OET Strategies
Is the OET Speaking Test Getting Harder in 2025?
Sep
“This candidate seems fine for Speaking…”
Since around January 2025, it has felt like even candidates who gave the impression of being “okay in Speaking” are not achieving the same success rates as before.
Some unofficial sources mention that after January 29, 2025, an “Overall Score” was introduced. However, since this has not been officially confirmed, its accuracy is questionable. (The actual score format itself has not changed.)
With so much fragmented information circulating, it’s understandable that many IMGs feel uncertain about what’s true and what’s not.
From July 31, 2025: Zoom Discontinued
The official OET Test Regulations include the following notice:
OET Speaking Test: the Speaking sub-test delivered via Zoom required to be taken with OET Test on Computer.
For tests booked on or after 31 July 2025, the Speaking sub-test will be delivered through OET’s Speaking Platform instead of Zoom.
Source: OET Test Regulations
The development of an independent platform suggests more than just improved security—it likely also includes automation features for scoring, making the process more efficient.
This raises a possible explanation for why Speaking feels more difficult: evaluation may now be a hybrid of AI-based scoring and examiner judgment, moving away from the subjective, human-only assessment that existed before.
In fact, recent remark requests for OET Speaking show almost no score changes. (Previously, it wasn’t unusual to see differences of up to 50 points.) This may indicate that inconsistencies in grading are being reduced.
How to Prepare Based on the Assessment Criteria
OET Speaking uses a unique evaluation system consisting of two major perspectives:
- Linguistic Criteria = Are you speaking fluent, accurate English?
- Clinical Communication Criteria = Are you communicating appropriately as a healthcare professional with a patient?
If you don’t fully understand this framework, it becomes difficult to achieve stable scores. For IMGs struggling to improve, carefully reviewing these descriptors is essential.
Here’s how OET itself describes the criteria.
Source：Speaking sub-test: Assessment criteria and level descriptors
Improving Linguistic Criteria
The Linguistic Criteria essentially measure “how good your English sounds.” This is not something that can be mastered overnight—especially if you had limited exposure to English in early life. For some people, achieving near-native fluency may not even be realistic.
So how should you prepare?
I believe the most effective method is practicing pronunciation at the phrase level rather than focusing only on individual sounds.
Because OET Speaking involves healthcare role-plays, the range of expressions tends to repeat more consistently than in other exams. This allows you to focus on mastering high-frequency phrases.
For example, take the common phrase:
“What brought you here today?”
If studied word by word:
- What → /wʌt/
- brought → /brɔt/
- you → /ju/
- here → /hɪr/
- today → /təˈdeɪ/
This approach is time-consuming. Instead, it’s more efficient to internalize it as it naturally sounds in connected speech:
[wʌɾ brɔtʃə hɪɚ təˈdeɪ]Here’s how the changes occur:
- What → the /t/ softens or flaps → [wʌɾ]
- brought you → /t/ + /j/ blend into [tʃ] → [brɔtʃu]
- you weakens to [jə]
- here shifts to [hɪɚ]
- to weakens to [tə]
By practicing full phrases in this way, you absorb not just pronunciation but rhythm, stress, and intonation together. Over time, the phrase becomes natural and automatic—something that “just comes out of your mouth” without conscious effort.
At first, you might feel self-conscious:
- “I’m only repeating the same phrase.”
- “Am I showing enough variety?”
- “What will native speakers think?”
But consistency matters. Repeat key expressions until they feel comfortable, then analyze and refine them. Eventually, you’ll experience a sense of fluency that feels good—and that “pleasant feeling” is critical to sustaining progress.
Language learning thrives on this sense of enjoyment. When you can say, “My English actually sounds good here,” it fuels motivation to keep going.
Next Steps
This article has focused on the Linguistic Criteria. I’ll cover strategies for improving Clinical Communication Criteria in a future post.
If you’re preparing for OET, consider exploring our practice resources at OET Bank. We’re designed not just as mock tests, but as powerful review tools that make it easier to analyze weaknesses and focus on what’s needed to pass.
