Have you ever wondered whether speaking English fluently is enough to achieve a top score in the OET Speaking subtest?
Many candidates believe that using advanced vocabulary, avoiding grammatical errors, and pronouncing words accurately are the sole keys to success. While these linguistic skills are undoubtedly important, there is much more to OET Speaking than simply speaking fluent English.
Imagine yourself in a real healthcare setting. A patient comes to you with a health concern. You explain their condition, discuss available treatment options, and recommend lifestyle changes. You speak clearly and confidently throughout the consultation. However, you never check whether the patient has understood your explanation, nor do you ask whether your suggestions are suitable for their personal routine.
Would you consider this an effective consultation?
Probably not. This scenario highlights why clinical communication skills play such a pivotal role in OET Speaking. As a healthcare professional, your responsibility extends beyond merely delivering information. You must also ensure that your patient understands what you are saying and feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, concerns, and preferences.
In this guide, we will explore two essential communication skills every OET candidate must master: checking understanding/clarification and using suggestion phrases effectively. We will also review practical examples and role-play strategies to elevate your practice sessions.
Understanding the Importance of Communication in OET Speaking
The Occupational English Test (OET) evaluates the English language proficiency of healthcare professionals seeking to practise in an English-speaking environment.
In the Speaking subtest, candidates complete role-play scenarios based on real-world clinical situations. These interactions typically feature a healthcare professional (played by the candidate) and a patient, relative, or caregiver (played by the interlocutor).
Your performance is assessed across two distinct criteria categories: linguistic criteria (grammar, vocabulary, phonology, and fluency) and clinical communication criteria (indicators such as relationship building, understanding the patient’s perspective, providing structure, information gathering, and information giving).
This structure means that while speaking accurately is important, how you engage with your patient is equally significant. You must build rapport, explain complex terms clearly, address patient concerns, and actively involve them in decisions about their care.
Let us examine two core communication techniques that will make your interactions more natural, patient-centered, and successful.
- Clarification and Checking Understanding Why is checking understanding crucial?
Consider a scenario where you are a nurse explaining a complex medication schedule to a patient. You outline when to take the medication, the dosage required, and the purpose of the treatment. If you immediately move on to the next topic without verifying their comprehension, the patient may leave feeling confused about the instructions—potentially leading to medication errors.
This is why checking understanding is a fundamental pillar of patient safety and effective communication.
In OET Speaking, information giving is a two-way dialogue. You must create deliberate pauses to allow the patient to ask questions or express confusion. Checking understanding demonstrates empathy, active care, and a commitment to clear communication. Practical Phrases for Checking Understanding
Here are four natural, high-impact phrases to use in your role plays:
- “Does that make sense to you?”
Best used for: Quick, friendly checks after giving routine instructions.
Example: “You should take this medication right after breakfast every morning. Does that make sense to you?”
- “Is that clear, or would you like me to explain anything again?”
Best used for: Important medical information or multi-step procedures, reassuring the patient that asking questions is welcomed.
Example: “It is vital to keep the surgical wound clean and dry for the next three days. Is that clear, or would you like me to explain anything again?”
- “Could you tell me how you plan to take this medication at home?”
Best used for: High-risk instructions where explicit confirmation is needed (teach-back method).
Example: “You need to take one tablet in the morning and another in the evening. Just to make sure we’re on the same page, could you tell me how you will take this medication at home?”
• “Would you like me to go over that once more?”
Best used for: Complex diagnostic explanations or when the interlocutor displays hesitation or anxiety.
Example: “Your blood pressure reading is higher than target levels, so we need to monitor it weekly. Would you like me to go over that once more?”
How to apply this skill in your test
Avoid memorising a single phrase and repeating it mechanically throughout the scenario. Match your phrase to the complexity of the information provided. Use the “teach-back” technique for multi-step drug regimes, and shorter confirmation phrases for minor instructions.
2. Using Suggestion Phrases Effectively
Why discuss suggestions rather than issue commands?
Imagine advising a patient with hypertension to modify their lifestyle. You tell them to walk for 30 minutes daily, adjust their diet, and eliminate processed foods.
While these recommendations are medically sound, the patient might work night shifts, suffer from joint pain, or lack access to cooking facilities. If you simply command them without exploring their personal circumstances, they may feel dismissed and become non-compliant.
Effective clinical communication requires exploring whether your advice is practical and acceptable to the patient. This approach demonstrates respect for patient autonomy and encourages shared decision-making.
Practical Phrases for Collaborative Suggestions
Here are four adaptable phrases to make your advice collaborative:
Clinical PurposePractical Example
“Would that be okay with you?”Checks basic willingness after making a recommendation.”It might be helpful to start with a short 10-minute walk each day and build up gradually. Would that be okay with you?”
“Would you be able to manage that?”Evaluates realistic feasibility within the patient’s daily life.”I recommend reducing your daily salt intake and preparing meals at home. Would you be able to manage that?”
“How do you feel about this option?”Invites active patient involvement and decisionmaking.”We could start with small dietary adjustments rather than changing your entire meal plan at once. How do you feel about this option?”
“Do you think this would work for your routine?”Connects clinical advice directly to the patient’s lifestyle.”Taking your medication right after brushing your teeth in the evening might help. Do you think this would work for your routine?”
Handling Patient Objections Professionally
If a patient expresses concern or hesitation (e.g., “I can’t walk every day because my knees hurt”), do not simply repeat your original recommendation. Acknowledge their limitation and offer a flexible alternative:
“I completely understand that knee pain makes walking difficult. Would you be comfortable if we explored low-impact options like hydrotherapy, or discussed a referral with the physiotherapy team?”
3 Common Mistakes to Avoid in OET Speaking
- Rushing through explanations without pausing: Avoid delivering a continuous monologue. Break your points into manageable chunks and check in with the patient periodically.
- Adopting an overly directive tone: Phrases like “You must do this” or “You have no choice” sound abrupt. Use collaborative, patient-centered language instead.
- Overusing memorised phrases robotically: Asking “Does that make sense?” after every single sentence creates an artificial rhythm. Vary your expressions naturally based on the flow of conversation.
A Step-by-Step Practice Guide
To integrate these communication skills into your routine, follow this framework:
- Select a Role-Play Card: Identify key medical details, instructions, and lifestyle advice required.
- Map Out Checking Points: Plan natural moments in the conversation to pause and verify understanding.
- Draft Collaborative Alternatives: Prepare 2–3 alternative suggestion strategies in case the patient rejects your initial recommendation.
- Record Your Sessions: Audio-record your practice role-plays. Listen back to evaluate tone, pausing, and patient engagement.
- Focus on Quality over Complexity: Choose clear, natural expressions over unnecessarily complicated vocabulary.
At Tijus Academy, our EC2 technique helps candidates master practical communication strategies, ensuring you apply key phrases naturally and appropriately in any test scenario.
Conclusion
Is fluent English alone enough to succeed in OET Speaking?
Not quite. While linguistic fluency provides a strong foundation, achieving top marks requires demonstrating strong clinical communication skills. By actively checking understanding and framing suggestions collaboratively, you create natural, patient-centered interactions that align directly with OET assessment criteria.
In your next practice session, move beyond just avoiding mistakes. Focus on making your patient feel heard, respected, and involved in their care.
Frequently Asked Questions:
A: No. While linguistic fluency (grammar, vocabulary, phonology, and fluency) provides an essential base, you are equally evaluated on clinical communication criteria. These include relationship building, understanding the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering, and information giving.
A: Checking understanding ensures patient safety and transforms information delivery into a two-way dialogue. Without pausing to verify comprehension, patients can leave confused about medical instructions or medication regimes, increasing the risk of non-compliance or clinical errors.
A: The teach-back method asks the patient to explain instructions back in their own words (e.g., "Could you tell me how you plan to take this medication at home?"). It is best used for high-risk directions or multi-step drug regimens where explicit confirmation is required.
A: Direct commands (like "You must do this") disregard the patient's individual lifestyle, schedule, and physical limitations. Framing recommendations as collaborative suggestions respects patient autonomy, assesses real-world feasibility, and encourages shared decision-making.
A: Acknowledge the patient's specific limitation empathetically instead of repeating the original instruction, then offer a flexible alternative. For instance, if a patient cannot walk due to joint pain, suggest low-impact alternatives like hydrotherapy or propose a physiotherapy referral.
A: Rushing without pausing: Monologuing rather than breaking information into manageable chunks.
Overly directive tone: Using authoritarian language instead of collaborative expressions.
Robotic repetition: Repeating the same memorised phrase (e.g., "Does that make sense?") after every sentence instead of varying phrasing naturally.
A: Map out natural pause points on role-play cards beforehand to verify patient understanding.
Prepare 2–3 collaborative fallback suggestions for common patient objections.
Audio-record practice sessions to evaluate tone, pacing, chunking, and patient rapport.
