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100+ Free OET Nursing Practice Questions

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A short workplace text reads: 'When a patient is placed on a soft or modified-texture diet for swallowing difficulties, this must be communicated clearly to catering and recorded above the bed. A single meal of the wrong texture can cause choking or aspiration. Always check the texture matches the speech and language therapist's recommendation before the tray is given.' Why does the text stress checking the food texture before serving?

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Key Facts: OET Nursing Exam

OET Nursing is a healthcare-specific English test for nurses, scored 0-500 and graded A-E across Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking; Grade B (350) is the usual registration requirement, and Listening and Reading are answered partly through 3- and 4-option multiple choice.

Sample OET Nursing Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your OET Nursing exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A ward memo to nursing staff states: 'Hand hygiene compliance audits last quarter fell below the 90% target on two units. From Monday, all staff must perform hand hygiene at each of the WHO Five Moments, and unit managers will conduct random observations.' What is the main purpose of this memo?
A.To request that staff volunteer to become hand hygiene auditors
B.To explain the scientific basis of the WHO Five Moments framework
C.To congratulate staff on achieving the hand hygiene compliance target
D.To announce a corrective action plan after audit results dropped below target
Explanation: The memo links the sub-target audit result to a concrete instruction (compliance at each moment plus random observations), so its purpose is to set out a corrective action plan. In OET Reading Part B, identify the function the text performs as a whole rather than a single detail. The opening problem statement signals the corrective intent.
2A medication policy extract reads: 'Before administering any high-alert medication such as insulin or heparin, two registered nurses must independently check the drug, dose, route and patient identity, and both must sign the chart.' According to the text, the second nurse's check must be:
A.Documented verbally rather than by signature
B.Completed only if the first nurse is uncertain
C.Limited to confirming the patient's identity
D.Performed independently of the first nurse's check
Explanation: The text specifies that two nurses check 'independently', meaning the second nurse must verify the medication without relying on the first nurse's conclusion. This is the core of a true double-check for high-alert drugs. OET Part B rewards reading the qualifying adverb precisely.
3An email to the nursing team states: 'Please note the revised visiting hours take effect next Monday. Visitors are now welcome 11am-8pm. Kindly inform any patients who have already arranged visits outside these times so they can advise their families.' What is the writer asking nurses to do?
A.Collect feedback from visitors about the proposed hours
B.Personally telephone the families of every patient on the ward
C.Restrict all visits until the new policy is formally approved
D.Tell affected patients about the change so they can update their families
Explanation: The action requested is for nurses to inform patients who already have visits arranged outside the new window, so those patients can advise their families. OET Part B often hides the requested action in a polite 'kindly' clause. The instruction is targeted, not blanket.
4A guideline extract states: 'When a pressure injury is identified, grade it using the international classification, reposition the patient at least two-hourly, and complete a wound assessment chart at every dressing change.' The guideline indicates that repositioning should occur:
A.Whenever the patient requests it
B.Only at each dressing change
C.Once the injury has been graded
D.At least every two hours
Explanation: The text states repositioning 'at least two-hourly', which sets a minimum frequency of every two hours. OET Part B detail questions test whether you can extract a specific numerical instruction without confusing it with other actions in the list.
5A handover note reads: 'Mrs Patel remains on strict fluid balance monitoring. Her intake and output must be recorded hourly and totalled at the end of each shift. Escalate to the doctor if her urine output falls below 0.5 mL/kg/hr over two consecutive hours.' What should the nurse do if urine output is low for two hours running?
A.Wait until the end of the shift before acting
B.Stop recording fluid balance for the shift
C.Double the patient's oral fluid intake immediately
D.Escalate the situation to the doctor
Explanation: The note gives an explicit escalation trigger: contact the doctor if output is below the stated threshold over two consecutive hours. OET Part B frequently embeds a conditional instruction ('escalate if...') that defines the required action.
6A notice on the ward reads: 'Sharps containers must be sealed and replaced when they reach the fill line, which is approximately three-quarters full. Do not push contents down or overfill, as this increases the risk of needlestick injury.' What is the notice mainly warning against?
A.Storing containers in patient bays
B.Using sharps containers for general clinical waste
C.Sealing containers before they are full
D.Overfilling sharps containers beyond the fill line
Explanation: The notice's warning centres on not overfilling or pushing contents down, because doing so raises needlestick risk. OET Part B 'main point' questions ask for the central message, which here is the danger of exceeding the fill line.
7A policy extract states: 'Verbal telephone orders should be avoided except in an emergency. When unavoidable, the receiving nurse must write down the order, read it back to the prescriber for confirmation, and have it countersigned within 24 hours.' What does the policy say about telephone orders?
A.They never require countersigning
B.They are forbidden under all circumstances
C.They may be accepted without any prescriber confirmation
D.They should be used only in emergencies and read back for confirmation
Explanation: The policy restricts telephone orders to emergencies and requires the nurse to read the order back and obtain a countersignature within 24 hours. OET Part B detail questions test whether you can capture both the limitation and the safety step. 'Avoided except in an emergency' establishes the conditional permission.
8A manual extract reads: 'To use the new electronic thermometer, switch it on, wait for the ready symbol, then place the probe in the correct site. The reading is complete when the device beeps twice. Replace the probe cover after each patient.' When is the temperature reading finished?
A.When the device is switched on
B.As soon as the ready symbol appears
C.Once the probe cover is replaced
D.When the device beeps twice
Explanation: The manual states the reading is complete 'when the device beeps twice'. OET Part B sequence questions require you to distinguish steps that prepare the device from the step that signals completion.
9An infection-control bulletin states: 'A patient with suspected norovirus should be isolated in a single room with the door closed. Staff should wear gloves and aprons and perform hand hygiene with soap and water, as alcohol gel is less effective against this virus.' Why does the bulletin specify soap and water?
A.Norovirus is not spread by the hands
B.Soap and water are quicker to use than gel
C.Gloves remove the need for any hand hygiene
D.Alcohol gel is less effective against norovirus
Explanation: The bulletin explains that soap and water are required because alcohol gel is less effective against norovirus. OET Part B 'reason' questions hinge on the explanatory clause introduced by 'as'. The contrast with gel is the key clinical rationale.
10A staff notice reads: 'The new falls-prevention bundle is now mandatory for all patients aged 65 and over. It includes a bedside risk assessment on admission, a falls alert sign above the bed, and hourly intentional rounding. Compliance will be reviewed monthly.' What is the purpose of this notice?
A.To remind staff that hourly rounding is optional
B.To invite staff to design a new falls-prevention protocol
C.To report the results of a completed falls-prevention trial
D.To inform staff that a falls-prevention bundle is now compulsory for older patients
Explanation: The notice announces that the bundle 'is now mandatory' for patients 65 and over and lists its components, so its purpose is to inform staff of a new compulsory protocol. OET Part B purpose questions look at the overall communicative intent, signalled here by 'now mandatory'.

About the OET Nursing Exam

The Occupational English Test (OET) Nursing is an English-language proficiency test designed specifically for nurses who need to register and work in English-speaking healthcare systems. It assesses four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The Listening and Reading sub-tests are common to all twelve OET professions and use generic healthcare content, while the Writing and Speaking sub-tests are tailored to nursing through nurse-specific letters and role-plays. Each sub-test is scored on a scale from 0 to 500 and converted to a letter grade from A to E, with most regulators such as the NMC in the UK and AHPRA in Australia requiring Grade B (350). Nurses are the single largest group of OET candidates, accounting for roughly 47% of test-takers. This practice bank focuses on the multiple-choice sections, Reading Parts B and C and Listening Parts B and C, presented in ward, clinical-care and patient-communication contexts so nurses can practise the exact item types they will face on test day.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

Listening approximately 40-50 minutes (audio plays once); Reading 60 minutes (Part A fixed 15 minutes, Parts B and C sharing 45 minutes). Writing and Speaking are separate Nursing-specific sub-tests.

Passing Score

Scored 0-500 per sub-test and mapped to grades A to E. Grade B (350 in each sub-test) is the standard requirement for nursing registration in the UK, Australia and many other countries; about 30 of 42 correct in Reading or Listening typically equals Grade B.

Exam Fee

Around AUD 587 for the full test (global base price); about USD 455 for the computer-based test or OET@Home in the USA. Fees are paid at booking. (Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (CBLA), a joint venture of Cambridge University Press & Assessment and Box Hill Institute)

OET Nursing Exam Content Outline

30%

Reading Part C

Two longer healthcare texts with 4-option multiple-choice questions on gist, writer opinion, attitude, inference and purpose, framed in nursing and clinical-care contexts.

26%

Listening Part C

Two recorded presentations or interviews with six 3-option multiple-choice questions each, testing main idea, speaker opinion and attitude in nursing professional development.

22%

Reading Part B

Six short workplace texts (policies, memos, guidelines, manuals) each with one 3-option multiple-choice question on main point, purpose or detail relevant to patient care.

22%

Listening Part B

Six short recorded workplace extracts such as handovers and briefings, each with one 3-option multiple-choice question on gist, detail or the speaker's request.

How to Pass the OET Nursing Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Scored 0-500 per sub-test and mapped to grades A to E. Grade B (350 in each sub-test) is the standard requirement for nursing registration in the UK, Australia and many other countries; about 30 of 42 correct in Reading or Listening typically equals Grade B.
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: Listening approximately 40-50 minutes (audio plays once); Reading 60 minutes (Part A fixed 15 minutes, Parts B and C sharing 45 minutes). Writing and Speaking are separate Nursing-specific sub-tests.
  • Exam fee: Around AUD 587 for the full test (global base price); about USD 455 for the computer-based test or OET@Home in the USA. Fees are paid at booking.

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

OET Nursing Study Tips from Top Performers

1Build healthcare vocabulary in context, since OET texts use real clinical, ward and patient-care language rather than abstract topics.
2For Reading Part B and Listening Part B, read or listen to the whole extract first, then match an option to your own understanding before reading the choices.
3Practise Reading Part C inference questions by identifying the writer's opinion and attitude, not just isolated facts, as the wrong options are deliberately plausible.
4Time Reading Part A strictly at 15 minutes, then leave at least 35 minutes for Part C so the longer texts get the attention they need.
5Train with single-play audio for Listening, because each recording is heard only once and previewing the questions during reading time is essential.
6Aim consistently for around 30 of 42 correct in Listening and Reading practice, which is the practical benchmark associated with Grade B.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the OET Nursing test and who runs it?

OET Nursing is the Occupational English Test for nurses, a healthcare-specific English exam administered by Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment. It tests Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, with Writing and Speaking tailored to nursing tasks.

How is OET Nursing scored and what grade do I need?

Each sub-test is scored from 0 to 500 in 10-point increments and mapped to a grade from A to E. Most nursing regulators, including the NMC and AHPRA, require Grade B, which is a score of at least 350 in each sub-test.

How are the Listening and Reading sub-tests structured?

Listening has 42 marks (Part A 24, Part B 6, Part C 12) and Reading has 42 questions (Part A 20, Part B 6, Part C 16). Reading Part B and Listening Parts B and C use 3-option multiple choice, while Reading Part C uses 4-option multiple choice.

Which parts of OET are multiple choice?

Reading Part B, Reading Part C and Listening Parts B and C are multiple choice. Reading Part A uses matching, short-answer and sentence-completion tasks, and Listening Part A uses note completion, so they are not multiple choice.

How much does OET Nursing cost in 2026?

The full four-skill test costs around AUD 587 globally, with the computer-based test or OET@Home priced at about USD 455 in the USA. A re-mark of a sub-test costs roughly AUD 120.

Is OET the same for nurses and doctors?

The Listening and Reading sub-tests are identical across all OET professions and use generic healthcare content. Only the Writing and Speaking sub-tests differ, with nurses completing nurse-specific letters and role-play scenarios.