Free · no sign-up · works on your phone
OSCE timer
Reading time, a bell to go in, and a voice that calls the reminders and time's up, the way an exam does. Set the station once; it is remembered on this device, keeps counting in the background and picks up where it was after a refresh.
Press Start. Reading time runs first, then the bell.
Space start / pause · S skip reading · F finish · R reset · B big clock · M mute
Sound and voice
Turn your ringer on: phones on silent mute the voice too.
What you hear during a station
The calls follow the order examiners use, so a mock at home sounds like the real thing. Every call has a distinct chime, and the ring around the clock changes colour with it.
- Step 1
Reading time
“Reading time. You have 2 minutes to read the instructions.” A soft tone, and the clock counts the reading time down.
- Step 2
The bell
“Students, please enter the station. Your 10 minutes start now.” A two-strike bell, then the station clock starts.
- Step 3
The reminder
“You have 2 minutes remaining.” A double beep and one call at the mark you chose. The ring turns amber.
- Step 4
Time's up
“Time is up. Please stop and leave the station.” A long tone, the ring turns red, and the station time is recorded.
Common OSCE station formats
Station lengths vary by school and year. These three presets are one tap away in the timer; type any other length straight into the fields. Each makes one reminder call; add a second only if your exam calls twice.
| Station | Reading | Station time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical-years station, Year 3–5 | 2 min | 10 min | The Curtin length for most of the mock stations here; one call at two minutes remaining. |
| History or examination, Year 1–2 | 2 min | 8 min | Curtin and UWA style early clinical stations; one call at one minute remaining. |
| Combined history and examination | 2 min | 15 min | Longer integrated and counselling stations; one call at two minutes remaining. |
Presets: 10 min + 2 min reading · 8 min + 2 min reading · 15 min + 2 min reading. One reminder call by default, at 5, 3, 2 or 1 minutes or 30 seconds remaining; a second can be added.
Built for practising on a phone
Big clock across the room
Tap the clock for a full-screen view that a phone propped against the wall can show the whole room. The screen stays awake while the station runs.
Never loses the time
The clock is worked out from the real time, so a background tab, a switched app or a refresh cannot drift it. Come back and it is right, with the calls it missed caught up.
Runs the station for your examiner
With the voice making the calls, a study partner can watch and mark instead of watching the clock. Pair it with a mock station for the script and marking sheet.
OSCE timer questions
Does the OSCE timer keep running if I lock my phone or switch apps?
The clock is worked out from the real time, not by counting ticks, so it is always right when you come back, and it asks the phone to keep the screen awake while a station is running. If the phone does sleep, the timer catches up the moment the screen is back and announces the most recent call you missed. For the voice to sound with the screen off, keep the tab in the foreground and the ringer on.
What happens if I refresh the page or close the tab mid-station?
The run is saved on your device every time it changes. Open the page again and the clock lands on the same second, with the same reminders already called, so you never announce two minutes remaining twice.
What does the voice say?
At the start of reading time it tells you how long you have to read. At the bell it says “Students, please enter the station. Your ten minutes start now.” Each reminder you choose is called as “You have two minutes remaining”, and at the end it says “Time is up. Please stop and leave the station.” The calls are read by a recorded female examiner by default, with a recorded male voice to switch to; you can also switch the voice off and keep the bell.
Can I set more than one reminder?
One call is the default, at two minutes remaining on the ten and fifteen minute presets and one minute on the eight minute preset, because a second call in the last two minutes is a distraction rather than a help. If your exam really calls twice, add a second call. The marks on offer are five, three, two and one minute and thirty seconds remaining.
Which station lengths does it support?
Anything from a 30-second drill to an hour. The three presets are the formats the mock stations use: ten minutes with two minutes reading and a call at two minutes remaining, eight minutes with two minutes reading and a call at one minute (the Year 1–2 history and examination station at Curtin and UWA), and fifteen minutes with two minutes reading and a call at two minutes. Type any other time straight into the fields.
Can it run a whole OSCE circuit?
Yes. Switch the timer from One station to Circuit, choose how many stations (2 to 20) and how long the changeover is. The same station plan then runs back to back: at the end of each station the voice says “Time is up. Please move to the next station.”, the changeover counts down, and the next station's reading time starts by itself. Set the changeover to 0:00 and the next station starts at the bell. The clock shows which station you are on.
Is it free, and do I need an account?
It is free and there is nothing to sign up for. Your settings and any run in progress are stored in your own browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Can I use it for a mock OSCE with a study partner?
Yes. Put the phone or laptop where the examiner would sit, open the big clock, and let the voice run the station so the examiner can concentrate on marking. The free mock stations on this site come with the same timer built in, plus a patient script, examiner pack and marking sheet.
More for your OSCE
Every mock station on ChoiceHub runs on this same timer, with its reading and station times already set.
New stations, straight to you
We add stations and refine mark schemes through the year. Leave an email and get a note when new ones are published — nothing else.
More than checklists
ChoiceHub also has a free community question bank for written exams, and Pro writes you new exam-style questions on any topic with a full per-option debrief.