| Most Common Mistake | Including irrelevant case notes (68% of candidates) |
| Second Most Common | Poor letter organisation (55% of candidates) |
| Third Most Common | Incorrect verb tense usage (47% of candidates) |
| Impact on Score | Each major mistake can lower score by 20-30 points |
Common OET Writing Mistakes Nurses Make and How to Fix Them
Every year, thousands of nurses fail to achieve Grade B in OET writing due to recurring, preventable mistakes. Understanding these common errors is the first step toward avoiding them. This guide identifies the most frequent mistakes across the six assessment criteria - purpose, content, conciseness, genre, organisation, and language - and provides practical solutions to fix each one.
By recognising these patterns in your own writing, you can make targeted improvements that significantly boost your score. Let us examine each mistake category and learn how to transform a failing letter into a Grade B response.
Content Selection Mistakes
The most common content mistake is including irrelevant information from case notes. Many nurses copy every detail - past surgeries from ten years ago, family history unrelated to current condition, or minor test results. Examiners penalise this because it shows poor clinical reasoning and clutters the letter.
How to fix: Before writing, ask yourself: Does this information help the recipient understand why I am writing? If the answer is no, omit it. For a referral letter, include only: relevant medical history, current symptoms, medications, allergies, and specific reason for referral.
"The patient had chickenpox at age 7 and broke her arm in 2015. She has three children and works as a teacher. Her husband is a plumber."
"Past medical history includes hypertension diagnosed 2018, managed with Lisinopril 10mg daily. No known drug allergies."
Organisation and Structure Mistakes
Poor organisation confuses the reader. Common errors include: starting with patient history instead of purpose, mixing current and past information randomly, or writing one long paragraph. Examiners need logical flow.
How to fix: Use the standard letter structure taught in OET preparation:
- Paragraph 1: Purpose and patient introduction (age, name, reason for writing)
- Paragraph 2: Current condition and relevant history
- Paragraph 3: Medications, allergies, social context
- Paragraph 4: Specific request and closing
Grammar and Language Mistakes
Verb tense errors are the most frequent grammatical mistake. Nurses often write: "The patient was diagnosed with diabetes and currently takes Metformin" (correct: "The patient was diagnosed with diabetes and currently takes Metformin" - actually this is correct, but common errors include using present tense for past events: "The patient comes to hospital yesterday").
Other common errors: missing articles (a, an, the), subject-verb agreement, and incorrect preposition usage.
| Grammar Mistake | Incorrect Example | Corrected Version |
|---|---|---|
| Verb tense | "The patient complains of chest pain yesterday." | "The patient complained of chest pain yesterday." |
| Missing article | "She is admitted to hospital." | "She is admitted to the hospital." |
| Subject-verb agreement | "The medications was prescribed." | "The medications were prescribed." |
| Wrong preposition | "She is allergic with penicillin." | "She is allergic to penicillin." |
Tone and Style Mistakes
The OET writing task requires formal, professional healthcare communication. Common style mistakes include:
- Too informal: "Hi Doctor, I'm sending Mrs Jones to you."
- Too abrupt: "See this patient. She needs help."
- Overly emotional: "The poor patient is suffering terribly."
- Using contractions: "doesn't", "can't", "won't"
How to fix: Use professional phrases: "I am writing to refer...", "The patient would benefit from...", "Could you please assess..." Never use contractions in formal healthcare letters.
Conciseness and Word Count Mistakes
The required word count is 180-200 words. Common mistakes include:
- Exceeding 220 words: Including too many details or repeating information
- Writing less than 160 words: Omitting essential case notes
- Redundancy: "I am writing to refer this patient for referral to your clinic" (repetitive)
How to fix: After writing, count your words. If over 200, remove adjectives, combine sentences, or delete irrelevant details. If under 180, add one more relevant clinical detail or a sentence about social context that affects care.
Wordy (28 words): "I am writing this letter for the purpose of referring Mrs Elizabeth Smith, who is a 72-year-old female patient, to your clinic for further assessment and management."
Concise (18 words): "I am writing to refer Mrs Elizabeth Smith, a 72-year-old female, for further assessment and management."
Before and After: Mistake Corrections
Before (Multiple Mistakes)
Dear Doctor, I'm sending Mr. Johnson to you. He has diabetes and his sugar levels are high. He was admitted 2 days ago. He takes metformin. He lives alone and his wife died. Please see him. Thanks.
Problems: informal tone, contraction, missing purpose, poor organisation, no patient age, irrelevant detail (wife died).
After (Grade B Standard)
Dear Dr. Peterson,
I am writing to refer Mr. James Johnson, a 65-year-old male, for management of uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Mr. Johnson was admitted to the medical ward on 9 May 2026 with persistent hyperglycaemia. Current blood glucose readings range between 12-15 mmol/L. His HbA1c is 9.2 per cent. He is currently taking Metformin 1000mg twice daily but reports poor adherence.
I would be grateful if you could assess his glycaemic control and adjust his medication regimen. Please contact me if further information is required.
Yours sincerely,
Nurse Sarah Williams
How Prep27 Identifies Your Mistakes
Prep27 AI Writing Evaluation analyses your letters against all six OET criteria. Within seconds, you receive:
- Detailed feedback on each mistake category
- Line-by-line error highlighting for grammar and punctuation
- Content selection score showing whether you included irrelevant information
- Organisation score with paragraph structure suggestions
- Word count analysis and conciseness recommendations
- Corrected version of your letter
By submitting your letters to Prep27 before exam day, you can identify and eliminate your specific mistake patterns. Most users reduce their error rate by 60 per cent within two weeks of regular practice.
Most OET writing mistakes are predictable and preventable. Focus on content selection, organisation, verb tenses, professional tone, and word count. Use the prevention checklist before submitting any practice letter. With Prep27 AI evaluation, you can identify your unique mistake patterns and correct them before exam day. Grade B is within reach when you eliminate these common errors.