OET FOR OPTOMETRISTS
OET for optometrists: what the Optometry test involves
OET Optometry frames Writing and Speaking around eye care: referring findings on, explaining results, and advising on management like contact lens hygiene or spectacle adaptation.
Targeted prep for optometry barely exists, and the referral letter to an ophthalmologist is a specific genre worth practising in its real shape.
THE TEST AT A GLANCE
Each subtest is reported from 0 to 500; most regulators ask for grade B, which is 350, in each subtest.
THE WRITING SUBTEST
The Writing subtest is a 45 minute letter from case notes, most commonly a referral to an ophthalmologist about a finding such as raised intraocular pressure or a retinal abnormality, or a letter to a GP about an ocular sign with systemic relevance. The marking rewards clinical clarity: what was found, why it matters, and what you are asking the reader to do.
THE SPEAKING SUBTEST
Speaking is two role plays with you as the optometrist. Typical cards involve explaining a diagnosis like glaucoma risk without alarming the patient, advising on contact lens care after an infection, or persuading a patient to attend an urgent referral. You are marked on structure and reassurance as well as language.
WHO ACCEPTS IT
OET Optometry is accepted in contexts including the Optometry Board of Australia via AHPRA and the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board of New Zealand. UK and other routes set their own requirements, so always verify against the regulator's current published rules before booking.
LAST REVIEWED 6 JULY 2026
HOW WARDPASS HELPS
- Instant letter marking. Submit a practice letter and get criterion by criterion feedback in seconds against the six published OET Writing criteria, with your own words quoted as evidence.
- Conversational speaking practice. Role plays run as a live two way conversation with a simulated patient, marked against the published Speaking criteria.
- A readiness answer. Every attempt updates an estimate per subtest trending toward the 350 line by your exam date.
Independent preparation service. Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, OET or Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment. Practice feedback is based on published OET criteria and is not an official evaluation. Regulator requirements change: confirm current rules with the regulator directly.