
- Start: “I am not agreeing to an operation today.”
- If asked about impact, explain that you have stopped sewing because fine details are unclear.
- Ask why stronger glasses will not solve everything.
- When referral is explained, ask whether assessment obliges you to have treatment.
- If reassured appropriately, agree to the assessment and ask whether your daughter can help you remember the discussion.
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: “I am not agreeing to surgery.”
Optometrist: “You do not have to make that decision here today. I am suggesting an assessment so the specialist can discuss your vision, the options and the benefits and risks with you.”
Why this helps: Distinguishes referral from consent to a procedure.
Patient: “Why not stronger glasses?”
Optometrist: “Your prescription corrects how light focuses, but the lens inside the eye is also becoming cloudy. We checked whether changing the prescription would give enough improvement, and it did not. What activity would you most like treatment to help with?”
Why this helps: Links a simple explanation to the examination and the patient’s priorities.
Patient: “Will I be awake?”
Optometrist: “Cataract surgery is commonly performed while you are awake with the eye numbed. The specialist can explain what you may notice and how they keep you comfortable. We can make sure your particular worry is included in the referral.”
Why this helps: Gives accurate general information while leaving individual arrangements to the treating team.
Repeat with a changed response
Partner says the main problem is caring for a spouse, not fear of surgery. Explore timing and support needs while retaining choice; do not promise a convenient operation date.
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.