OET Reading Practice Test 07 for Nurses – Free 60-Minute Online Test

October 09, 2026

English Guru Campus

OET READING · Practice Test 07

Nurses42 Questions60 Minutes

Total time60:00

Part A15:00

OET Reading practice for nurses

This original English Guru Campus practice test is designed for nurses and other healthcare professionals preparing for the OET Reading sub-test. It contains 42 questions in three parts: a rapid Part A task using four texts on one clinical topic, six short workplace extracts in Part B, and two longer healthcare articles in Part C. You have 60 minutes in total. Part A is strictly limited to 15 minutes and locks automatically when its timer expires; the remaining time is used for Parts B and C. On desktop, the reading material and questions appear in separate, independently scrollable panes. Mobile candidates receive a clear stacked layout. Your responses, flags and timer state are saved during the current browser session. After submission, you will receive raw and part-wise scores, an approximate OET scaled score and grade, plus a complete question-by-question review with answers and explanations.

Before you begin

Part A: Questions 1–20, 15 minutes. It locks automatically.

Parts B and C: Questions 21–42, using the time remaining from the 60-minute total.

This page saves progress in this browser session. The total timer starts only when you select Start Test.

Part A · Texts A–DScroll reading

Text A: Recognising hypoglycaemia

This hospital defines hypoglycaemia in adults as a capillary blood-glucose level below 4.0 mmol/L. Treat a reading below this threshold promptly, even if the patient has no symptoms. Typical early features include sweating, trembling, hunger, palpitations, tingling around the mouth, anxiety and pallor. Neurocognitive features include difficulty concentrating, confusion, unusual behaviour, slurred speech, drowsiness, poor coordination, seizures and loss of consciousness.

Risk is increased by delayed or missed meals, vomiting, reduced carbohydrate intake, excessive insulin or sulfonylurea therapy, unplanned exercise, alcohol, renal impairment and recovery from acute illness. Some people have impaired awareness and may not recognise warning symptoms. If the clinical picture suggests hypoglycaemia but the bedside meter gives an unexpected result, repeat the test and obtain urgent clinical review; treatment must not be delayed in a severely unwell patient.

Text B: Conscious patient able to swallow safely

Step	Action
1. Confirm	Check capillary blood glucose. Stay with the patient and stop any activity that could cause injury.
2. Give rapid carbohydrate	Give 15–20 g of rapid-acting carbohydrate: glucose tablets or gel according to pack instructions, or 150–200 mL of a non-diet sugary drink. Do not use chocolate as the initial treatment because its fat content delays glucose absorption.
3. Recheck	Repeat capillary blood glucose after 10–15 minutes. If it remains below 4.0 mmol/L, repeat the rapid-acting carbohydrate and recheck again after 10–15 minutes.
4. Stabilise	Once glucose is at least 4.0 mmol/L and symptoms have improved, give a longer-acting carbohydrate snack if the next meal is more than 30 minutes away. If a meal is due, provide it without delay.
5. Escalate	Seek medical review after three treatment cycles, if symptoms worsen, or if the glucose level does not respond as expected.

Text C: Patient unconscious or unable to swallow safely

Call for urgent clinical assistance. Place the patient in a safe position, maintain the airway and check breathing. Do not give food, drink, glucose gel or tablets by mouth. Check blood glucose if this can be done without delaying treatment.

If intravenous access is available, administer the prescribed intravenous glucose preparation in accordance with the emergency medicines protocol. Check the cannula site carefully throughout administration because concentrated glucose can damage tissue if extravasation occurs. If intravenous access is not available, give glucagon by the approved route when prescribed or authorised under the relevant protocol. Glucagon may be less effective in severe malnutrition, advanced liver disease or after prolonged alcohol use.

Recheck blood glucose after 10 minutes and continue monitoring consciousness, airway and breathing. If the patient does not respond, repeat emergency assessment and follow the medical officer's instructions. Once fully awake and able to swallow, provide longer-acting carbohydrate and a meal or snack as appropriate.

Text D: Monitoring, documentation and recurrence prevention

Continue blood-glucose checks until the patient is clinically stable and has maintained a level of at least 4.0 mmol/L. Increase observation when long-acting insulin or a sulfonylurea may continue to lower glucose. Do not omit subsequent insulin automatically: obtain a prescriber or diabetes-team review because uncontrolled hyperglycaemia may result from an inappropriate omission.

Document the lowest glucose reading, symptoms, treatment and dose, route, response, food intake, possible cause, people notified and follow-up plan. Review recent medicine administration, meal delivery, nausea, renal function and changes in activity. Report recurrent episodes, severe events requiring intravenous glucose or glucagon, seizures, injury, pregnancy, or uncertainty about the cause to the medical team.

Before discharge, confirm that the patient can recognise and treat symptoms, has access to rapid-acting carbohydrate, understands when to seek help and has an appropriate medicine and follow-up plan. Where impaired awareness is suspected, refer to the diabetes specialist team.

Questions 1–20Scroll questions

1–7: choose A–D. 8–20: use no more than three words from the texts.

A warning that a bedside measurement should be repeated when it conflicts with the patient’s condition

Answer 1

The reason chocolate is unsuitable as the first treatment

Answer 2

Circumstances in which glucagon may not work effectively

Answer 3

Information that must be recorded after an episode

Answer 4

The point at which repeated oral treatment requires medical review

Answer 5

Advice against independently cancelling a later insulin dose

Answer 6

Education that must be confirmed before the patient leaves hospital

Answer 7

The hospital threshold for adult hypoglycaemia is below __________.

Answer 8

One factor that can increase risk is a __________ meal.

Answer 9

A conscious patient should initially receive rapid-acting carbohydrate weighing __________.

Answer 10

Blood glucose should be checked again after __________.

Answer 11

If the next meal is delayed, the patient should receive a __________ snack.

Answer 12

An unconscious patient must not be given glucose products __________.

Answer 13

During intravenous glucose administration, staff must monitor the __________.

Answer 14

What oral treatment is discouraged because fat slows absorption?

Answer 15

What emergency medicine may be given when intravenous access is unavailable?

Answer 16

Which two essential functions should be monitored alongside consciousness?

Answer 17

Which medicine group may continue to lower glucose after treatment?

Answer 18

Who should review a patient with suspected impaired awareness?

Answer 19

What should the patient carry or have access to after discharge?

Answer 20

Part B · Workplace extractsScroll reading

Extract 1: Emergency-trolley seal checks

At the beginning of every shift, the allocated registered nurse must confirm that the emergency trolley seal is intact and that the seal number matches the checklist. An intact seal indicates that the trolley has been checked and restocked after its last opening; it does not remove the need to inspect externally stored items such as the oxygen cylinder, defibrillator leads and suction equipment. If the seal is broken or the number differs, treat the trolley as unchecked. Complete a full contents check immediately, replace expired or missing stock, attach a new numbered seal and record the discrepancy. During an emergency, clinical care takes priority; the trolley must then be checked and resealed as soon as practicable.

Extract 2: Food brought in by families

Food brought from home may support appetite and cultural preference, but it must not be given automatically. Confirm that it is compatible with the patient’s prescribed diet, allergies, swallowing plan and any fluid or electrolyte restriction. High-risk foods requiring strict temperature control must be labelled with the patient’s name, preparation date and storage instructions, then refrigerated promptly in the designated patient-food refrigerator. Staff must discard unlabelled food or items kept beyond the permitted period. Families should be told that ward staff cannot guarantee the safety of food prepared outside the hospital. If a patient lacks capacity or is nil by mouth, seek clinical authorisation before offering anything.

Extract 3: Orientation of temporary staff

Agency and temporary nurses remain professionally accountable for their practice, but the nurse in charge must provide a local safety orientation before allocating independent duties. This includes emergency numbers, escalation pathways, medication and controlled-drug procedures, resuscitation equipment, fire exits, electronic-record access and the location of essential policies. Previous experience in another hospital does not replace local orientation. Temporary staff must declare tasks or equipment for which they are not competent and request supervision. The nurse in charge should adjust the assignment accordingly and record completion of orientation. Staffing pressure must not be used to allocate unfamiliar specialist duties without appropriate support.

Extract 4: Electronic diagnostic-result alerts

The clinician who opens an electronic diagnostic-result alert becomes responsible for reviewing its significance and taking or arranging appropriate action. Marking an alert as “read” does not discharge this responsibility. If the result belongs to another team, contact that team directly and confirm transfer of responsibility; forwarding the alert without acknowledgement is insufficient. Urgent or unexpected findings require prompt clinical assessment and communication with the patient or responsible clinician. Record the result, advice obtained, action taken and follow-up arrangements in the health record. When going off duty with unresolved alerts, provide explicit handover to a named clinician rather than relying on the shared inbox.

Extract 5: Newly identified latex allergy

When a patient reports or develops a possible latex allergy, stop exposure and assess the reaction. Escalate immediately if there are respiratory symptoms, facial swelling, hypotension or widespread urticaria. Record the allergy and reaction details in the designated electronic field, not only in progress notes, and apply the approved bedside identification according to policy. Inform pharmacy, the medical team and relevant procedural areas. Check planned equipment, medicines and packaging for latex content; the label “latex-free” must not be assumed unless verified. For a suspected rather than confirmed allergy, document the uncertainty and arrange further assessment without removing the safety precautions.

Extract 6: Confidential paper disposal

Printed handover sheets, observation charts, labels and other documents containing identifiable clinical information must be placed in locked confidential-waste consoles when no longer required. They must never be put in ordinary recycling bins, torn and placed in domestic waste, or taken home for later disposal. Before discarding labels, check that they are not attached to specimens or medicines still in use. If a confidential-waste console is full, secure the papers temporarily in an approved locked location and request collection; do not leave them beside the console. Report any document found in public waste or an unsecured area through the privacy-incident process.

Questions 21–26Scroll questions

Choose A, B or C for Questions 21–26.

What must staff do when the recorded and actual seal numbers do not match?

Question 21A. Replace the seal without opening the trolley.B. Conduct a complete check and correct any stock problems.C. Continue using the trolley until the next scheduled inspection.

What is the main responsibility of ward staff regarding food supplied by families?

Question 22A. Check that it is clinically suitable and stored according to policy.B. Taste a sample before allowing the patient to eat it.C. Accept it whenever the patient’s family confirms that it is fresh.

The guidance makes clear that temporary nurses should

Question 23A. perform all assigned tasks because their agency has verified competence.B. receive local orientation and identify areas requiring supervision.C. avoid accessing hospital policies until permanent credentials are issued.

What is the central requirement of the alert policy?

Question 24A. The person opening an alert must ensure that appropriate follow-up is owned and completed.B. Results should remain unread until the patient’s usual team becomes available.C. Forwarding an alert automatically transfers clinical responsibility.

Why must the allergy be entered in the designated electronic field?

Question 25A. To ensure it is visible to services that may not read the progress notes.B. To confirm that formal allergy testing has already been completed.C. To allow staff to remove precautions when the reaction was mild.

What should staff do if the confidential-waste console cannot accept more material?

Question 26A. Place the papers in ordinary waste after tearing them.B. Leave them beside the console for the collection team.C. Keep them in an approved locked place until collection is arranged.

Part C · Text 1Scroll reading

Why Healthcare Struggles to Stop Low-Value Practices

Paragraph 1
Healthcare systems are skilled at adding. A promising device, checklist or medicine attracts a pilot, training programme and implementation team. Stopping an established practice is harder. Low-value care may offer little benefit, expose patients to avoidable harm or consume resources better used elsewhere, yet it can persist for years. The problem is often framed as ignorance: show clinicians stronger evidence and they will stop. Evidence matters, but continuation is usually supported by habits, incentives, expectations and systems that make the old action easier than its removal.

Paragraph 2
A practice rarely survives on evidence alone. It becomes embedded in order sets, stock lists, appointment templates and performance measures. Staff may have learned that completing the action demonstrates thoroughness, while omission feels risky even when current guidance supports it. Junior clinicians copy senior colleagues; senior clinicians remember occasions when the intervention appeared helpful. Each element makes continuation normal. Removing the practice therefore requires more than a memo. The surrounding machinery that silently prompts it must also change.

Paragraph 3
Fear of regret is powerful. If a clinician performs an unnecessary test and the result is normal, the cost is dispersed across the service. If the test is omitted and a rare condition later emerges, responsibility feels personal and visible. This imbalance encourages “just in case” care. Defensive practice is not always irrational: complaints, fragmented records and limited follow-up can make uncertainty difficult to manage. De-implementation must provide a safer alternative pathway, including criteria for reassessment, rather than simply telling staff to do less.

Paragraph 4
Patients can also interpret more intervention as better care. A test or treatment may symbolise attention, while watchful waiting sounds like refusal. Campaigns that label requests as inappropriate risk blaming patients for expectations shaped by years of healthcare messaging. Better conversations explain what the intervention can and cannot achieve, the possibility of false-positive findings and what monitoring will occur instead. Written information and consistent explanations from the whole team can prevent the patient receiving contradictory messages. Choice is meaningful only when declining low-value care does not mean abandonment.

Paragraph 5
Measurement presents another trap. Counting how often a test is ordered is straightforward; determining whether each order was inappropriate is not. A falling rate may reflect improved decisions, but it may also conceal reduced access for patients who genuinely need the intervention. Organisations therefore require balancing measures: clinical outcomes, delayed diagnoses, patient experience and variation between groups. Reviewers should examine samples of individual decisions, especially exceptions and cases involving vulnerable populations. A target that rewards reduction without context can replace one simplistic rule with another.

Paragraph 6
Some initiatives fail because they focus on individual persuasion while financial and operational incentives point in the opposite direction. A department may lose income when procedures fall, or clinicians may lack time for the longer discussion required to explain why an intervention is unnecessary. Leaders who announce a reduction goal without adjusting budgets, schedules and accountability create predictable resistance. Staff are being asked to absorb the cost of a policy that the organisation has not structurally supported.

Paragraph 7
Successful de-implementation is usually selective and iterative. Teams identify the circumstances in which a practice adds little value, redesign prompts, provide decision support and review exceptions. They invite clinicians and patients to examine cases where stopping caused concern. Local trials can reveal unexpected effects before a change is extended across an entire service. This is slower than banning an item, but it distinguishes thoughtful reduction from indiscriminate restriction. Feedback should show not only how much activity fell but whether care became safer, fairer and more useful.

Paragraph 8
The language of “doing less” can obscure the real goal. Time, attention and money released from an ineffective routine should be redirected towards care of greater value. Removing a daily test may create time for mobility, explanation or discharge planning. Leaders should make that reinvestment visible; otherwise, staff and patients may reasonably see reduction as simple rationing. Trust depends on showing where the released capacity goes and who benefits from it. De-implementation succeeds when patients experience not an absence of care but a better allocation of it. The question is therefore not merely what healthcare should stop, but what worthwhile work stopping will make possible.

Questions 27–34Scroll questions

Choose A, B, C or D for Questions 27–34.

What does the writer suggest in Paragraph 1?

Question 27A. Low-value care persists mainly because clinicians have not seen the evidence.B. Healthcare organisations find removal more difficult than introducing new practices.C. New treatments generally receive less organisational support than old ones.D. Most low-value practices remain harmless despite their cost.

In Paragraph 2, “surrounding machinery” refers to

Question 28A. equipment used to perform a particular procedure.B. formal disciplinary systems for clinicians.C. organisational processes that continue to encourage the practice.D. research methods used to evaluate clinical evidence.

Why does the writer mention fear of regret in Paragraph 3?

Question 29A. To explain why clinicians may favour visible action over omission.B. To argue that rare diagnoses should never influence testing.C. To show that complaints usually result from excessive testing.D. To suggest that follow-up systems increase defensive practice.

What approach to patients is recommended in Paragraph 4?

Question 30A. Rejecting requests that conflict with clinical guidanceB. Explaining limits, possible harms and the alternative monitoring planC. Allowing patients to choose any investigation they requestD. Avoiding discussion of false-positive results

What concern is raised about reduction targets in Paragraph 5?

Question 31A. Ordering rates are impossible to calculate reliably.B. Lower activity necessarily produces delayed diagnoses.C. Patient experience cannot be used as a balancing measure.D. A numerical fall may hide inappropriate restriction of necessary care.

According to Paragraph 6, resistance is predictable when leaders

Question 32A. remove financial penalties for departments.B. expect staff to change without aligning organisational conditions.C. allow clinicians additional time for patient discussions.D. limit accountability for low-value procedures.

What is the advantage of the iterative approach described in Paragraph 7?

Question 33A. It separates careful reduction from blanket prohibition.B. It removes the need to monitor clinical exceptions.C. It produces immediate savings without changing systems.D. It prevents patients from questioning the change.

What is the writer’s main conclusion?

Question 34A. Stopping care is valuable primarily because it reduces expenditure.B. Every discontinued practice should be replaced by a new procedure.C. Resources released from ineffective care should support more valuable work.D. De-implementation is successful when patients notice less clinical activity.

Part C · Text 2Scroll reading

Family Carers in Hospital: Partnership Without Assumption

Paragraph 1
Families often arrive at hospital carrying knowledge that no clinical record contains. They know how an older person expresses pain, which routines calm a relative with dementia, or what “normal” mobility looks like at home. Involving them can improve recognition of change and continuity after discharge. Their observations may be particularly valuable when illness, communication difficulty or an unfamiliar environment alters the patient's presentation. Yet enthusiasm for family partnership can become careless if it assumes that every patient wants involvement, every relationship is supportive or every relative can take on care. The starting point must remain the patient’s wishes and safety.

Paragraph 2
Consent is not a single yes-or-no decision. A patient may welcome a daughter during medication discussions but prefer privacy for personal care or conversations about prognosis. Capacity can fluctuate, and family members may disagree. Staff should clarify what information may be shared, with whom and for which decisions, then revisit the arrangement when circumstances change. Documentation should be accessible to the whole team, while sensitive details remain appropriately protected. General invitations to “involve the family” are too vague to protect either participation or confidentiality.

Paragraph 3
Relatives can help interpret behaviour, but their account should not replace direct communication with the patient. Clinicians sometimes address a family member even when the patient can participate with additional time, hearing support or accessible language. This may be efficient, but it subtly relocates authority. Good partnership uses family knowledge to enrich assessment while continuing to look at, speak to and seek responses from the person receiving care.

Paragraph 4
Hospitals also depend on families for practical work. Relatives may assist with meals, mobility, orientation and reassurance. Some want to contribute and find the role meaningful. Problems arise when voluntary help becomes an unstated staffing plan. A relative who leaves the bedside should not feel responsible for a fall or missed drink, and staff must not assume that presence equals competence. Any task must be agreed, explained and supported, with professional responsibility remaining clear.

Paragraph 5
The term “carer” can hide unequal capacity. One family member may be elderly, employed, unwell or caring for children; another may have travelled a long distance or lack confidence in English. Training a relative to manage complex equipment without assessing these circumstances transfers risk beyond the ward. Teaching should include demonstration, supervised practice and an opportunity to ask questions through an interpreter when needed. Discharge planning should ask what the person is willing and able to do, what support is available and what will happen if the plan fails at night or over a weekend.

Paragraph 6
Open visiting policies are often promoted as evidence of family-centred care. Flexible access can reduce anxiety and allow relatives to hear explanations, but unlimited presence may disturb roommates, compromise confidential conversations or exhaust the patient. Blanket restrictions are equally crude. Wards need proportionate arrangements based on patient preference, clinical need, infection precautions and the shared environment, rather than treating visiting hours alone as a measure of partnership.

Paragraph 7
Conflict is sometimes interpreted as a difficult-family problem. Relatives may indeed behave aggressively or demand unsafe treatment, and staff require clear boundaries. But frustration can also signal that communication has failed, responsibility is unclear or family knowledge has been repeatedly dismissed. Different clinicians may have offered inconsistent explanations, leaving relatives unsure whose plan applies. Early, structured conversations about roles and expectations can prevent disagreement from hardening. A named contact and an agreed time for updates can reduce repeated questioning without silencing legitimate concerns. Escalation processes should protect staff and patients while still examining what produced the conflict.

Paragraph 8
Family involvement is strongest when it is specific rather than symbolic. Staff should identify the patient’s preferred participants, document permissions, invite relevant observations, teach agreed tasks and confirm who remains accountable. These arrangements should be reviewed after changes in capacity, diagnosis or discharge destination rather than copied forward without thought. They should also make it safe for relatives to say no, to change their minds and to request further support. Partnership is not measured by how much unpaid work a family performs. It is measured by whether knowledge, choice and responsibility are combined in a way that improves care without exploiting affection or weakening professional duty.

Questions 35–42Scroll questions

Choose A, B, C or D for Questions 35–42.

What qualification does the writer make in Paragraph 1?

Question 35A. Family knowledge is useful, but involvement cannot be assumed to be wanted or safe.B. Clinical records usually contain more reliable information than families provide.C. Families should become involved only after discharge planning begins.D. Patient preferences are less important when relatives know normal behaviour.

Why are general invitations to involve family considered inadequate in Paragraph 2?

Question 36A. They prevent capacity from being assessed formally.B. They do not define the boundaries of information sharing and participation.C. They allow only one relative to receive information.D. They must be renewed before every clinical conversation.

In Paragraph 3, “relocates authority” suggests that staff may

Question 37A. give relatives formal responsibility for consent.B. transfer the patient to another clinical team.C. allow convenience to displace the patient from the conversation.D. reject observations made by family members.

What concern is expressed in Paragraph 4?

Question 38A. Families generally refuse to assist with basic care.B. Voluntary family assistance may quietly substitute for adequate staffing.C. Relatives should receive clinical responsibility for falls.D. Staff are unable to teach families practical tasks safely.

What does the writer recommend before assigning complex care after discharge?

Question 39A. Confirming that the family owns the necessary equipmentB. Selecting the youngest available relativeC. Assessing willingness, capability and backup supportD. Avoiding discussion of possible failure

What is the writer’s view of visiting policies in Paragraph 6?

Question 40A. Unrestricted visiting is the best indicator of partnership.B. Fixed visiting hours protect all patients equally.C. Family access should be determined solely by infection control.D. Flexible but context-sensitive arrangements are preferable to blanket rules.

What alternative interpretation of family frustration is offered in Paragraph 7?

Question 41A. It may reveal failures in communication or recognition.B. It usually demonstrates a demand for unsafe treatment.C. It proves that boundaries have been explained too early.D. It indicates that relatives should be excluded from care.

How does the writer define effective partnership in the final paragraph?

Question 42A. By the number of clinical duties accepted by relativesB. By combining patient choice, useful knowledge and clear accountabilityC. By allowing families unrestricted access to the wardD. By transferring professional duties to trained relatives

Your result

0/42Total

0/20Part A

0/6Part B

0/16Part C

Your answer:

Correct answer:

Explanation: Partnership combines choice, knowledge and clear accountability.

Support: Partnership combines choice, knowledge and clear accountability.

OET Reading Practice Test 07 for Nurses – Free 60-Minute Online Test

OET Reading practice for nurses

Before you begin

Text A: Recognising hypoglycaemia

Text B: Conscious patient able to swallow safely

Text C: Patient unconscious or unable to swallow safely

Text D: Monitoring, documentation and recurrence prevention

Extract 1: Emergency-trolley seal checks

Extract 2: Food brought in by families

Extract 3: Orientation of temporary staff

Extract 4: Electronic diagnostic-result alerts

Extract 5: Newly identified latex allergy

Extract 6: Confidential paper disposal

Why Healthcare Struggles to Stop Low-Value Practices

Family Carers in Hospital: Partnership Without Assumption

Your result

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Question 12

Question 13

Question 14

Question 15

Question 16

Question 17

Question 18

Question 19

Question 20

Question 21

Question 22

Question 23

Question 24

Question 25

Question 26

Question 27

Question 28

Question 29

Question 30

Question 31

Question 32

Question 33

Question 34

Question 35

Question 36

Question 37

Question 38

Question 39

Question 40

Question 41

Question 42

Continue practising

Comments

Post a Comment