OET Writing Criteria: Old vs New
In their current form there are 5 criteria totaling 30 points. These are:
- Overall Task Fulfillment
- Appropriateness of Language
- Comprehension of Stimulus
- Linguistic Features
- Presentation Features
In the upgraded version there will be 6 criteria totaling 38 points. These are: These are:
- Purpose
- Content
- Conciseness and Clarity
- Genre and Style
- Organisation and Layout
- Language
So again, there is NO CHANGE to what is being assessed. Only the names have been changed and the same skills are assessed only under different criteria.
Why is the OET Writing Criteria being updated?
Let me tell you why the update to the OET writing criteria is happening. OET is determined to keep the writing test fit for purpose. Meaning they are keeping up to date on what is expected from you while you’re working in an English-speaking healthcare environment. Many people were involved in the decision-making process including consultations with a range healthcare professionals. This is what they said about each criterion.
- Purpose – must be immediately apparent and clear.
- Content – must include the necessary information, and that information must be accurate.
- Conciseness and Clarity – means excluding the irrelevant information and only including what is relevant to the reader.
- Genre and Style – means the way you write your letter must be suitable for the intended reader.
- Organisation and Layout – means your letter must be structured to aid the retrieval of information.
- Language – should aid the retrieval of information.
This all means that the skills that make up the old OET writing criteria have now been incorporated into the new. For example, spelling, punctuation and layout which make up presentation features in the current system, will be separated with layout moving to Organisation and Layout and spelling and punctuation moving to Language for obvious reasons.
