Jobins Training · Free OET Practice
Veterinary Science: 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
Continuing a monitored feline weight programme
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:
- VETERINARY SCIENCE
- 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.
Pippin, a six-year-old cat, is receiving monitored weight-management care at the practice where you are his veterinary surgeon.
- Practice:
- Westbridge Veterinary Practice, 10 Linden Road, Westbridge
ANIMAL AND OWNER DETAILS:
- Patient:
- Pippin; domestic shorthair cat
- Date of birth:
- 02 May 2020 (6 years)
- Sex:
- Neutered male
- Owner:
- Elise Hart (Ms)
- New address:
- 7 Linden Close, Fairhaven
- Moving date:
- 14 Nov 2026
- Identification:
- Microchip details in attached clinical record
- Household:
- Indoor cat; lives with another adult cat, Juniper
Medical and preventive history:
Neutered aged six months.
Vaccination/parasite-prevention history attached.
No diagnosed diabetes, kidney disease or cardiac condition.
No current prescribed medication.
Dental examination Jan 2026: mild calculus.
No painful oral lesion recorded.
Husbandry and feeding background:
Gradual weight gain since 2024.
Owner working longer shifts during this period.
Previously unrestricted dry food; wet food at night.
Treats from owner and visiting relative.
Both cats fed in same kitchen.
Access to other cat's bowl.
Limited play; often sleeps on sofa.
No recent vomiting, diarrhoea or increased thirst.
Assessment – 18 Sep 2026:
Weight 6.9 kg.
Body condition score 8/9; muscle condition preserved.
Alert/responsive; appetite good.
No acute treatment need identified on examination.
Owner fears distress if food reduced.
Overlapping portions and shared-food access identified.
Obesity-related risks discussed.
Gradual, monitored weight reduction explained.
Initial dietary plan:
Individual complete-diet allowance calculated and recorded.
Written daily portion plan supplied.
Weigh food; feed cats separately.
Ongoing management:
Count treats within agreed daily allowance.
Brief interactive play encouraged.
Food diary and measuring guidance supplied.
No crash diet or fasting.
Contact clinic if appetite reduces.
Review arranged after three weeks.
Progress – 09 Oct 2026:
Weight 6.8 kg; prescribed diet eaten willingly.
No new clinical symptoms.
Portions weighed accurately by owner.
Visiting relative still gives unrecorded treats.
Separate feeding attempted; bowls sometimes left accessible.
Household agreement and supervised meals reinforced.
Treat allowance reviewed with owner.
Short play sessions increased; cat more engaged.
Current diet continued after assessment.
No medication prescribed.
Current assessment – 06 Nov 2026:
Weight 6.7 kg.
Muscle condition maintained.
Appetite and toileting unchanged.
Gradual weight reduction; body condition above ideal.
Owner anxious about routine during move.
Current complete diet affordable.
Budget insufficient for multiple additional products.
Juniper normal weight; individual feeding plans needed.
Shared free feeding would disrupt plan.
Transfer and follow-up plan:
Review approx. three weeks after relocation.
Check weight, condition, intake and household routine.
Adjust individual plan according to progress.
No final target weight/completion date promised.
Weight chart and dietary calculation enclosed.
Examination and preventive-care records also attached.
Owner consents to transfer and continued monitoring.
Receiving-practice appointment not yet booked.
Prompt veterinary contact for food refusal or illness.
Also report unexpected weight change.
Writing Task:
Using the case notes, write a transfer letter to Dr Rosa Bennett, Veterinary Surgeon, Fairhaven Veterinary Practice, 26 Green Lane, Fairhaven. Request continued monitored weight management for Pippin after Ms Hart’s move, explaining progress and remaining household feeding difficulties.
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 Rosa Bennett
Veterinary Surgeon
Fairhaven Veterinary Practice
26 Green Lane
Fairhaven
Dear Dr Bennett,
Re: Pippin, neutered male domestic shorthair; owner Ms Elise Hart
Please continue monitored weight management for Pippin after his owner, Ms Hart, moves to Fairhaven on 14 November. He has lost weight gradually but remains above ideal body condition and needs support through the change in routine.
At assessment on 18 September, this six-year-old neutered domestic shorthair weighed 6.9 kg, with a body condition score of 8/9 and preserved muscle condition. Unrestricted food, treats from several people and access to another cat's bowl contributed to overlapping intake. No acute clinical concern was identified.
An individual complete-diet allowance was calculated, with weighed portions, separate feeding and treats included in the plan. Short play sessions were encouraged. Weight reduced to 6.8 kg in October and 6.7 kg today. Appetite, toileting and muscle condition remain unchanged, and he takes no prescribed medication.
Please review his weight, condition, intake and feeding routine approximately three weeks after relocation. Unrecorded treats and accessible shared bowls remain barriers. Ms Hart can afford the current diet but is concerned about disruption during the move. The weight chart, dietary calculation and clinical records are enclosed with consent. She understands that food refusal, illness or unexpected weight change requires prompt veterinary contact.
Yours sincerely,
Veterinary Surgeon
Model body: 192 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
- Animal identity, owner identity, baseline condition and measured weight trajectory.
- Calculated plan and observed response, with persistent household feeding barriers.
- Ongoing monitoring, realistic practical constraints and attached calculations.
What can be omitted or condensed
- Do not reproduce the complete preventive-care history when it is attached and unrelated to the immediate request.
- The other cat matters because of shared food access, not as a second referral.
Accuracy traps
- Never describe the owner as the patient losing weight.
- Do not prescribe fasting, abrupt restriction or a target absent from the notes.
- Weight improvement does not establish that ideal body condition has been reached.
Accuracy repair: a fresh exercise
A draft says: Pippin has reached his ideal weight and no longer needs monitoring.
Correct it using the case notes before opening the answer.
Check the repaired sentence
Pippin’s weight is reducing gradually, but his body condition remains above ideal and monitoring is still needed.
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 · Veterinary Surgeon
Setting: Veterinary consultation room
You review Basil, a six-year-old neutered male cat, with his owner. He is overweight and shares food bowls with another cat. Examination has not identified an acute illness. You recommend an individual, monitored weight-management plan using a nutritionally complete diet and gradual change. The owner worries that measured portions will be unkind. No final target weight or daily portion has yet been calculated in this conversation.
Tasks
- Explore the owner’s feeding routine, who gives food/treats and what concerns them about change.
- Explain the health reason for managing excess weight without shaming the owner.
- Discuss an individually calculated complete-diet plan, measured portions and managing access to the other cat’s food.
- Explain gradual monitoring and why fasting or abrupt severe restriction is inappropriate; include prompt contact if appetite falls or the cat becomes unwell.
- Agree a practical first step, follow-up weighing and a check of the owner’s understanding.
Partner card — Animal owner only
Role-player card · Animal owner
You are Basil’s owner, Morgan. Food is how you show affection. Basil asks loudly for food, and a visiting relative gives treats. Both cats eat from bowls left out all day. You have a modest budget and fear being required to buy several expensive products.
- Start: “He is happy. Wouldn’t putting him on a diet be cruel?”
- When feeding is explored, mention shared bowls and the relative’s treats.
- Ask whether you should simply withhold food for a day to get started.
- If cost is discussed respectfully, explain your budget and ask for one manageable plan.
- Agree to a food diary and separate monitored meals if the reasoning is clear; explain when you would contact the clinic.
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.
Animal owner: “Wouldn’t it be cruel?”
Veterinary Surgeon: “You want him to feel cared for. The aim is to protect his health while keeping him properly nourished, not leave him without food. Could we look at everything he eats during an ordinary day?”
Why this helps: Recognises the owner’s motivation and gathers a complete feeding history.
Animal owner: “Should I miss a day’s food?”
Veterinary Surgeon: “No. Cats should not be put on a crash diet or fasted for weight loss. We need a gradual plan that provides the nutrients he needs, with regular checks. Contact us promptly if he stops eating or seems unwell.”
Why this helps: States the safety point clearly without inventing a portion or target.
Animal owner: “I cannot buy lots of products.”
Veterinary Surgeon: “Let us work within your budget and calculate one suitable complete-diet plan. Separate feeding and counting everyone’s treats may be as important as changing what you buy. Who else needs to understand the agreed routine?”
Why this helps: Integrates household behaviour and affordability into the plan.
Repeat with a changed response
Partner says the cat has stopped eating since yesterday. Shift from routine weight counselling to prompt veterinary assessment; do not praise appetite loss as successful dieting.
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.