OET Writing guide (physiotherapy)
OET Writing for physiotherapists
Physiotherapy is one of the 12 OET professions, so physiotherapists sit a Writing task set in a physiotherapy context. Physiotherapy letters are about function: what the patient can do, how that has changed, and what the reader should do next. This guide covers the usual letter types and readers, how to report assessment findings and progress concisely, and an original practice task with a model letter.
The Writing sub-test for physiotherapy
Every profession has the same format: one letter from case notes, 5 minutes of reading time followed by 40 minutes of writing, and a letter body of approximately 180–200 words. The case notes and task are specific to physiotherapy. Your letter is assessed on six criteria: Purpose (out of 3) and Content, Conciseness & Clarity, Genre & Style, Organisation & Layout and Language (each out of 7). The criteria guide explains them.
Grade requirements differ between physiotherapy regulators and can change. Check the official OET website and your regulator for the current requirement.
Letter types and readers
The table below reflects general OET teaching practice for physiotherapy, not an official list.
| Letter type | Typical reader | Core question the letter answers |
|---|---|---|
| Referral | Orthopaedic surgeon, GP, sports medicine doctor | What have I found that needs medical review or investigation? |
| Discharge or transfer | Another physiotherapist, community or rehabilitation service | Where is the patient now, what has worked, and what should continue? |
| Update or progress | Referring GP or surgeon | How has the patient progressed, and is any change in management needed? |
| Return-to-work advice | Employer or workplace | What can the patient safely do at work, and what adjustments are needed? |
An employer is a lay reader. Avoid clinical terms and describe tasks instead: "should not lift more than 10 kg" rather than "avoid loaded lumbar flexion". The guide to writing for a patient, parent or carer covers this plain-language register.
Reporting function and findings precisely
Physiotherapy notes are full of measurements: range of movement, strength grades, outcome scores, walking distances. A strong letter chooses the few that answer the reader's question and puts them in context.
- Compare, do not just list. "Knee flexion has reduced from 90° to 75° over two weeks" tells the reader more than two separate values.
- Translate into function. "She can walk about 50 metres with a stick but cannot manage stairs" is more useful to most readers than an outcome score alone.
- Separate what you observed from what the patient reports. "She reports pain of 7/10 at night" and "the knee was warm and swollen" are different kinds of evidence.
- Match terminology to the reader. Another physiotherapist will understand standard test names; a GP may need a brief explanation; an employer needs everyday language.
Original practice task
These short notes are fictional and written for practice.
PHYSIOTHERAPY — WRITING TASK (practice) Time allowed: Reading time 5 minutes, Writing time 40 minutes Notes: Today's date: 21/10/2026 You are a physiotherapist at Brookfield Outpatient Physiotherapy, 8 Canal Street, Brookfield. Patient: Mrs Ines Carvalho, DOB 11/07/1958 (68 yrs) Background: - R total knee replacement 02/09/2026 (Mr J. Patel, orthopaedics) - Lives with husband, house with stairs. Retired teacher - Enjoys gardening; wants to visit grandchildren abroad in spring - Type 2 diabetes (metformin). Hypertension (ramipril) - 6-week surgical review booked 10/11/2026 Physiotherapy: 16/09: flexion 70°, extension -10°. Walking with 2 crutches 30/09: flexion 90°, extension -5°. 1 stick, stairs with rail 07/10: flexion 90°. Progressing exercises. Pain 3/10 21/10: flexion 75°, extension -10° - Pain 7/10, worse at night, x 1 week - Knee warm, swelling increased, wound healed - Back to 2 crutches; stopped stairs, sleeping downstairs - T 37.6 (tympanic) - Calf soft, non-tender - Pt worried; husband also unwell with a cold Plan: - Refer back to Mr Patel for review before 10/11 appointment - Continue gentle range-of-movement exercises within comfort - Advised to contact GP/emergency department if feverish or unwell, or if redness spreads Writing Task: Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to Mr Jay Patel, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Brookfield District Hospital, 1 Hospital Way, Brookfield, requesting an early review. In your answer: - Expand the relevant notes into complete sentences - Do not use note form - Use letter format The body of the letter should be approximately 180–200 words.
Model letter
Mr Jay Patel Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Brookfield District Hospital 1 Hospital Way Brookfield 21 October 2026 Dear Mr Patel, Re: Mrs Ines Carvalho, DOB 11/07/1958 I am writing to request an early review of Mrs Carvalho, who underwent a right total knee replacement on 2 September and whose progress has deteriorated over the past week, with increasing pain and swelling. Mrs Carvalho initially progressed well. By 30 September her knee flexion had improved to 90°, and she was walking with one stick and managing stairs with a rail. However, over the past week she has developed pain of 7/10, which is worse at night. Today her knee was warm and more swollen, although the wound has healed. Her flexion has reduced to 75° and extension to -10°. She has returned to two crutches and is no longer able to manage stairs, so she is now sleeping downstairs. Her temperature was 37.6°C. Her calf was soft and non-tender. She has type 2 diabetes and hypertension, treated with metformin and ramipril. I have advised her to continue gentle range-of-movement exercises and to seek urgent medical help if she becomes feverish or unwell. As her surgical review is not until 10 November, I would be grateful if you could see her sooner. Yours sincerely, Tomás Reilly Physiotherapist Brookfield Outpatient Physiotherapy
Why this works
- The opening gives the operation, the date and the change that prompted the letter, together with the request.
- Progress is shown as a turning point (improvement, then decline) rather than a session-by-session diary.
- Function is described in plain terms the surgeon can act on: walking aids and stairs.
- The diabetes is included because it is relevant to a surgeon assessing a warm, swollen joint; gardening, travel plans and the husband's cold are omitted.
- The close links the request to a real timing problem: the scheduled review is almost three weeks away.
This model and its content choices are a guide, not an official answer key.
Common mistakes for physiotherapy candidates
Writing the treatment diary
Listing every session ("On 16/09… on 30/09… on 07/10…") follows the case-note order, which the Organisation & Layout criterion treats as a weakness. Summarise the trend and focus on the current status.
Too many measurements
Every range-of-movement value, strength grade and score can push the letter far over 200 words. Choose the measurements that show change or justify the request. See the word count guide.
Exercise programme detail the reader does not need
A surgeon does not need sets and repetitions. Another physiotherapist taking over care may need a summary of the programme, but rarely the full prescription.
Clinical shorthand
"ROM", "FWB", "SLR" and "HEP" should be written in full for most readers. More examples are in common OET Writing mistakes.
A weak request
"For your information" or "please advise" does not tell the reader what you need. State the action (review, investigation, continued treatment, work adjustments) and the timing.
How to practise
Our own practice task bank currently covers nursing and medicine only. Physiotherapy candidates should use official OET physiotherapy preparation materials or their course's case notes. You can paste those notes and your letter into the free checker for estimated criterion scores, then rewrite the weakest paragraph. For general strategy, see the grade B tips. The estimates are a practice aid, not an official OET result.
Frequently asked questions
Do physiotherapists take a profession-specific OET Writing test?
Yes. Writing is profession-specific, so physiotherapy candidates receive physiotherapy case notes. The timing, word guidance and six assessment criteria are the same for all professions.
Who do physiotherapists write to in OET Writing?
In general teaching practice the reader is often an orthopaedic surgeon, a GP, another physiotherapist or a rehabilitation service, and sometimes an employer. Always use the reader named in the task.
How many measurements should I include?
Only those that answer the reader's question, usually the ones that show change or justify the request. Describe function in plain terms as well as giving numbers.
Is this an official OET physiotherapy task?
No. The patient, clinicians and notes are fictional and written by LetterScore AI for practice. Use the official OET website for authentic physiotherapy sample materials.