21/08/2018
Sharing some important tips, techniques and strategies to help you get an A or a B in the Writing subtest -
✅TIP # 1 - Remember that your most important objective in the Writing subtest is to finish the referral letter up to the closing part -
Sincerely yours,
Charge Nurse
Name of Institution
Failing to finish the task which is to write a referral letter may possibly result to a C. Therefore, aim to finish the letter at all cost. PLANNING and TIME MANAGEMENT are KEY in achieving this goal.
✅TIP # 2 - The word count only covers the BODY OF THE LETTER starting from, I am writing to refer..... excluding the closing paragraph, Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to reach me in my hospital contact number.
This paragraph is NOT considered in the word count. Remember - You could exceed 200 words. There is no automatic penalty for exceeding the word count, provided you would have included relevant and important case notes only, and fulfilled the Writing Task.
✅TIP # 3 - Write an excellent Introductory Paragraph as the first paragraph of your referral letter. This paragraph must provide easy and immediate reference to the intended reader on the most important case notes that he must be made aware of, and the action that he/she is being requested to perform for your patient.
Remember that the first sentence must clearly state the reason, the purpose of your referral letter, and the action being required from the reader of the letter.
Second sentence must state the PRIMARY medical issue of the patient, or the reason for hospital admission (as applicable), or the diagnosis, and the hospital admission date (as applicable).
Sentence 3 must provide a brief summary of the patient's CURRENT medical condition, in relation to the diagnosis. This must provide the reader of your letter the important information on the current medical status of the patient upon referral.
Sentence 4 must state the date of discharge and/or transfer date to the institution where the health care person that you are writing to, is assigned.
✅TIP # 4 - Keep in mind that the OET Writing subtest is a PROCESS in itself, consisting of different steps or stages, as follows -
✔ READING TIME (5 minutes)
This time allocation must be dedicated to careful and thorough study of the Writing Task (found on page 2 of the stimulus material) as the 1st step.
During the Reading time, ensure to read and study very well the case notes, review the RELEVANCE and IMPORTANCE of each case note and develop a mental plan/structure or the order of your paragraphs. You are not allowed to write or mark the Writing test booklet during the Reading time.
During the 40-minute Writing time, follow this process to ensure that you produce a letter which is of B or A quality -
Step 1 (3-5 minutes) - PLANNING
* Underline key words in the Writing Task and in the case notes
* Select and include the most relevant and important case notes, and exclude irrelevant and unimportant case notes
Ask the question - which case notes are important and relevant to my reader, to enable him to provide the necessary care, support, intervention or management to the patient being referred?
* Develop a structure, or order of your paragraph based on the IMPORTANCE of CASE NOTES/PARAGRAPH, with the most important paragraph on top, and the Discharge and Management Plan as the last paragraph of the body of your letter.
* Assign a paragraph number to each important case note (P1, P2, P3, P4 and P5), to make it easy for you to pick out the note as you develop your letter, paragraph by paragraph
✔ Step 2 - WRITING (30-32 minutes)
* Transform your important case notes into sentences, and paragraph by paragraph.
* Ensure that each paragraph is coherent and unified in terms of main idea or case notes which are related.
* Use formal writing style and do not just copy case notes. Demonstrate your vocabulary skill. Paraphrase accordingly, and use appropriate and accurate synonyms, in order to still maintain the same meaning as the case notes.
* Use different sentence structures - Simple, Complex and Compound Sentences, and both active and passive voices appropriately.
✔Step 3 - FINAL CHECKING (2-5 minutes)
Check the following before time is up -
* legibility of handwriting
* grammar
* spelling
* punctuation
* capitalization
All the very best future OET passers!
