OET FOR PHYSIOTHERAPISTS
OET for physiotherapists: what the Physiotherapy test involves
OET Physiotherapy frames Writing and Speaking around rehabilitation: progress reports, referrals onward, and the daily work of getting patients to actually do their exercises.
Reading and Listening are the shared healthcare subtests, so general practice transfers there. The physio specific skill is the letter: summarising functional progress for another professional without drowning them in session by session detail.
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, often a referral or progress letter to a GP, consultant, or community therapist about a patient's rehabilitation, or a transfer of care letter. Strong letters organise around function and goals, select what the reader needs, and leave out routine session detail.
THE SPEAKING SUBTEST
Speaking is two role plays with you as the physiotherapist. Typical cards involve motivating a patient who has stopped doing their home exercise programme, explaining pain that is expected versus pain that is not, or setting realistic recovery expectations after surgery. Marking covers relationship building and structure as well as language.
WHO ACCEPTS IT
OET Physiotherapy is accepted by bodies including the Physiotherapy Board of Australia via AHPRA and the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand. In the UK, the HCPC sets its own English language requirements, so check its current guidance directly. Rules change, so confirm with your regulator 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.