OET Speaking · Information Gathering
Information gathering in OET Speaking: what assessors want to hear
Many candidates spend the role-play explaining and forget to ask. Information Gathering rewards getting the patient's story with good questions and real listening.
Where it fits in the score
It is one of five clinical communication criteria, marked 0 (ineffective) to 3 (adept). What counts is how well the conversation works, not how much of the talking you do.
The five indicators
Let the patient talk
Official indicator: Facilitating the patient's narrative with active listening techniques, minimising interruption
"Mm", "I see" and a pause after each question keep the patient talking. Don't cut in, even once.
“Mm, I see. Go on.”
Open first, then closed
Official indicator: Using initially open questions, appropriately moving to closed questions
Open each topic with a question the patient answers in their own words, then narrow down.
“How have you been managing at home since you left hospital?”
One question at a time, with no hidden answer
Official indicator: NOT using compound questions or leading questions
Compound questions pack two into one; leading questions suggest the answer. Avoid both.
“How are you taking your tablets?”
Clarify vague answers
Official indicator: Clarifying statements which are vague or need amplification
When the patient says something general, like "the usual diet" or "I've been stressed", ask about it.
“You mentioned stress at work. Can you tell me a bit more about that?”
Summarise so they can correct you
Official indicator: Summarising information to encourage correction or invite further information
Repeat back what you heard and check it, mid-way as well as at the end.
“So the twitching started about a month ago, around the time work got busier. Is that right?”
What assessors say about it
From OET's graded Medicine and Nursing sample role-plays.
Scores of 2
Checking what was heard
The candidate listened, gave the patient room early on, and repeatedly echoed the history back to check it, e.g. confirming that the problem started about a month ago, right after work got stressful. The assessor noted that more open questions at the start would have made it even better.
Good, but compound questions held it back
Two candidates opened topics well and kept the patient talking with “mm-hmm” and “yep”, but both often joined two questions into one. That kept them at 2 rather than 3.
Scores of 0 and 1
Working through the card instead of the patient
The candidate followed the card instead of asking: they assumed the causes of stress and gave advice on sleep and diet without exploring the patient's situation.
Echoing that means nothing
Repeating the patient's last word (“Before.” “Sleeping.”) was not counted as active listening, because it didn't invite the patient to say more.
Score 0: closed and jumbled
After one open question, the candidate switched to closed questions and then long, tangled compound questions about housework. There was almost no active listening, clarifying or summarising.
Fix the question
The patterns assessors flag most often, and a better version of each.
Closed opener
“Are you taking your medication correctly?”
“How are you getting on with your medication?”
Compound
“Do you exercise, and are you following any diet?”
“What kind of exercise are you doing at the moment?”
Leading
“I suppose you're taking it three times a day with meals?”
“How often are you taking it?”
Open question undone by a closed one
“What about your exercise? Are you doing any regular exercise?”
“What about exercise? (then wait)”
How to practise it
- In your 3 minutes of prep, plan one open question for each task bullet.
- If the patient misunderstands, rephrase the question instead of repeating it.
- Record a role-play and count your questions. If most start with "Do you…" or "Are you…", open them up.
Get scored on Information Gathering
The OETgo Speaking Coach runs a full role-play with an AI patient and scores you on all nine OET criteria, including Information Gathering, with notes on compound and leading questions. Two free sessions on every new account.
Create free accountFrequently asked questions
What is Information Gathering in OET Speaking?
It is one of the five clinical communication criteria, scored 0 to 3. It measures how well you get the patient's story: listening actively, starting with open questions, avoiding compound and leading questions, clarifying vague answers and summarising so the patient can correct you.
Should I start with an open or a closed question?
Start open, then narrow down. "How have you been managing at home?" first, then "How often are you taking it?" Starting with a yes/no question like "Are you taking your medication correctly?" is one of the most common reasons assessors give a 1.
Is it bad if I finish the role-play early?
Usually, yes. OET's teacher guidance says that if you cover every task well before the 5 minutes are up, you probably haven't asked the patient enough or expanded the tasks.