This free OET Writing checklist has 31 checks for a Grade B referral letter, grouped by the six criteria the assessors mark: Purpose, Content, Conciseness and Clarity, Genre and Style, Organisation and Layout, and Language. Use the first section during the 5-minute reading time, write for 40 minutes, then run the final section in the last 3 minutes. Each check has the reason it matters, so you know what you are fixing.
OET Writing referral letter checklist: all 31 checks on two printable pages.
New to the letter itself? Start with the referral letter template and worked example, then come back and check your own letter against this list.
Before you write: the 5-minute reading time
- I know who the reader is and what I want them to do. The reader and the request decide which case notes matter and what register to use.
- I know the letter type: referral, transfer, discharge, or a letter to a patient or carer. Each type has a different purpose sentence and a different closing request.
- I have marked every case note as essential, useful or irrelevant. Sorting the notes first is the fastest way to keep irrelevant detail out of the letter.
- I have planned the paragraph order: the current problem first, background after. Case notes are written in date order, not in the order the reader needs them.
Layout
Marked under: Organisation and Layout
- The recipient's name, position, organisation and address are at the top. Copy them exactly as the task gives them.
- The date is the one given in the task, not today's date. Assessors check that you used the task details.
- The Re: line has the patient's full name and date of birth. It identifies the patient before the reader starts the letter.
- The salutation matches the recipient: “Dear Dr Chen”, not “Dear Laura”. Use “Dear Sir/Madam” only when the task gives no name.
- Each paragraph has one job, with a blank line between paragraphs. Grouping information logically is what this criterion marks.
- It ends with “Yours sincerely”, then my name and profession. Use “Yours faithfully” only after “Dear Sir/Madam”.
Purpose
Marked under: Purpose (marked 0 to 3)
- The first paragraph says who the patient is and exactly why I am writing. “I am writing regarding the above patient” does not state a purpose.
- Any urgency is stated in the opening, not saved for the end. The reader should know how soon to act from the first sentence.
- The final paragraph makes a specific request, such as “assess his footwear and offloading needs”. A generic “please see and advise” leaves the purpose undeveloped.
Content
- Every essential case note is in the letter. Missing a point the reader needs to act is the biggest Content penalty.
- Doses, dates, results and timeframes match the notes exactly. One wrong figure is a clinical error, not just a language slip.
- Normal findings, resolved conditions and unrelated social details are left out. If it does not change what the reader does next, it does not belong.
- What I have already done or started is stated: tests sent, medication changed. The reader needs to know where care stands so nothing is repeated.
- Pending results and follow-up arrangements are mentioned. Tell the reader what is still to come and who will send it.
Conciseness and clarity
- The body of the letter is about 180 to 200 words. Letters well over that usually include notes the reader does not need.
- Related points are combined into one sentence where they belong together. Summarising, not listing, is what this criterion rewards.
- Nothing is said twice. Repetition makes the letter longer without helping the reader.
Genre and style
- The register suits the reader: clinical for a colleague, plain English for a patient or carer. The same facts are written differently for a specialist and for a parent.
- Note shorthand is written out: SOB, 3/52, PMH, c/o. Case-note abbreviations are not letter language.
- The tone is polite and professional, with no contractions or casual phrases. Write “I would be grateful if”, not “Can you please”.
Language
- Every note has become a full sentence; no fragments are left. “BP 150/90, SOB on exertion” becomes “His blood pressure was 150/90 and he reported breathlessness on exertion.”
- Tenses are consistent: past for history, present for current state, present perfect for ongoing. “He has had diabetes for 12 years”, not “He has diabetes since 12 years”.
- Articles and plurals are checked: a, an, the, and -s endings. These are the most common slips in otherwise accurate letters.
- Medication and condition names are spelled as in the case notes. Copy clinical terms carefully; they are given to you.
The final 3 minutes
- I have re-read the task and the letter does what it asks. A letter “for assessment and management” needs both in the request.
- Every note I marked essential has been used. Tick them off on the case notes as a last check.
- The patient's name and title are the same and spelled correctly throughout. Switching between “Mr Hayes” and “Robert” reads as careless.
Free to print and share
Tutors, nurse educators and international recruitment teams are welcome to print the PDF or share it with candidates, unchanged. Linking to this page keeps everyone on the latest version.
Check a letter against the criteria automatically
A checklist tells you what to look for. Exam Hero marks your practice letter against all six OET criteria in seconds, shows which case-note points you missed, and gives you a model answer. Try a Writing task free in the OET question bank, or see the letter format and phrases guide for wording that fits each paragraph.
